Quilla took a cloth and struggled to wipe the guck from her ulu. It came off, but not as quickly as she wanted it to, so she slammed the ulu down on the table.

  “Want to talk about it?” Ookpik said.

  Quilla glanced at her. The old woman wasn’t even looking at her, just continuing food preparations.

  “Sorry,” Quilla said. “It...it won’t happen again.”

  “Oh, it probably will. Maybe not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow. But it will happen again. Something’s bothering you, and it’s distracted you all day. So that’s why I ask, do you want to talk about it?”

  Ookpik was right. She had been distracted all day. She couldn’t keep her mind off the tattoo. Deciding to wait an extra day to prepare herself had been a stupid idea. She should have gone ahead with it last night and gotten it over with. Now she was just full of worry. It was kind of Ookpik to offer to talk, but there was no way Quilla could confide in her, so she simply said, “No, that’s all right. I’ll deal with it.”

  “In that case, there’s something I want to talk to you about,” Ookpik said.

  “If I did something wrong, I’m sorry. You’re right, I’m distracted. I’ll focus better.”

  Ookpik shook her head. “It’s nothing like that.” She grabbed a cloth, wiped her hands, then walked over to Quilla and sat beside her. “I want to talk to you about your friend.”

  “Which one?”

  “I think you already know which one, but in case you really don’t, I mean the one who doesn’t want to tell you her background. The one with the fiery red hair.”

  “Veronique.”

  Ookpik nodded.

  “What about her?”

  “I’ve been unsure whether to talk to you about this, but last night made it clear. I’m sure you’re aware of the tattoo on her neck.”

  Quilla gulped. Somehow, she’d suspected that was what Ookpik wanted to talk about. Of all the things that could happen right at this moment, that was the absolute worst, so it made sense it was what was occurring.

  Ookpik nodded. “Hmm. It would seem you’re aware of it. And its meaning?”

  “It...um...has a meaning?”

  Ookpik shook her head with a tsk. “That response tells me you know full well what it means. I noticed it the first time she removed her outer clothes in my place. However, I’ve known at lot of young and stupid people who go out and get tattoos without knowing what they mean. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Better she be an idiot than know what that thing stands for. Last night made me certain she knows what it means, but I’m far more disappointed that you know it too. Do you have one?”

  Quilla shook her head quickly. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it might burst out of her chest at any moment.

  “At least that’s something. Tell me why I shouldn’t kick you out of my home, why I shouldn’t tell the whole village and have you driven away or worse. There are some here who would happily gut her if they knew what she is.”

  “Please, you don’t understand the full situation.”

  Ookpik slammed her hand down on the table. “That’s why I’m asking you to explain. So do it!”

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  “I’m not sure where to start.”

  “Try the beginning.” Ookpik wrapped her hand around the handle of an ulu and continued to glare at Quilla.

  Quilla nodded. “The beginning. It starts...um...it starts with a man named Dyle. I was a foolish young girl who fell for the wrong person.” Her heart still pounding in her chest, Quilla proceeded to tell Ookpik everything: her marriage to Dyle, Corvinian, being hunted by Volgs, meeting Garet, then Felit?a. Everything. All the way up to the events that had brought them here, and the fact she needed the tattoo for the bonding with Vern in order to stay alive.

  Ookpik glared at her the entire time, her hand clutching the ulu. Occasionally, her lips twitched, but she didn’t say anything until Quilla said, “And that’s everything.”

  Then Ookpik barked a laugh. “So gossip girl is a Folith princess! I confess I didn’t see that one coming.” She laughed some more. “Don’t ever let Koko know that!”

  Quilla took a moment to adjust to that being Ookpik’s first reaction. Then she laughed. “I won’t. I never talk to Koko anyway.”

  Ookpik grinned. “Wise woman. I wish Annai and Imiq were as wise.”

  Quilla was unsure what to say next. Had this really turned into a gossip session about other women in the village?

  “I can see you’re worried about my response to the rest,” Ookpik said.

  Quilla nodded. “Yes. Do you understand my situation now? Do you understand why I need Vern and that...that tattoo?”

  Ookpik finally let go of the ulu. “What if I could offer you an alternative?”

  “What sort of alternative?”

  With a smile, Ookpik indicated the lines tattooed on her chin and forehead. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that every woman over sixteen in this village has at least a few of these.”

  Quilla nodded.

  “They’re symbols of passage through life. A young woman gets her first when she bleeds for the first time, and more as she gets older and more experienced. I could give you one.”

  “How will that help?”

  Ookpik reached past Quilla and traced a design in the seal blood on the table. As soon as she withdrew her finger, the blood sizzled and boiled away.

  “You’re a wizard?” Quilla said.

  Ookpik frowned. “In a sense, though not in the way you’re probably familiar. Not like some of the people you mentioned in your story. Eloorin and Foliths treat magic like a vocation. Isyar centre their entire lives around it. We treat it like a tool to help augment other things. Your friends would not consider me powerful by any measure, but I know a few things.”

  “I’m still not quite sure what you’re proposing.”

  “With a bit of time, I can prepare the inks so that they permanently hold protective magic. The tattoo I give you will then help protect you. It probably won’t be as strong as whatever this bonding with Veronique might give you, but it gives you a way out of getting that horrid goat skull that will forever corrupt your soul.”

  “You really think that? Vern said I don’t have to believe in it. I just need the tattoo. It won’t make me a Darker.”

  Ookpik barked another laugh. “In that case, ask her if you can do it with a different tattoo. I guarantee you, she’ll say no. You may not believe in what the tattoo represents, but the Lord of Darkness is real, and his symbols have power. Let that power in you, and there will be no turning back. You are aware that most who become Darkers do not join out of choice?”

  “I’d heard something of the sort.”

  Ookpik nodded. “Mm, so why do so many end up embracing it?”

  Quilla wasn’t sure how to reply. She hadn’t really thought about it before.

  “Because the symbol has power. It corrupts. It will corrupt you.”

  Quilla could only stare back at her. Was Ookpik right? All this time, she’d been telling herself it was just a tattoo. It didn’t mean anything if she didn’t let it. Did it really have meaning and power on its own? Gods, what was she supposed to do?

  “Think about it if you need to,” Ookpik said, “but I strongly advise against you getting the goat skull, and if you do, I will throw you out of my home.”

  “What do I tell Vern?”

  Ookpik stood up and turned back to the seal meat she was preparing. “That’s up to you, but you’ll be much better off without that Darker in your life. Assuming you don’t get the goat skull tonight, I’ll tattoo you tomorrow evening. Like I said, I’ll need to prepare the inks properly. I’ll do that during the day. For now, back to work. If you’re distracted, so be it, but try to get something done.”

  Quilla nodded and picked up her ulu. Gods, what was she going to do?

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