Quest Maker by Laurie McKay Page A

temper of his. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll still have to work at the school. He’ll serve me, but I’ll overlook his disrespectful attitude.”
    When she next spoke, her words had a guttural sound. The room seemed to vibrate. Each syllable felt like a physical blow, like something hard and unyielding striking his temple. When Caden heard a new language, sometimes, fleetingly, the words had a strange cadence. Then his gift of speech would fix the foreign words into something familiar.
    She spoke another language now. It wasn’t a regular language, though. It was a forgotten tongue, a language of power. It took a moment for the meaning to register.
    Her sentences started to unscramble in his mind.
    â€œFind the one responsible. Bring me Ashevillian evidence of their misdeeds. Give me something I can act upon.Do these three things and Prince Jasan will be spared.”
    Unlike other languages, Caden didn’t retain the forgotten ones. When he concentrated, he could understand and reply to her. But afterward the powerful words vanished like stabbing pains. He couldn’t retrieve the language at will. She’d spoken a forgotten tongue to him two other times. Like those other times, Caden now felt like his head might break open. He brought his palm to his temple. It was important that he answer in the same harsh language. When she spoke to him, she expected that. He dreaded forming the words, though. They made his tongue feel split at the seams, and his mouth taste of blood.
    He forced out the next words.
    â€œJasan will be spared, and you agree not to eat Brynne.”
    He thought about Ms. Primrose’s recent behavior, about how she seemed short on control. He also thought about how she’d told him she rarely ate locals. Not never. He added:
    â€œAnd you agree not to eat any of the students or parents.”
    His vision was blurring, but he thought she smiled, and her skin and eyes and hair all shone silver. “Are you negotiating in a tongue of power?” she said in the Ashevillian tongue. He heard something that might have been a laugh. “That is a dangerous thing to do, but I must say I am impressed. Very well.” She returned to speaking the earsplitting forgotten tongue.
    â€œIf you succeed, I’ll spare him. I’ll spare your friends and the others.
    â€œThough, really,” she added in normal Ashevillian, her tone huffy. “You needn’t worry. I don’t eat locals that often.”
    Caden’s head felt like it was being crushed. He took a deep breath. Through the pain, something occurred to him, something he should have said earlier. He forced his hand back to his side.
    He forced out the painful forgotten language again. “And if I fail?”
    Ms. Primrose spoke it with ease. “Then I eat him. And you.”
    â€œWhy me, too?” His tongue hurt more with each word.
    â€œAs you’ve added to the reward the safety of your friends and classmates, I must add punishment. That is negotiation in a tongue of power. I’m being quite generous only adding you to my dinner plans. Would you rather I add your friends instead?”
    Caden hunched over.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œI thought not. It wouldn’t be in your nature.”
    He grew dizzy from the pounding in his head and the pain in his tongue. Ms. Primrose seemed unaffected. She spoke to him as if she spoke in English or Spanish.
    â€œDo you accept?”
    Even with his aching head, he felt pride bubble deep within him. This was an honorable quest. He would be bringing a villain to justice and protecting his brother. And,truth be told, he didn’t think he had a choice. Refusing the quest seemed the same as failing it.
    He tried to focus on her and forced the guttural language out once more.
    â€œI accept.”
    As soon as he’d uttered the words, the air suffocated him. He felt as if his soul was being branded. He couldn’t breathe and fell to his knees. A