by Kaylin Lee
I didn’t miss the way his face soured at the mention of the Badlands. This mage would not have an easy time of things if he still hoped to be welcomed back at the Mage Division.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Keep your stepdaughter out of trouble. Got it. I can do that.”
“You will put her needs first and take care of her no matter what? I have your word?”
He frowned, but nodded slowly. “You have my word.”
“And what is your name?”
“Weslan. Weslan Fortis.”
I held out my hand. “Zel. It’s nice to meet you, Weslan.”
He stared at my hand for a long moment before reaching out to shake it. When I let go, he exhaled.
“Welcome to the Golden Loaf.”
There was a sharp gasp, and Ella came rushing over from the kitchen door. “Stepmother, Alba has been asking for you upstairs.” Her soft voice shook. Poor Ella probably thought I’d been discovered by a tracker in disguise. “Please allow me to help this gentleman with whatever he may need.”
I bit my lip. It was time. I only hoped she’d cooperate. “Ella, I’d like you to meet someone.”
Ella and Weslan faced each other. Ella frowned, and Weslan smiled slowly, looking her up and down with obvious interest. My stomach curdled at the sight, but it was too late to back out now. “Weslan, this is my stepdaughter, Ariella Stone. Ella, this is Weslan Fortis.” I plastered an enthusiastic smile onto my face. “He’s going to be staying here and helping you with the bakery now.”
Ella’s glare whipped to my face. “I don’t need any help.”
“You’re about to graduate from the academy, and who knows what your apprenticeship will be like? Don’t you think it will be nice to have someone to help with the baking and deliveries so you don’t have to do it all yourself?”
Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “But that’s beside the point, Zel! Do you really think that someone like … him … should be here with us?”
Oh, Ella. Always protecting me. Now let me protect you. I gave her a smile and placed a hand on her arm in an attempt to calm her down. Weslan flinched. “Weslan is exactly the right person to be here with us. He knows.”
Ella swayed like she might fall over. It wasn’t fair for me to dump this on her so quickly, but I had to seize the opportunities that came along, didn’t I?
“Weslan’s mother knew that your father sometimes used the bakery to shelter mages who found themselves in need, just like I did so many years ago. Weslan has found himself in a difficult position, so his mother sent him here until things … get sorted out. And I’ve told him he can stay.”
Ella shook her head. “I’ve got to get to school.” She spun and glared at Weslan. “If you’re going to be helping, I guess you could start by sanding down the front door. Someone left me a little note this morning.”
Another Cinderella note? When would those idiots leave her alone? Before I could stop her, she was gone.
Weslan watched her through the bakery front windows as she stormed down the street. “So that’s your stepdaughter, huh? Ariella. Ella.” Hushed reverence coated his deep voice as he spoke her name.
“Don’t even think it.”
He crossed his arms. “Think what?”
“You know exactly what I mean. And I’m telling you, if you want to stay here, you won’t even think of her like that. She is my stepdaughter, and she is very precious to me. If you hurt her in any way, things will not go well for you. Understand?”
Anger sizzled all the way to my fingertips. At this point, I wasn’t even sure if I was bluffing or not. I only knew I didn’t want to see that hungry, lovesick expression directed toward Ella ever again. Darien had broken my monstrous heart thirteen years ago, and it still wasn’t healed. I couldn’t imagine what heartbreak would do to sweet, innocent Ella.
He was silent, his jaw working as he looked out the window after Ella.
“Weslan …”
“Fine.”
“Then get to work sanding down the door. You’ll find whatever supplies you need in the kitchen.”
He nodded curtly and strode to the kitchen, and I marched up the stairs and straight to the roof. I shut the door behind me, and leaned against it, inhaling the calming scent of the garden plants.
I’d done the right thing. Ella wouldn’t be alone. I’d be abandoning her, but Weslan would help her survive—as long as he kept his affections to himself. It was all I could offer. I only hoped it was better than nothing.
~
A loud pounding noise startled me awake. I shoved my loose hair away from my face and staggered unsteadily to my feet. I was still on the roof, and my neck ached from the odd position I’d fallen asleep in, leaning against the door to the stairs. The sun was not yet at its zenith, so I couldn’t have been up here long, though I hadn’t intended to fall asleep. Perhaps I’d missed too much sleep lately.
The pounding came again, and I realized it was the door that led from the back alley into the kitchen. Only Gregor came to that entrance. What could it be?
The pounding stopped, and muffled male voices floated up to me, too distant to hear. I stood and stretched. Perhaps I shouldn’t have left Weslan downstairs by himself, but I’d been too upset to think clearly after seeing him with Ella. Time to go see how he was doing.
I lingered on the stairs first, until I was certain it was Gregor’s voice in the kitchen. Then I entered the room and stopped short at the sight of Gregor’s grieving face. “Gregor? What is it?”
“You haven’t heard.” He stepped toward me and then stopped to hold out his hands. “Zel, I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry for what? What haven’t I heard?”
The twins were studying in the upper room. What could possibly have happened? Unless Ella—
“There was an attack at Ella’s school. The market was all abuzz with the news. The Crimson Blight set off a suffio bomb in a Royal Academy classroom just after school began this morning. I came to see if Ella had come home, but Weslan here says he hasn’t heard from her.”
I swayed. If Ella’s school had been attacked, she would have come home immediately. That meant—
My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the floor. I was dimly aware of Weslan and Gregor helping me into a chair, and loud sobs coming from my own mouth. “She can’t be. She can’t be.” It was several minutes before I realized I was speaking the words over and over, not thinking them. Get yourself together. I choked back the next sob and searched the room until I found Weslan.
He stood beside me, his body stiff and a dark expression on his face.
“Weslan, you gave me your word. Now go and find her.” He nodded curtly and left the kitchen with a resolute stride.
“Can I do anything, Zel?” Gregor wrung his hands.
I shook my head mutely. “Weslan will find out where she is and what has happened. And until then… I’ll just wait.”
Gregor nodded. “Then I’ll wait too.”
I didn’t have the energy to send him away, so I sat numbly while he made a pot of coffee and poured me a mug.
When Weslan didn’t return within an hour, I took that as a good sign. Surely, she was still alive, or he would have come sooner. Unless her body was unrecognizable, like some of the Blight’s victims. I shuddered and sipped my cold coffee.
“You don’t have to stay, Gregor.” My voice was toneless and numb. “I’ll send for you when we have word.”
His chair screeched as he stood up. “I’ll be on my way, then.” He didn’t sound much better. “Whatever happens, I’ll do what I can to help out.”
I nodded. “Thank you.” I grimaced as Gregor left and shut the door behind him. It was a nice sentiment, but I knew we couldn’t accept too much help from Gregor. He was old and all alone, and I’d inflicted enough pain on Ella with my secrets. I couldn’t bring another innocent person into our mess.
Like Weslan? A guilty voice reminded me.
Weslan was different. He was a mage like me and th
e twins, and he had nothing left to lose.
Eventually, the twins came downstairs, looking for a midday meal, and I had to tell them what had happened. I couldn’t hide it, not once they saw my face.
“But she’s fine. Right?” Alba’s face was white. Bri braced her body like she was ready to go fight the Crimson Blight herself.
“Right. I-I’m sure she’s fine. We’re just waiting to get the official word. I’ve hired someone to help at the bakery, and he will bring back a message any minute now.”
Alba nodded, and she and Bri ate a quiet lunch of day-old bread and cold victus before heading back upstairs.
The minutes turned into hours, and I sat at the kitchen table, stewing in my worry until I was sick. Where was Weslan? Had he abandoned us after all? What had I been thinking, entrusting my family to him? What if Ella was dead, and he’d turned me in? I’d have to send the twins out to the Mage Division first, before I was brought in. Maybe even tonight. Weslan didn’t know about them yet, so they would still have a chance. If I turned myself in peacefully, even after Weslan had reported me, perhaps the authorities would still be lenient.
The front door opened and shut. I leapt to my feet and rushed to the front shop, stopping when I encountered Weslan on his way in. “Well? What did you find out? Is she … Is she—” I couldn’t bring myself to say the word aloud.
“She’s alive.”
I nearly collapsed with relief. “What happened? Where is she? What took you so long?”
“She’s alive, but she was hurt. Badly. She was close to the bomb when it went off, they said. It was right there in her classroom.”
What had my stepdaughter ever done to the Blight? Why would they do such a thing to innocent students?
“Many in her classroom were injured, but they’re all from Procus families. They have their own healers at their compounds.” Weslan’s expression soured. “It took me hours to find out which hospital they took Ella to after the attack. It’s in the River Quarter.”
I pressed my lips together. At least she was alive. Better to be alive in the slums than die among the Procus set.
“Why didn’t she come home with you?”
Weslan ran a hand through his formerly neat blonde hair. “She’s still unconscious. She nearly died from a head wound. They saved her life, but they’re keeping her under with sopor because she’s not completely healed.”
From the way his lip curled, I knew what he was thinking. I was thinking the same thing. A Procus family’s healer would have healed the wound completely right away, and induced sleep only to aid recovery. The fact that they’d left her unconscious and unhealed meant that they’d deliberately used less magic on her. No doubt the River Quarter hospital healers didn’t bother to waste too much magic on commoners.
“There’s something else.” His face darkened. “They healed the inner damage—the injury to her brain and skull. But they stopped short of healing her face. They said it’s too expensive, and they can’t heal the rest until we’ve paid for the healing they’ve already done.”
“How much do we owe them? And how much to heal her face?”
“Eight hundred marks,” he said.
My stomach dropped. “Total?”
“No. That’s how much is owed so far. Another thousand marks to heal her face.”
I hissed. I’d go down to that hospital and show those stingy healers just what—
“Zel, I’m sorry, but they said if we don’t pay today, they can’t promise she’ll continue to have a bed in the hospital. It might hurt her more if she wakes up too soon, but they don’t care. They said the hospital is already too crowded.”
My nostrils flared. Unbelievable. “Fine. We’ll pay. Give me a moment.”
I stormed upstairs.
Alba and Bri looked up, startled at my sudden entrance.
“She’s alive, girls. Just unconscious at the hospital. I need to pay the healers.”
Alba clapped her hands. “I wish we could go see her!”
“You’ll see her soon enough, honey.” I went to my wardrobe and dug through the folded winter clothes until I’d uncovered the old hollowed-out book. I flipped it open and removed the envelope of marks I’d been saving to pay our merchant tax this year. My hands shook with fury. How could they? This city had done nothing but bully my stepdaughter since she won the scholarship, and now the Blight had nearly taken her life. And here I was, trapped in this forsaken bakery, helpless to protect her.
I hurried downstairs and shoved the envelope into Weslan’s hands. He took it, his eyebrows raised. “It’s all we have.” My voice was hard. “And it’s not enough. Take our cinderslick rations cards and sell next week’s rations at the nearest market. It’s not strictly legal, but Ella’s done it plenty of times. The cinderslick vendors at the market will know what to do.” I hunted through the cupboards until I found the ration cards. “Together, this should be enough to pay the hospital but not enough to heal her face. We’ll just have to hope that her body can heal on its own.”
Weslan nodded. “I’ll go now.”
He paused when he was nearly at the door. “Ella truly is important to you, isn’t she?”
I frowned, surprised at the question. “Of course she is.”
“I’m sorry for what happened,” he said grimly. “And I’ll bring her home. I swear it.”
He left as twilight fell over the city. I collapsed back into my seat at the table. I’d been right to hire Weslan. That much was certain. At least one good thing had come of today.
~
“But I thought you said I was supposed to see inside a tenement first, before we decided.” Bri had already dressed in her dark clothes and hooded sweater for the night.
I put an arm around her shoulders, walked her away from the stairs, and pushed her gently into a chair at the table. “That was before. After what happened to Ella, we can’t risk it.” Ella had been in the hospital for three days now. According to Weslan, she was doing well, but the healers thought she should be left unconscious for at least two more weeks because the wound on her face was bound to be painful.
“But you said Ella was going to be fine.” Bri pursed her lips.
“And she is fine. I mean, she will be fine. But …” How could I explain that I couldn’t bear to send away my two daughters when I had nearly lost my stepdaughter only days earlier? “You’re not going anywhere until Ella is safely back home—not to the River Quarter, not to the Mage Division, and not to a single rooftop other than our own. And I don’t want to hear any more arguing.”
Alba leaned her hip against the table. “Well, I don’t mind staying here.” She grinned. “Bri, do you want to listen to those fabulator crystals Weslan gave us?”
Bri’s scowl softened and she nodded. “Sure. Those are nice.”
Bri and Alba huddled on Alba’s bed to listen to the dramatic tale unfolding from the fabulator crystals, and I sat down at my vanity with my journal. Weslan was with Ella. The twins were home safe with me. For the moment, I could relax. I should relax. But instead, I was wound tight.
My entire plan depended on Ella being strong enough to live on her own, without us. Weslan might be able to help her with the bakery and keep her safe, but he couldn’t heal her wounds—or her heart—once we left. It didn’t help that the merchant tax notice had been slipped under our front door that morning. If I could get myself and the girls away soon, Ella could sell the bakery, and we wouldn’t have to worry about the tax.
But what if Ella needed more time to recover? How much longer could we put the payment off? And where would we ever get the money to pay for it?
I shook my head and put my pencil to the paper. There had to be more we could sell. We couldn’t leave until Ella had healed from the attack. We owed Ella everything, even our very lives. We couldn’t abandon her now.
~
“They’re home!” Bri rushed down the stairs from the roof. “I just saw them in the front. Weslan’s carrying Ella.”
Alba let o
ut a shriek, and they both hurried down to the bakery.
I got up from where I’d been going over the bakery’s books at the table. Why was she home so early? Hadn’t Weslan said she needed at least another week under sedation?
My legs shook as I stumbled down the stairs to greet her. Ella stood just inside the front door of the bakery, her arms wrapped tightly around Bri and Alba, her face pressed against Alba’s tousled dark hair. Weslan hovered beside her like a mother hen.
She lifted her head and sent me a lopsided smile when she caught sight of me. The side of her face was wrapped in a clean white bandage. Traces of dark blue-green bruising showed from under its edges. The rest of her face was swollen and sickly looking.
“Ella …” My voice was barely above a whisper. Somehow, I made it the rest of the way down the stairs, and when the twins stepped back, I pulled Ella into my arms. My poor, sweet girl. What had they done to her? My face grew wet, and it was several moments before I realized I was the one crying, not her. I pulled back and led her to the kitchen. I helped her into a chair.
“Zel,” she said, “What happened?” Her voice was slurred and thick, like she couldn’t quite form the words properly. She swayed in her chair.
I placed a gentle hand on hers. What had the Blight done to her? And those healers—they should be cast out for sending her home in such a state. “Let's talk about that later. Right now, I just want to be happy that you're home.”
She pulled her hand back. “Please. I need to know what happened.”
I tried to keep a calm expression on my face. “Your school was attacked. Trackers found the remains of a suffio bomb afterward, and it wasn’t far from where you were sitting. They said you're lucky to be alive today.”
A strange, panicky look came over Ella, and her eyes flicked around the room, as though she expected another attack to happen at any moment. “Attacked? By whom?”
I didn’t want to talk about this, but at the sight of her swollen, bruised face and bloodshot eyes, I couldn’t deny her anything.
I told her what I’d learned about the attack—what Gregor and Weslan had found out through various channels—all the while silently willing her not to bring up the subject that Weslan had informed me of this morning.