Page 109 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

“You met him?”

She nodded. “Maybe, three years back.”

I blinked. “You must be mistaken.” Coltar was found dead in an alley four years ago.

“I never forget,” she said assuredly.

This time she must have, because I saw him for myself, but I wasn’t going to argue

“Anyway,” she said, drawing out the ‘y’ on her words. “What can I do for you now? And who’s your friend?”

I’d almost forgotten Sage who was stuck behind me.

She peered out at being acknowledged. “I’m Sage,” she said.

“Yulean?” she said, eyes turned suddenly interested.

My hand went to Sage’s arm, feeling protective.

“Don’t worry sailor, I have no plans on harming your princess. It’s just not every day I see one.”

Neither Sage nor I seemed to know what to say.

“So come, have tea and tell me what you need.”

Maralda led us to the kitchen, where a magestone kettle was already running. She reached into the cupboard and pulled out three mismatched cups, plopping tea bags in each and filling them.

The cups went from sitting in front of her to arranged on the table in the blink of an eye, without her moving a muscle.

“Sugar or cream?” she asked, as she came to join us.

“I’d love honey if you have it,” Sage said.

A moment later a jar of it appeared in front of her. “Neat trick,” she said.

I worried Maralda would take some offense, but she only smiled. “I have a lot of those up my sleeve.”

After tea was settled, the mage looked at us expectantly, waiting for the reason we were here.

I cleared my throat. “You see, Sage has a necklace,” I pointed to it. “And it is… stuck.”

She blinked. “You came all the way here over a broken clasp?”

“No,” Sage clarified. “To lift the curse.”

“A curse you say? Tell me everything.”

Sage took the helm, explaining to Maralda everything that had happened, from receiving the necklace, to now.

She was mid sip when Sage finished. Maralda set her tea down.

“Can I come take a look?”

Sage nodded, pulling her chair out, the wood scraping the ground as she faced her.

Maralda stood and approached her, putting her hand around the necklace. I watched as she closed her eyes, assuming something would happen in that time, but it was just the three of us, waiting in silence.

Was the chain just going to snap? Would there be a big light that flashes, breaking the whole thing? The anticipation was killer.