“Are you going to read it now?” my stepsister asked, stifling a yawn.
I shook my head with a tight smile. “Maybe tomorrow,” I said. I blew out the candle on our bedside table. “Good night, Gen.”
“Good night.”
I waited until my stepsister’s breathing evened before pulling out the letter. Shifting closer to the sliver of moonlight by the window, I unfolded the parchment.
Amarante,
Rowena and I hope you are doing well. Remember, you must never reveal your secret to anybody. But do not worry. We know where the witch who can remove your magic is. Meet us at the outskirts of the city tomorrow afternoon.
Also, attached is a letter from Master Flora. I know you have been wanting to talk to him.
Best of luck,
Theodora
There was another letter inside the envelope, this time covered with Papa’s neat script.
My flower,
It pains me to write to you about this when I know I should be there in person. What Theodora and Rowena say is true. I wanted to tell you about the circumstances of your birth the moment your Mama passed, but I was afraid. And selfish. I knew revealing the truth so late would change everything between us or even worse, put you in danger. I fear I will ramble on more than necessary if I continue writing. I will head back to Delibera as soon as I handle some business matters. Until then, take care and stay safe.
Much love,
Your Papa
My throat tightened. Business matters always came first, so I wasn’t surprised. How long until I’d see him again? A month? Two months? It was much too long to wait. I stuffed the letters beneath my pillow and shut my eyes.
THE CITY OF DELIBERA normally had mild weather year-round, but as I took a horse chaise to the outskirts of the city, the sun was sweltering. Mixed with the jitters that plagued me all morning, the heat was positively nauseating by the time I arrived. Theodora and Rowena stood near the familiar cluster of buildings as I made my way toward them. Their faces were pinched.
“How are you, dear?” Theodora asked, holding me at arms-length as if she were looking for fatal wounds.
I ignored the tightness of my stomach and the sweat soaking the back of my dress. “I’m fine,” I said. “Are we going to go see the witch?”
Both of them winced. “Not so loud,” Rowena said, eyes flickering to a few passersby.
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Does she live here?”
“Not really,” Rowena said. She fiddled with the loose threads on her sleeves. “It’s a lot to explain.”
“I have all the time in the world.”
Rowena sighed and took my elbow. We walked down the street, the two of them flanking me as they had when I took walks as a child.
“The thing is, we have to go through another witch to find her,” Rowena said. “The former is a gatekeeper of sorts.”
I cocked my head. “Like a bodyguard? Do all witches have another witch guarding them?”
Theodora made a face that told me I had said something extremely foolish. “I’m sorry, dear. This must be confusing you.”
Rowena snorted. “Never mind that. Let’s hurry.”
A short minute’s walk led us to a very familiar building.
“The post office?” I asked, staring at the painted blue door.
Rowena shook her head and opened the one beside it. I exhaled. Of course. Miriam’s Terrariums.
This time, the snail lady was draped in shawls of mustard and tangerine. A gaudy turquoise turban sat on her head and wobbled when she threw out her arms to welcome us. “Hello and welcome to...oh, it’s you two again.”
“Yes, Miriam,” Theodora said, sounding almost annoyed. “We need to use the passageway.”
“Really? I thought you swore never to step foot in the village again,” Miriam lowered her arms and stared at me. “Unless it’s because of her?”
Rowena stepped forward, blocking me from view. “That’s none of your business. And we need you to take us to Lana.”
Miriam tutted. “Ah, then it is my business,” she said, throwing yet another shawl over her shoulder. Her brass bangles clinked together as she crossed her arms. “No one has passed through here for sixteen years.”
“Which is exactly why we need to pass now,” Theodora said.
The two stared at each other until Miriam broke her gaze.
“Very well,” she said with a scoff. “Come along then.” She strode through a beaded curtain and motioned for us to follow.
Behind the curtain was a small sitting area. We wove through the poufs and rugs that littered the floor, stopping in front of a poorly woven tapestry. Miriam lifted it out of the way, revealing a rectangular piece of brick wall. She pressed in five bricks in no particular order. The wall rolled back with a rumble. Before I knew it, a set of dusty stairs appeared, leading to a dark pit below.
“There’s a passageway in your shop,” I said stupidly.
Theodora patted my shoulder. “It leads to Witch Village,” she said. “There are few such passageways throughout Olderea. This one happens to be the closest.”
“They require very complex magic to make,” Rowena continued. “Witches with great skill can materialize one on the spot and it’ll take them wherever they wish. Most, however, can only use preexisting ones like this.”
I suppose my nannies thought spouting trivia would distract me from the fear boiling in my gut and the nerves weakening my legs.
“Yes, yes. Hurry now,” Miriam said, shooing us forward.
“You’re not bringing a lamp?” I said in a small voice.
Miriam shrugged and grabbed a lamp from a low table. The light didn’t penetrate far into the dense darkness, but it was still some comfort as Theodora and Rowena led me down the stairs. The air cooled as we descended. When the stairs ended, the ground beneath was rough and uneven. Theodora and Rowena’s hands in mine were my only source of comfort.
“I can’t see a thing,” I said. Miriam’s lantern was nothing but
