Page 19 of To Desire

Chapter 10

Liana untied the small pouch, her smile deepening as she glanced at Darien. She pulled out a set of small, smooth stones, each etched with a delicate symbol.

“These are my runes,” she explained softly, holding one out. “Each one carries a different meaning, a different power, and is used for healing, protection . . . guidance.”

Darien studied the rune she handed him, his thumb brushing over the symbol. “What does this one mean?” he asked, holding it up for Liana to see.

“That one is Algiz,” she said, her voice thoughtful. “It’s the rune of protection. It represents a shield, a force of defense, and connection to higher powers. Some believe it could invoke guardianship from the spiritual realm.”

“Do you read these runes? Or do they themselves have power? I’m not certain I understand completely.”

Liana glanced at the rune in his hand. “It’s both. I read them, aye. Each rune carries a meaning, a message that can guide us in times of need, if we know how to interpret them. But the runes themselves are more than symbols.”

She took the stone from his hand, her fingers brushing against his briefly. It was one thing to lie beside her, with layers between them. Quite another to touch, skin to skin. Did she feel the current that ran between them too?

“These are ancient. They’re connected to the magic of the earth, to the unseen forces of the world. A skilled seer knows how to harness their power. Protection, healing, even guidance . . . they respond to the one who wields them.”

Darien’s brow furrowed as he processed her words. “So, when you cast them, do they influence events? Shape outcomes?”

Liana nodded. “At times. But only when handled with intention and respect. They don’t bend to just anyone’s will. They speak to those who understand them—and sometimes, they offer their own wisdom, whether you ask for it or not.”

“So . . . the fisherman’s daughter⁠—”

She interrupted him. “The runes reveal paths—possibilities—but they do not always show how to change them. Even if I’d understood fully what I was seeing, there’s no guarantee I could’ve stopped it. Some fates . . .” Her voice trailed off as she searched for the right words. “Some fates seem woven too tightly to unravel.”

He attempted to grasp the full weight of her words. “So, even with your gift, there are things beyond your control?”

“Most things, aye. I can see what might happen, and sometimes, I can help change a course. But fate is a stubborn thing. If I had spoken to her parents, maybe they would have kept her away from the docks that day. But who’s to say fate wouldn’t have found another way to claim her?”

She met his gaze, sadness lingering in her eyes. That girl’s death had affected her in more ways than Darien could imagine. “I carry that with me, Darien. The knowing . . . but also the uncertainty. It is both a blessing and a curse.”

“I can understand, somewhat. There are times I wish I’d not been born an earl’s son but a knight alone, able to choose which battles to enter without the weight of my decision affecting the people of Ely.”

The way she looked at him . . . Liana understood. They’d both been given a responsibility that held others’ lives in the balance.

“Serena,” she said finally. “She was more than just a healer. She was a seer, and runes such as these were part of her legacy.”

Serena was a seer too. Darien had not known that, but the whispers, the location of her cottage, the uneasiness surrounding her death, made more sense now.

“Let me show you how to read them, to understand her better. To understand me better, too.”

Darien shifted on the bench, angling toward her.

“Reading the runes isn’t just about seeing the symbols,” she explained, her voice soft yet purposeful. “It’s about listening to the energy within and around them.”

She began to move the runes gently with her fingers, positioning them with care. “First, I cast them,” she continued, lifting her hand and letting a few more fall from her palm in a random scatter. “The way they land, their proximity to one another, and even the direction they face—these all carry meaning.”

Darien watched as the runes settled, each one facing a different way, some overlapping. “And then?” he asked, intrigued.

“Then I read the pattern they form. The runes are ancient symbols, each representing a different force, idea, or event—love, protection, change, conflict . . . whatever the question at hand might be. But it’s not just the individual runes. Their placement relative to each other tells a story. One rune might mean something entirely different depending on where it falls.” She paused, pointing to one rune with an intricate design. “For instance, this one is Laguz, the rune of water and intuition. If it’s placed here, near the center, it could symbolize a strong inner pull, something flowing beneath the surface of a situation. But if it falls farther away, its influence might be more subtle, like a distant warning.”

Darien leaned forward, following her gestures. “It is about how they interact with each other?”

Liana nodded. “Precisely. I open myself to the flow of energy that guides them. Sometimes, it is like hearing a whisper in the wind, other times like feeling the undercurrent in a stream. The key is to let go of what you expect the answer to be and listen to what the runes are telling you.”

She picked up one of the runes and handed it to Darien, her eyes holding his. “They don’t tell the future outright. They show potential, guide decisions, and reveal hidden truths. But the choice—what to do with that knowledge—that remains with the one who asks.”

“Meaning me? Or you?”