by Julie Abe
Then I sighed. “No, I’d probably turn the buildings into solid rock or something.”
The flamefox swatted at me with his paw, as if telling me to think of something else. I snuggled back under the sheets. “In the meantime, I can repair things to help the townspeople.…”
I fell asleep mumbling about ways to fix up my store, with Ember close to my side, keeping me warm.
CHAPTER 12
TICKING TIME
Knock, knock.
“Who’s there?” I mumbled sleepily. The sun hadn’t risen through the foggy darkness. A paper bird was perched on my windowsill, pecking at the glass, carrying a package on its delicate back.
I jumped out of bed, pushed open the window, and cupped it in my hands. The bird jabbed at my skin insistently. Ember barked at it, growling and jumping on the mattress.
“Ow!” I cried. “C’mon. Let the seal be broken, let this letter open.” I blew on the paper and the bird froze. The paper wings unfolded in my palm, the small cloth-wrapped bundle tumbling into my other hand.
To our dearest Eva,
Perhaps writing to the Council would confirm, but Hayato might just kick up dust and cause trouble. If there aren’t any witches or wizards in town, then it’s a perfect sign to stay.
Stuffy Hayato would never—or, at least, should never—turn down a witch who’s truly done good. You’ll just have to prove you’re doing so well that he can’t say no.
Time flies when you’re having adventures, so keep an eye on your hourglass so time won’t fly away from you.
A thought—Auteri is terribly south, isn’t it? Come home fast, before the Culling can possibly start, dear. We want you safe.
All of our love,
Mother and Father
PS. Don’t forget to practice flying! Also, Father made some of your favorite yuzu cookies—we hope they survive the flight!
The familiar, citrusy scent of home floated up as Ember snuffled at the package, and my heart clenched. I missed Mother and Father terribly.
I lifted the star-shaped hourglass at my neck. It dangled in my hands, time dribbling away. With Mother’s powerful enchantments, sand from the top star trickled into the emptier glass star even when I turned it upside down. My heart beat faster and faster each time another dot of sand fell. A small tingle of magic tickled my fingers, but I was still weak after yesterday. My black witch’s dress was full of tears, but rather than wasting magic on a repair for myself, I’d have to conserve every drop of my magic for setting up my shop.
I dug through my knapsack. Under thirteen tomes, a few sparking at the touch, and several black witch’s dresses with Ember-shaped teeth marks, I found my wrinkled dark gray blouse and black skirt from two years ago, before I’d manifested. I slipped them on. The shoulders were tight and the waist slightly pinched, but it was the only outfit I had, without mending the holes in my dresses. After hitching my knapsack over my shoulders, I peered at my reflection in the window. Even with my pointed hat, I didn’t quite look like a witch.
I left Ember at the cottage with a stern warning. “Don’t you mess up anything, okay? Stay here.”
Ember whined loudly as he plopped down on the front step, following me with his mournful, dark eyes.
The thick fog swallowed me up. It felt like I was walking through clouds, and I inched down the stone path, clinging to the cliff around the corners where the path narrowed and my steps sent small rocks tumbling off. The ledge rose so far above the sea that I couldn’t hear them hit the water.
Once in town, I walked past the beach and along the docks, dodging sailors with arms full of crates and nets. I squinted through the fog. Was that the orphanage—
Lost in my thoughts, I bumped into a man staring out at the sea and knocked something out of his hands. It fell to the ground in a flash of gold. The man startled as if I had woken him out of a trance, and he scanned the ground, his eyes widening in panic.
“I’m so sorry!” I cried and scrambled to pick up his delicate gold wristwatch, pressing it back in his hands.
“Ah… thank you.” His voice creaked, as if it had been unused for too long. He blinked, eyes returning to his trance.
“The fog was so dense that I didn’t see you,” I said. The man didn’t seem to hear me. He was transfixed by the sea. It was almost as if he had been cursed, but that couldn’t be right. Rogue magic had been stamped out years ago. “Are you lost, sir?”
“A’coming, a’coming.” His words were gentle as a drop of water on the sea, yet echoed hauntingly in the mist.
Shivers ran down my spine, worse than during any ghost story Mother had ever told me. I skittered to my lot and stopped with surprise.
Instead of an empty patch of dirt, crates were stacked neatly into the shape of a long counter. Wide, stumpy boxes sat in front and behind the taller crates, like benches, covered in plump canvas cushions. A note was pinned on top:
Eva,
Some of the sailors volunteered a few crates, and I found a few cushions. You may need to sand down the wood, though. I’ll drop by again as soon as I can.
Good luck setting up shop!
Rin, your favorite guardian
I breathed out a sigh of delight, drinking in the beautiful sight of my own repair shop. It wasn’t a proper store like Seafoam Sweets next door, but it was far more than the bare patch of land it’d been yesterday.
As the sun burned through the morning fog, I used a bit of parchment, a handful of sand from the beach, and a spell—“Sift in the sand, mend what I can”—to create sandpaper to smooth down the splintered wood. My vision swam as magic leached from my blood, and I sighed.
Around me, fishermen tossed buckets of reeking bait onto their boats and pushed off. Out on the water, skiffs zipped between the massive ships anchored outside the bay of Auteri. On the cobblestone street leading to the main square, townspeople scurried about, heading to their shops, up to the town hall, or down to the docks. The white buildings sparkled in the morning light.
I gulped. I couldn’t imagine the town wrecked by a force of nature like the Culling. Mayor Taira’s words echoed in my mind: If you cannot help Auteri in its times of need…
I didn’t want to think about the possibility of having my magic taken away. I had to set up my shop and figure out how to help the town, fast.
I arranged jars of odds and ends from my knapsack on a small crate directly under the counter, with everything from globs of wax to parchment to sticks of charcoal. Since I wasn’t powerful enough to magic things out of thin air, I always liked to keep a few supplies on hand.
By the time they were in place, the sun had risen, burning my skin. The smell of caramelizing sugar wafted from Seafoam Sweets. My stomach growled. I’d forgotten lunch. To keep my mind off the mouthwatering scents, I worked on a sign:
FOUND:
FLAMEFOX. RED-GOLD, CURLY TAIL.
I was tempted to draw Ember like he really was, trying not to look guilty with specks of croissants all over his fur. But I drew his face the way he had looked this morning when he sweetly cuddled close to my side, listening as I talked to him about my plans for the day.
As a finishing touch, I scrawled EVA, WITCH on a piece of stiff parchment. I propped the sign so that it stood up on the wood.
There. Ready for business.
A line reached out the shop door, and I could see people looking at me. I cupped my mouth and called, “Magical repair services!” When I tried to meet their glances, their eyes seemed to slide away. “Need help with any fixes?”
Silence. Even the sailors stopped, stared, and quickly walked away.
My stomach twisted. I knew Auteri hadn’t had any magical help in a while, but these folks examined me like they had never seen a witch. And, to be honest, what if they came up to my counter and asked for a fix I couldn’t perform?
A seagull screeched and swooped at my head and I ducked. The people in line hid their laughs.
“Magical repair s-s-ser-bises,” I stammered. “Um, ser-serv
ices! Magical repair services!”
Again, silence.
I sat down, feeling like a fish flopping on the docks and preparing to be slaughtered.
What would it feel like for the Council to strip the magic from my blood? Maybe someone would have to learn to wield the spell—I’d never heard of it being used on anyone before. Did it hurt? Would I feel empty after they took it away? At that thought, my stomach didn’t growl anymore.
The hourglass dangling at my neck warmed, as if it could hear my very thoughts. When I pulled it out, the sand continued to trickle down—time would not wait for me.
CHAPTER 13
THE FEEBLE FIX
After the lunchtime rush, the crowd thinned out in front of the sweets shop. But no matter whether the store was packed or empty, everyone seemed to pass me by.
To my right, the door of the orphanage swung open. Charlotte darted out, stuffing rolls of parchment into a sack slung over her shoulder. A trail of younger kids followed her.
“Stay here,” she told the eight or so kids right on her heels. As if it was a familiar warning, they groaned collectively and slumped on the steps of the orphanage.
“Do you have to go?” one of the boys grumbled.
Her eyes flickered over to me as she lowered her voice. “Later, if I hear that you all behaved, I might give you a new paper animal.”
They all perked up and babbled over one another.
“Really? I want it now!”
“What’d you make?”
“Is it a rockcrow?”
“We never get enough toys!”
Charlotte spoke over them. “Only if you all behave. And that means not being rowdy! The customers lining up at Seafoam Sweets are looking over, and we can’t have that.”
The kids sighed and nodded mutely, slinking back into the orphanage where, seconds later, a boy’s voice screeched. “Get it out!”
“Soggy rice does not belong in tunics!” an old woman’s voice snapped. The other kids burst into snickers.
“Well. Guess I won’t show them my new paper turtle after all.” Charlotte shut the heavy white wood door, shaking her head. She adjusted the strap of the bag on her shoulder and clattered down the steps.
I waved at her. It felt good to know someone’s name. “Hello, Charlotte.”
Charlotte skittered to a stop and walked up to my store, her eyes scanning the crates. “Well?”
“Hmm?” I said, confused. “Oh! Do you have a repair job for me?”
She raised her eyebrow. “For you? No—when people wave me down, that usually means they have a job for me.”
“What do you do?” I glanced at the pouch slung over her shoulder and the leather belt tied around her waist, with different shaped pockets all knotted closed. My fingers itched to craft something like that—it looked useful for all my odds and ends.
“I’m a messenger. When school’s closed for the summer harvest, I work. Once I graduate, Kyo will hire me to work in the town hall.” She put her hands on her waist as though I had challenged her. Her right hand was swathed in a bandage, and I frowned. I didn’t remember seeing her with that before. When she noticed me looking, she quickly tucked her hand in her pocket, the look on her face clearly showing she didn’t want any more questions.
“I’ll let you know if I have anything,” I said quickly. “Good luck with your clients!”
She jerked her head in a nod and jogged down the dock, her bag bouncing on her shoulder. Everyone had way more to do than I did.
I stood up, pushing off the bench, and winced as a still-stubbly part of the wood pricked my finger. I’d have to sand it down, but I had something more pressing to do. “Magical repair services,” I called loudly. “Need magical repair services?”
A sailor with a slight limp stopped in the middle of the docks with a snort. Unlike the rest of Auteri, usually dressed in blue or gold tunics as luminous as the colorful roof tiles, or the boat workers like Rin, in bottle-green uniforms, this boy and his friends were swathed in gray-black clothes, drab as their constant frowns. My stomach lurched. He was the one who’d been skeptical of my seaweed fix for the ship.
Soma—the pirate.
The scar on his jaw twisted as he smirked, nudging his friend, a girl with long braids that went down to her waist. “Hey, where’s the line for the witch?”
My cheeks burned hotter than the early-summer sun.
“I can help with your repair needs,” I said, even though I wanted to crawl under my counter.
“I don’t need help from a girl without any magic,” he snickered. My nails bit into my palms. It felt as if Grottel was sneering in my face and threatening to take away my magic all over again.
His friend shook her head. “What’s she doing here anyway? A castoff from the Council, I guess?”
I bit down a retort. I wasn’t on a quest to start fights, unlike wizards like Conroy.
Soma stepped closer, with a slight limp that made him even more menacing. “Yeah, her parents probably thought she was useless and kicked her out.”
“My parents would never do that.” He could say whatever he wanted about me, about my magic, about my sad-looking shop, but not about my parents.
He scoffed. “Then why does no one want your help?”
And for that…
For that, I didn’t have an answer.
In the gaping silence, with Soma grinning victoriously at me, the line of people waiting for Seafoam Sweets shifted and turned away. Their whispers carried on a sea breeze, harsh on my ears.
A witch with barely any magic.
It’s a wonder she could even save the ship yesterday.
Is that why it took so long?
Poor thing. She knows seaweed and rocks don’t usually get used in spells, right?
I thought witches flicked their wands and chanted a few words and solved everything.
Then a familiar person stepped next to my counter, facing the pirates with her arms crossed.
“Soma,” Rin said, and though she leaned casually against the crates, her narrowed eyes flashed threateningly. “You do know Eva’s my ward, don’t you?”
Soma spat on the ground. “Yeah, yeah, that stupid quest.”
“Do you want some magical services?” Rin slowly rolled up the sleeves of her uniform. “Because with what you’re saying and how you’re staying here, it seems like you want Eva to curse you out into the sea.”
Perhaps this was the one time it’d be nice if my spells conveniently misfired and sent him into an abyss. Preferably anywhere far, far away. Tension crackled in the air as Soma and Rin stared each other down. “Um, of course, if you need repair services, I can help?” I offered. The last thing I wanted was a fight in front of my stand.
“I’ve seen witches and wizards like you,” Soma snarled, turning toward me. “You all offer to help, but only at a cost.”
“If you need help,” I said firmly, “I will help. I won’t charge if someone’s in danger. I’m here for you, for the whole town.”
His eyes flickered with surprise. “You—what? You don’t charge?”
“Truly,” I said. “Never if someone’s life is at stake.”
“What if I want you to fix my shirt?” He tugged at the hem of his shirt, the edges ratty and torn as if he’d been attacked by a wild animal.
“Your life isn’t at stake over a shirt, is it?” I asked, and he sullenly shrugged. “For that, I’d charge a copper, something small, or teach you how to hem your shirt for free. But if it’s something monumental, something that you need desperately… I would help. No charge at all.”
“But your Council,” he snarled, “they only agree to help when there’s gold as a reward.”
“What?” I shook my head in confusion. “That doesn’t sound like the Council I know. On my way here to Auteri, a girl almost fell in the water. My mother saved her from drowning, and she would’ve never required even a copper coin. The Council is here to help the entire realm.”
Soma frowned, clenching
his jaw. “But—”
“You didn’t see her charging for helping during the shipwreck yesterday, did you?” Rin motioned out toward the cliffs. “And on her way to Auteri, Eva saved a passenger with a deep wound, and she never asked for a coin in return.”
“Well,” he spluttered. To my surprise, he seemed shocked. Almost even with a hint of guilt. “Well…”
Rin shrugged nonchalantly. “I rest my case.”
Soma opened his mouth, but for once, he seemed flush out of salty retorts. A few of Rin’s friends in bottle-green uniforms wandered closer, their eyes keen on Soma and his crew.
“C’mon, let’s get some honey cider,” one of Soma’s friends grumbled. “It’s no fun—this witch isn’t doing any magic.”
“Yeah, cider’s better than this,” Soma said, but his voice seemed oddly deflated as he and his crew strolled off.
After he disappeared around the corner, I spun to face my guardian. “Rin, you’re truly magical!”
She laughed, easing onto the bench. “I’m not sure about magical, but I do know a bit about Soma, more than he realizes. So it helps when I have to argue with him.”
“What do you mean?”
“After he showed up in town, I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t cause issues for my m—” Rin glanced at the town hall. “Ah, anyone in Auteri. To tell the truth, it’s a sad tale.”
I turned my head, listening.
“Soma’s only fifteen, just a few years older than you. True, it’s not strange to be working at his age. But some friends from the boats told me that Soma’s family owns a farm, and when there wasn’t enough food on the table, Soma would tell his parents he was going to work for the carpenter’s guild in the capital.”
“When he was actually… working as a pirate?” I whispered. “And—and the Council helped the queen stop all pirates on the Rivelle coast just a year or two ago, right?”
“Believe me, most people adore witches and wizards, but… the Council put pirates out of business.”
Well. That explained why Soma and his crew had never seemed to like me from the start. Rin’s honey-brown eyes darkened in sadness. “His father was too prideful once he found out Soma’s real job, even though Soma’s three younger brothers needed the gold. You see that scar on Soma’s face? That’s from when his father kicked him out of the house and told him to never come round again. But Soma probably has a chip on his shoulder because he thinks that your Council is in it for the money. Truth be told, they only stepped in once the queen and the merchants’ guild offered a big reward. All Soma wanted was to take care of the people who depended on him.”