by Julie Abe
“There you are! Want some glazed almonds?” Charlotte stepped in front of us, waving the paper cone of spicy-sweet cinnamon almonds under our noses.
My stomach growled, even though I’d just demolished a bag of ginger chews.
“Just roasted. The glaze is still soft.”
I chewed on an almond, the spices tingling on my tongue. Ember pawed at me to get my attention, his gaze glued on a man surrounded by a few flamefoxes and a bevy of other creatures.
A boy teasing a waterrabbit with a chunk of bread squawked as the creature leaped onto his head, ears twitching and dribbling water onto the boy as it snatched up the whole loaf in its long claws. Vaud calmly plucked the waterrabbit off and put it back in its tank, with a stern warning to both boy and beast.
“Mister Vaud!” I called.
The wild-animal caretaker grinned. “Ah, my favorite flamefox tamer. And my favorite troublemaking flamefox. So good to see you!”
The pack of flamefoxes gathered around Vaud, stiff and on guard like the last time we’d seen them. They bent down to snuffle at Ember and his flameless tail, their fur prickling. Ember skittered behind me as a few uttered low, suspicious growls.
“Be friendly, now,” Vaud told his pack, and they loosened their haunches.
Ember pawed nervously at my ankles, letting out a sharp whimper. His flameless tail sank between his legs.
“You don’t need flames all the time to be a flamefox.” I smiled and picked him up, holding him close. “I would know. After all, I’m a witch who isn’t very magical. But I still can cast some magic. And that magic? It’s enough for me.”
Ember wiggled his nose, as if testing the air.
“Your witch is a smart one,” Vaud said to Ember, reaching out to scratch him behind his pointy ears. The other flamefoxes watched with jealousy.
“Go on,” I whispered, as if it was a spell.
Ember wiggled out of my arms, taking one step after another toward the pack of flamefoxes with their burning, fierce tails.
One of the tallest flamefoxes reached out, blinking his dark eyes. He tried to poke Ember’s tail with his nose, but Ember batted his paw with a sharp yap, and the larger flamefox jumped back meekly.
Vaud grinned. “Looks like you picked up a trick or two from your witch.”
In just a few minutes, I was barely able to tear Ember away from his flamefox friends as they chased one another around the festival, like living, breathing fireworks. Ember teased the other flamefoxes by running underneath them, nipping their ankles, and then sneaking through all the small gaps between people and below stands that the rest of them couldn’t fit through. From time to time, Ember’s tail spluttered with light, but he was too busy chasing his newfound friends to notice.
As the sun began to set, Davy was trying to get his father to sit by Edmund and Yuri at the stand.
“I don’t want that,” his father grumbled. “I want… I want…”
“I know,” Davy said, and Charlotte’s hand curled around mine, tugging me away to give them a moment of peace. “I’ll find her for you, Pa. Just come and try some of the new chocolates Edmund has made. It’s not safe for you to stand so close to the water in this big crowd.”
Davy led his father over to a stool next to the stand, and Edmund offered a plate with thick chunks of fudgy chocolate.
“Have you tried the fudge?” Davy asked, turning to me and Charlotte. “Best in the realm!”
I took a square. The fudge melted smoothly, tasting like sunshine on my tongue. “What’s happening on the stage?”
Davy stared resolutely at the ground, scuffling his feet. “Um…”
Charlotte nudged him. “Look, it’s almost sunset!”
Davy’s mischievous grin lit up his face. “It’s about to start!”
“What is?”
Auteri’s bell rang, crystal clear, and the crowd hushed. My neck prickled, sensing the weight of a stare.
Davy pointed behind me and I turned around slowly.
Up on the stage, Mayor Taira held my black application tube in her hands. Princess Stella and my mother waited at her sides.
“Please come here, Evalithimus Evergreen, Charlotte of Auteri, and Davy Rydern. And Rin.” Mayor Taira’s words sounded like a death sentencing. Wide-eyed festivalgoers surrounded us, and I fought the urge to run the opposite way.
Mayor Taira’s dry cough echoed over the onlookers, and a path opened. Rin materialized at my side, and Davy and Charlotte pushed me forward, toward the stage. I stopped at the top of the stairs, my heart pounding. Next to the mayor, Mother beamed at me encouragingly.
Mayor Taira dipped into a small, nearly imperceptible curtsy. But it was definitely, absolutely a curtsy. Charlotte leaned over and shoved my dropped jaw back up. The townspeople’s eyes nearly popped out in surprise, and I couldn’t think of anything to say as I swept into a deep bow. To the delight of the crowd, Ember shifted back on his paws in a bow and sat at the edge of the stage.
Mayor Taira gazed out at the town and then stared me straight in the eyes.
“I believe we owe you our gratitude, Evalithimus. Auteri is in debt to you, and we’re lucky to have you as our town witch.” She lifted her hand out, and I took it, bobbing my head. I wanted to skip and spin around, but I figured that Mayor Taira would be an unwilling dance partner. And my arms felt more like water than skin and bone.
From over her shoulder, Princess Stella smiled at me.
My eyes burned. “It wasn’t only me, it was Charlotte, Davy, and Rin. My mother flew in. It was the whole town, too.”
“You did everything you could to help Auteri. You never gave up and fought with all your might until the very end, even through times of doubt.” Her mouth curved ruefully, as if Mayor Taira was well aware she had been one of the main sources of that doubt. “And for that—I thank you.”
I bowed my head, speechless. Even when Mayor Taira had seemed so proud and haughty, it was because her whole life revolved around one thing: Auteri.
The people of Auteri were everything to her.
My shoulders trembled. I understood, too, finally.
“And,” she said, handing over the black tube, “I believe this is yours.”
I strained to twist open the top. My hands trembled from weakness, like my arms had become flopping fish. Finally, it came off with a satisfying pop!
Pulling out the papers, I smoothed out the wrinkles.
It was odd, though—there were more pages than I remembered.
The application was supposed to be only two pages: one with the rules and the second for the town leader’s endorsement.
I turned to the application page, the last piece of parchment. Or, at least, what should’ve been the last page.
The papers fell from my trembling fingers.
I stared at the pieces of parchment scattered around me. Ember sneezed, and the pages floated up. Charlotte and Davy helped me gather the application, and I gestured with shaking hands. “It’s… it’s… all filled out.”
Next to me, Rin’s eyes twinkled. “Charlotte brought it over.”
I stared at Charlotte, who shrugged with a sharp, catlike grin.
Rin continued, “As your guardian, I took it to Mayor Taira for her to complete. And a few of us helped along the way.”
Mayor Taira cleared her throat. “Take a look, Evalithimus.”
Mother beamed at me, too, her eyes crinkling in the corners. “Go on, Eva. You deserve this.”
I gulped, picked up the papers one by one, and started reading.
NAME THE REASON FOR PROMOTION TO NOVICE WITCH
MISS EVALITHIMUS EVERGREEN HAS SAVED OUR TOWN WITH HER MAGIC SKILLS AND HER JUST-AS-MAGICAL CLEVERNESS. AS SUCH, THE PEOPLE OF AUTERI WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT SHE BE LICENSED AS A NOVICE WITCH, IMMEDIATELY.
THIS HAS BEEN PETITIONED BY THE TOWN OF AUTERI, AS SIGNED BELOW.
The page was filled with names: Rin’s looping signature, Davy’s messy scrawl, and Charlotte’s careful cursive. That wasn’t t
he end.
“We had to add a few pages.” Charlotte toyed with a new scarlet ribbon in her hair.
Signature after signature was scribbled onto the sheets. Yuri. Edmund. Trixie. Trina. So many townspeople that I had never met. Some of them had added in their own endorsements, too.
Rin: Eva’s charmed us all and protected our town. What more could we ask for?
Hikaru: Eva maykes gud toys.
Vaud: Spunky Eva’s tamed the wildest flamefox to be her friend, and saved the day.
And others:
Eva saved my house.
Eva Evergreen is the best witch ever.
Eva saved us all.
Mother, too, had signed: I commend Eva’s work for Auteri and fully support her promotion to Novice Witch. As signed by Grand Master Nelalithimus Evergreen, Honorary Auterian.
Even Princess Stella had added her signature, which was shaped suspiciously like an automobile.
Mayor Taira had signed with a flourish, at the very bottom.
“Look at that,” Charlotte said. “Look at that and try to tell me you don’t deserve to be a witch.” Her eyes sparkled, and in that moment, I felt I’d never seen anyone more beautiful.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
I had passed my one-moon requirement to live in Auteri; I’d gotten my application signed. All I needed to do was fly to the Council Hall to deliver my application, and I’d tick off the last requirement. After that, I would officially become a Novice Witch. I’d finally get my name engraved on a leaf of the Novice tree, even. Mayor Taira clapped her hands. “Guests, dear townspeople of Auteri.” She handed me a small bell, holding it tightly so it wouldn’t ring.
“Go on,” she said.
It was Auteri’s charmed bell. The very same bell I’d almost knocked over the first time I’d met Mayor Taira.
“Me?” I squeaked.
“You, Evalithimus Evergreen, soon-to-be Novice Witch of Auteri,” Mayor Taira said.
My heart blossomed, feeling bigger than my body, as big as the entire town, as I carefully picked up the bell.
“Ring it three times,” Rin said, nudging me.
I flicked my wrist.
The bell rang sweet and clear. Once, twice.
On the third ring, lanterns gleamed bright and a string of lights illuminated the main road, all the way up to the town hall and down to the docks.
Behind us, even the skiffs glowed with lanterns arranged into starbursts, with sailors carefully positioned between the spikes of light. The sailors on the boats tipped pails into the waters, and it looked like they were pouring molten gold into the blue bay.
The crowd alternated between bursting out with delight and hushing one another.
“This is so beautiful.”
“There it goes—”
“I hope they’ll come. I mean, after the Culling—”
“Look. Look!”
The water glowed. Gold and blue lights flickered in the depths of the bay and rose to the surface. I stared closer. The outlines of the fish were almost clear in the waters, but their hearts shone sapphire or gold. It was as if the waters had filled with sparkling jewels.
I was stunned beyond words.
“Lightfish,” Charlotte whispered in my ear. “The sapphire fish are looking for their families, and they change colors as soon as they find their fleet.”
The crowd oohed as a group of fish shimmered from blue into a deep, rich gold.
Mayor Taira spread her arms out, a proud smile curving across her thin lips. “Welcome to the Festival of Lights!”
With a roar of joy, the crowd began mingling through the stands. Three singers linked arms and broke out into a rollicking melody, with a woman on a huge drum pounding beats that echoed through my bones.
To the Festival of Lights, oh!
To the Festival of Lights we’ll go!
To other journeys, o’ lands unknown,
But to the Festival of Lights,
We’ll always come home!
The ceremony had ended, and Mayor Taira stepped down the stairs, stiff-backed. At the bottom, she paused, briefly, as if she wasn’t sure where to go. After a few seconds, she walked over to the nearest counter to check on the workers. Rin watched her with a sad wistfulness in her eyes.
I blinked. The song reminded me of something. I rummaged through my skirt pocket and pulled out the rose-gold compass.
“Rin!” I said, and she spun around, a faintly guilty look on her face. “I repaired your compass.”
My guardian took it gently in her hand, opening it up to the glass face. “Thank you, Eva.”
“I also tried a special fix. When you’re lost, it’ll guide you straight toward home.”
Rin twisted it from side to side. “A guide? How will it know?”
“Oh!” I smiled. “It’s quite simple, really—”
The compass seemed to collect the glow of the lightfish, reflecting off the glass into a brighter ray, and people stepped out of the way, as the ray shone straight at—
“What is this?” Mayor Taira shielded her eyes from the light.
“I’m… I’m home,” Rin said quietly. The instant she spoke, the glow faded from the compass.
“Rin?” The mayor frowned, but somehow, the slant of her sagging shoulders made her look old, as if she was tired of fighting.
“Mother, we’ve lived through the worst storm in the realm.” Rin clattered down the steps and hesitantly offered an arm out to the mayor. “I don’t want to wait until it’s too late to reconcile. Would you like to find something to eat, Mother?”
“Rin…” Mayor Taira breathed out quietly, her lips tilting up into a delicate smile. “Yes, I’d love to.”
Charlotte and Davy tugged me by the hand. Mother waved me on. “Go, Eva. I’m going to rest with Mister Rydern and try some sugar dusklight flowers.”
“Come on!” Davy said. “Let’s go find Trixie and Trina. They promised to save a bag of cloudberry popcorn for me.”
“I think they’re over by the end of the dock,” I said. “They swapped with some shopkeepers to be by the water.”
Charlotte laughed. “You know Auteri better than we do!”
Charlotte, Davy, Ember, and I raced around the whole night, feasting on festival snacks and playing games at the stands. Every once in a while, I stopped back at Seafoam’s booth for Mother to press a kiss to the top of my head and send me back into the festival with my friends. Occasionally, one of the townspeople would suddenly envelop the three of us in a big hug, shoving a sweet treat in our arms before rushing away, with a choked thank you.
I’d never seen a city shine as beautiful as Auteri that night.
CHAPTER 33
THE ONLY NOVICE
As the last lights of the festival flickered out, Mother and Rin found me, Charlotte, and Davy sitting at the edge of the docks, our feet dangling over the cool water. The three of us wolfed down a box of fried potatoes, thin and crisp with sea salt. Gold lightfish swirled below, mouths gaping for a bite.
Rin leaned over and stole a greasy potato with a grin. “Mm, my favorite!”
Mother rested a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll have to head out soon, Eva. I don’t want to chance missing the ceremony tomorrow.”
Charlotte and Davy stared at Mother with slight horror, until Davy remembered exactly who he was looking at and turned cloudberry-red again.
My stomach churned, and I slowly placed my golden, crisp potato back onto the pile. “Before we leave, there’s something I need to do.”
Despite the late hour, Davy’s eyes widened, suddenly alert, as if he’d stolen a sailor’s mug of tea and downed it all. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I scrambled to my feet, turning to Mother. “I was hoping you might know of a good locator spell… for Davy and Charlotte to find their parents.”
Charlotte gasped, a sudden flash of wild, bounding hope gleaming in her eyes, and my heart lurched. What if I couldn’t find answers?
But Mother
nodded solemnly. “Only if you help me, Eva.”
I caught my breath, glancing at Davy and then Charlotte, standing at my sides. Their shoulders straightened, like every bone in them believed in me. Then at Rin, who steadily met my gaze.
Slowly, I flexed my fingers. A sluggish tickle of magic responded, barely there. But it would have to do. “Of course, I’ll do anything I can.”
“Gather around Eva’s counter.” Mother pointed her wand toward her knapsack leaning against the wall of Seafoam Sweets, next to her broomstick. “Map in need, come hastily.”
A sheaf of parchment zipped into the air, unfurling its worn, wrinkled corners, and floated down on my counter. Her map of the realm had been made by a powerful witch, so the enchantment continued even after its maker was long gone.
Rivelle Realm shimmered in all its glory: The snow-capped Sakuya Mountains split the vast land in the middle, and deep riverways curved between the regions. To the west, the Walking Cliffs constantly shifted under the cover of clouds. A few cities were noted, like Okayama City, with a small sketch of the queen’s castle, Miyada, and even Auteri. Even parts of Lunea and Constancia were drawn in, north and south of Rivelle.
“Now, this isn’t going to be exact,” Mother said. “I’ve tried this only once before.”
“Just somewhat exact is better than not knowing anything at all,” Charlotte said, and Davy nodded.
“Eva, can you get clippings of their hair?” Mother asked. Charlotte untied her ribbon. Davy procured a pair of scissors from Seafoam Sweets, and then he shook his hair out like Ember, waiting for me.
“Charlotte, Davy, are you sure?” I asked, the shears poised over the tip of Charlotte’s hair, glinting gold under the festival lights. “If—if nothing shows up, it means… they’re gone forever.”
“Positive,” Davy said. “I promised Pa that I’d bring my mother back. We need to know.”
Charlotte nodded firmly. “I’ve been waiting all my life to find my family.”
After a few snips, I carefully laid their locks onto the center of the map.