her. “Yes, you were bitten, but so far as any of us can tell, the only weres that can create other weres with a bite, are the ones that were made that way themselves. But again, we don’t know. Not for certain. And with so much at stake, we can’t take the chance that we are wrong. That is why you must stay at Redbuck for three months, and be locked up safely for three full moons.”
Bella brooded about this for a very long moment. “And if I am infected,” she asked, finally, “what then?”
Elena looked at her levelly. “Then we can try cures we did not try on Sebastian, because I am relatively certain that you, unlike Sebastian, will agree to them. He did not feel enough urgency to take the chance with things that were so dangerous. He is by nature a shy and solitary young man, and as long as he is sure that he won’t hurt others, he doesn’t find being confined to Redbuck all that onerous. You, on the other hand, are of a different nature. If you discover you are infected, I think that you will take risks for a cure that he will not.”
Bella simultaneously hated and admired the Godmother at that moment. Hated her for being so blunt and apparently unmoved by Bella’s plight and the desperation she was feeling. Admired her for telling the absolute truth without any attempts to make it sound like anything other than it was — a life-or-death risk.
“And if these cures don’t work?” Bella continued. “If I’m still changing at the full moon when you run out of things to try?”
“Provided you survive all the failed attempts, I believe we will be looking into the remote-island and deserted-castle possibilities,” the Godmother said — though her expression and tone of voice gave no indication that she actually expected Bella to live through too many attempts at a cure.
Well. There it was. The very worst possible scenario, all laid out. And oddly, that actually made Bella feel a little, tiny bit better. She knew that the Godmother was actually actively working at solving this. She knew that she would be protected, if for no other reason than to serve as someone that dangerous cures could be tested on. At least there would be no mobs with torches and pitchforks in her future.
“Now to be fair, again, I personally do not think you are infected,” Elena continued. “By logical deduction, your odds are very good.”
Bella considered that, and then suddenly remembered what Sapphire had said to her, which now seemed even more important. “Did anyone tell you that Sebastian’s servants, some of them, anyway, are talking with me?” At the Godmother’s incredulously raised eyebrow, she hastily amended that. “Not talking actually, writing to me on a slate.”
“Very interesting. They had not. And what did they say?” The eyebrow was down, but the Godmother leaned forward, intrigued.
“They’ve mostly been telling me about the situation here, but one of them told me that I shouldn’t be unhappy because I wouldn’t change. Then it said that they would keep me from changing. Or protect me from whatever had changed Sebastian.” She leaned back, waiting to see how that particular dropped hornet’s nest would affect the Godmother.
“Oh, really.” The Godmother was clearly struck forcibly by these revelations. “Now, isn’t that interesting… I would wager that when you pressed it for further information, it told you that it could not give you any — yes?”
“Exactly.” She nodded vigorously. “Which makes me think they know something and are being prevented from telling anyone.”
The Godmother nodded agreement. “And that argues for it being the work of a particular magician. And the fact that the invisibles know what happened, yet are being kept from telling… Hmm.” She fell silent for a very long time, then said, “This may be the most valuable thing that I have learned since Sebastian was changed. It certainly gives me a new line of investigation to pursue. Especially since they told you that they can keep you from being changed.” She pursed her lips. “Don’t tell anyone else, please. Not even Sebastian. Especially not Sebastian. I do not for a moment suspect him of lying to us but this suggests that whoever did this to him may still be about, and Sebastian might inadvertently let fall that the invisibles know about him. I would not like to see them harmed.”
Bella shook her head. “Nor would I. They have been very good to me.”
Again the Godmother raised her eyebrow. “Have they, now? Another interesting development.” She again pursed her lips in thought. “Well, this changes things. I will need to consult with — well, quite a number of sources. Before I dismiss this spell, is there anything more you would like from me?”
Bella hesitated a moment. “I was going to ask if I could talk to my father…”
The Godmother gave her a long and penetrating stare. “Do you really think that would be a good idea?” she asked.
Bella sighed. “Not really,” she admitted. “All we would do is try to pretend we are being brave and fail terribly and make each other miserable. I’d like to write to him, but how would I get the letters to him?”
Now the Godmother smiled. “Oh, well, if that is your only concern, I can easily arrange that. Give me a day or two.”
“You can?” For the first time since all this began, she actually felt like smiling. “You really can?”
Elena laughed. “Of course I can! I am a Godmother! And this sort of communication is very Trad — is not that difficult for a Godmother to arrange.”
“I think it will make a world of difference to both of us,” Bella told her, gratefully. “And please… I do understand now why you have done what you have done. I can’t see that I would have made any different choices, or that I could have. It must be awful for you.” She wasn’t sure why she had added that last, but she knew when she said it that it was both true, and the right thing to say.
“Thank you for being so understanding.” Elena sighed, and for a moment, looked very sad. “You are correct. It is often very difficult to be a Godmother. Most of us are only human, and far too often our only choices are between bad and worse, and no matter what we do, someone is going to suffer.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Bella asked hesitantly.
“You can keep talking to your invisibles,” the Godmother said immediately. “They might be able to drop you some hints. And if you get anything, no matter how insignificant it seems, tell me or my Mirror Servant immediately.”
“I can do that,” she promised, although she really hoped she would not have to speak too often to that uncanny face.
