The Crimson Skew by S. E. Grove

running from others who sought it. Prosperity was pleasurable, but she had already seen what a life of prosperity looked like: Miles, Calixta, and Burr had followed that path. There was a certain carelessness to their lives that Sophia found appealing but somehow . . . deflating.
    â€œI would follow the last path,” Sophia said aloud. “Though there are uncertainties, the pattern you describe is one I think I could live with. One I think I would like. I am used to loss andI am used to finding things in the wake of that loss. This seems the right path for me.”
    Maxine nodded gravely, almost bowing as she let her head fall forward. As she rose, she took the tree ring and the brown shape in her hands. “Then let me tell you how to find this path. There are three things to remember—three crucial junctures. One will happen very soon. The other two will not happen for quite some time. Are you ready to hear them?”
    Sophia swallowed. “Yes.”
    â€œFirst. When you see the knight and the dragon, you must think only of your own safety. Your instinct is to stay. You must flee.”
    â€œA knight and a dragon?”
    â€œThat is what I see—I can only imagine that they are symbols.”
    â€œHow will I recognize them?”
    Maxine smiled under the veil. “You will recognize them. Second, you will learn something that causes you to doubt the honesty of someone you love. When this happens, you will be wise to look beyond reason for your judgment.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, beyond reason?”
    â€œReason and rationality alone cannot decide this for you. Listen to the part of you that judges the world on feeling.”
    â€œVery well.”
    â€œThird. Something will change the ground beneath your feet. What was natural will become unnatural. Dust will change to water. Water will change to dust. You will feel fear.You must overcome this fear—your accumulated knowledge has the answer.”
    â€œSo I must ignore my instincts, my reason, and my feelings in succession,” Sophia said, disheartened.
    Maxine’s voice was steady and encouraging. “It is not a matter of ignoring them, but of knowing when to trust which part of yourself. In the first case, put your instinct aside and trust the virtue of self-preservation. In the second case, put your reason aside and trust the virtue of affection. In the third case, put your feelings aside and trust the virtue of knowledge. You have all these things—instinct, reason, sentiment, and knowledge. This telling of your fortune only counsels you when to heed each.”
    Sophia nodded slowly. “I understand.”
    â€œTake these,” Maxine said, holding out the tree ring and the brown shape. “They hold the keys to your path. They are first steps to launch you upon it.”
    Sophia took the two objects and looked at them in the half darkness, mystified.
    Maxine smiled reassuringly. “And now you may help me extinguish the candles. The fortune-telling is done.”
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    S OPH IA RETURNED TO her room feeling unsettled. She had accepted Maxine’s offer thinking that it would be amusing—like having one’s cards read at a fair. But Maxine had seemed so solemn, her vision of the future so true, that Sophia found herself shaken.
    The little bedroom was lit with lamps. Dark violet curtainshad been drawn shut, and the bed with its violet-trimmed bedding had been turned down. Sophia placed the two objects Maxine had given her on a spindly little table by the side of the bed and stared at them in the flickering light of the flame lamp.
    There was a light knock on her door. “Come in,” Sophia called. She knew already that it would be Goldenrod, and she turned expectantly.
    Goldenrod made her way in quietly, shutting the door behind her. “You are upset,” she said, coming to stand by Sophia. She wore an embroidered nightdress that fell to her bare