The Third Scroll by Dana Marton

left with a group of his warriors to inspect the borders of the territory he protected. Some of the servants whispered that Lord Gilrem had taken ill, too, and I feared Kumra would send for me to heal him. The High Lord’s brother could not be simply carried out to some crumbling hut and left to die alone. But what could I do to help him? And if I couldn’t… I knew Kumra would be vicious had she found any shortcomings in me.
    Then Kumra did order me to Lord Gilrem’s side, but not to heal the man. She had a darker purpose.
    She held me back in the morning, after the other girls had left to do her bidding. I followed as she led me to Tahar’s Hall. Dread wrapped around my face tighter than a healer’s veil.
    She led me to the larger chamber where the Palace Guard had stayed previously. Now only one cot remained.
    “This will be your place.”
    I felt the blood drain out of my face.
    “Lord Gilrem feels poorly. Not the same disease that had taken his guard, praise Rorin and the goddesses. It’s but some temporary weakness. Even so, he shows favor to my daughter,” Kumra said, and for the first time since I had known her, her words filled me with relief. “You will be here day and night to care for them.”
    She pulled two glass phials, one white, one black, from the folds of her dress. She handed me the white one. “For Keela. I want to make sure she conceives a male child.”
    I nodded, having heard of such potions, although the Shahala would not have dreamed of trying to influence the spirits in such a way.
    She handed me the second phial, and I nearly dropped it. The cold glass seemed to burn my skin.
    “For Lord Gilrem. One drop in every cup he drinks. I can do this much for them, but no more. You will do the rest.”
    I looked at her bewildered, for truly I did not understand what she expected of me.
    “Lord Gilrem will leave when Tahar returns at the next moon crossing.” Her sharp eyes narrowed. “If Keela is with child, I will ask Tahar for a favor. He has never denied me yet. I will ask for your freedom.”
    My heart leaped with joy. For such a price, I would have done anything. If only I understood what she wanted from me.
    “But if Lord Gilrem leaves before planting his seed in my daughter, you will be chosen for Tahar at the feast. And after that, the warriors… I would not be surprised if they all had you. Especially if they thought your healer’s blood made them invincible.”
    She said this without the slightest malice in her voice, as if she were telling me what foods she had asked Talmir to prepare for the evening meal. And then she turned on the wooden heels of her jeweled slippers and left me to think about it.
    That veil of dread returned and tightened around my face until I could scarcely breathe. Did she fathom I had powers such as to create new life in the womb? Not even the best of the Shahala healers had the ability, not even my mother.
    I paced the outer chamber, not daring to disturb the couple in the smaller one as I contemplated my sorry fate.
    Soon Lenya brought a tray of food but could not stay to talk under strict orders from Kumra. I decided I would have to go to Keela and Gilrem at last, for they might have been waiting for the meal. So I called Keela’s name loudly, and when she bid me to enter, I carried the food in.
    Since I had set up the room with Lenya, a great transformation had taken place. Soft pelts covered the floor so barely a patch of rock showed; embroidered pictures of silk hung on the walls that showed men hunting and women bathing in enchanted pools. Satin pillows lay piled high on the bed.
    Keela stood in the corner by a large chest and sorted through a pile of elaborate dresses, some of which I knew to be her mother’s.
    “I heard you will be helping us.” She tossed the dresses aside.
    I set the tray on the carved bedside table and added a drop from the white phial to Keela’s cup. She came and drank it at once.
    Lord Gilrem lay upon the bed, his