“On the day of my birth, a fairy came to the castle and offered to be my godmother. My parents decided it would be best to keep it quiet.”
“Did she give you a gift?” Ethan asked. “That is the tradition, isn’t it? To visit a newborn baby and give them a gift?”
“Yes.”
Lorenzo fidgeted with his signet ring, twirling it around his finger.
“What did she give you?” Rosa asked.
“Something small. A goodwill gesture.”
“If you think she can help, then you should speak with her,” I said.
“The Fairy Mountains are days away,” Rosa said. “How will you contact her?”
“Is it through fairy magic?” Ethan asked.
He wasn’t even trying to contain his excitement. A wide grin split his face.
“I can’t tell you,” Lorenzo said. “And remember this must be kept a secret. I only told you this much so you would agree to help Alma while I’m gone.”
“I didn’t sail across the ocean to sit in a kitchen while you visit fairies,” Ethan said. “We’re coming with you.”
I glared at Ethan.
“You have no right to speak to him that way.”
“If you want your fairy godmother to heal Alma, you should bring her with you,” Rosa said. “That sort of thing would be easier in person. She’ll certainly know more about salt magic than the doctors will.”
“Lorenzo and I will go to the fairies then,” I said. “You and Ethan-”
“We’re coming,” Rosa said. “I’m not missing a chance to see a fairy.”
“You don’t have time to argue,” Ethan said.
Lorenzo looked from Rosa to Ethan. His shoulders slumped.
“The fairies may not like my bringing outsiders. I’m not even sure they’ll approve of Alma coming.”
“What if you brought guards?” I asked.
I pulled Eduardo’s cloak off and handed it to Rosa.
“Um, Alma?” she said.
“I know, my dress is torn. Your dress, actually. Sorry about that.”
Rosa shrugged. I took that as an acceptance of my apology and continued.
“I have another cloak like this in my room. You and Ethan can pretend to be Lorenzo’s bodyguards. It makes sense for him bring an escort since there have been attacks.”
“Will that work?” Ethan asked.
“It might,” Lorenzo said. “Are you sure you want to come? It could be dangerous.”
“Let’s go get the other cloak,” Rosa said. “And I’ll help Alma find something to wear.”
She glared at Ethan and Lorenzo as we left.
“Don’t leave us behind. We will find you.”
We sprinted to my room. Rosa slammed the door, snapped her fingers, and removed the torn dress and corset. I stared at the pile of tattered fabric then turned back to Rosa.
“You know fabric magic?”
She shrugged.
“Mother and I both studied it so we could dress ourselves. I know, we’re donnas. We shouldn’t have, but it comes in handy.”
“Rosa, that’s dangerous.”
“Things like that matter less in the Garden District. Our servants are loyal. They would never report us.”
I shook my head and checked my reflection in the mirror. My chemise had been loose before the transformation, but now it hugged the curves of my fully bloomed figure. I turned around, examining my new shape.
Then I noticed the length. The chemise fell a few inches lower than it should have.
By the roses! Why did the curse have to make me shorter?
Rosa rummaged through my wardrobe looking for something for me to wear. I slipped Lorenzo’s Rosas Rojas under my pillow while she wasn’t looking.
“Nothing will fit,” I said. “I’m at least twice the size that I was before.”
“Maybe I can stretch something.”
She pulled a pale purple dress out of my wardrobe, formed a soul loop, and waved her hands over the fabric.
I felt her magic and sensed the motions as she worked the charm. The fabric stretched a little, but it wasn’t enough.
I gathered my soul loop, copied Renata’s charm, and snapped my fingers. The dress doubled in size. Rosa gasped.
“How did you do that?” she asked. “You said you didn’t study magic.”
“Your mother made me train in the laundry. I picked up a few things.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You were in the laundry for two days, Alma. That’s not enough time to master a soul loop, and I’ve never seen a charm like that before.”
She kept talking about magic, but I wasn’t really listening. Had the salt curse strengthened my soul loop? I snapped my fingers, and the purple gown appeared on my body. I gathered the skirt with a few ruffles to shorten it. Then I waved my hands and pulled in the waist so I had an hourglass shape.
It was so easy! I added a few bows for good measure and spun to admire my handiwork.
It wasn’t a masterpiece, but it was flattering. I looked good as a fully bloomed rose.
Rosa shook her head.
“It took me years to be that efficient.”
I shrugged. I couldn’t explain my increase in magic, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain about it.
I pulled the guard’s cloak from the bottom of my wardrobe and handed it to Rosa. Then I stretched my left sleeve and tucked the fairy corset into it. If anyone could tell me more about it, the fairies could. Rosa pulled some ribbon from my wardrobe and wrapped it around my injured wrist.
“Where did you study fabric magic?” I whispered as we walked back down the stairs.
“Our seamstress taught me. There was a drought the year my father died. We lost our whole rose crop and couldn’t afford to pay our servants. We couldn’t afford food.”
She stopped walking and looked at me.
“We sold our jewels and anything else that was valuable, but it wasn’t enough. Mother said it was stupid to starve just because we were noble. We offered everyone shares in the next rose crop if they stayed. They taught us magic, and we worked with them.”
“Were you and Ethan really at the Medical Guild meeting tonight?”
She nodded and started walking again.
“I’ve never had a chance to study medical magic, but I know I have the gift. I know I could do it.”
“Why are you so certain?”
“My father was a doctor. I’ve read his journals and managed to work a few simple charms that he described. I wrote letters to his colleagues asking for advice, but of course they refused to teach me anything.”
“He wasn’t a don?”
“Not before he married Mother, and it didn’t make sense for him to give up his magic when no one else in the area knew how to heal. Everyone appreciated his services too much to care that they were illegal.”
“I guess that makes sense. Does my father know about Donna Senona? About you?”
Rosa nodded. I bit my lip, hurt that Father hadn’t trusted me with the secret.
“Does Ethan know?”
Rosa flushed.
“Why would I tell Ethan?”
“Because you like him.”
Her face turned even redder, which was as good as a confession. Hopefully the Salarian could be trusted. Even if he wasn’t trying to sabotage the treaty, he didn’t understand Castana’s magic laws. That could cause trouble.
I miscalculated my width as we went through the kitchen door, and my hip bounced off the corner. By the roses, it would take time to get used to being this size!
Lorenzo and Ethan sat at the table eating bread and cheese.
“I found food,” Ethan said after he swallowed.
“You’re in a kitchen,” I said. “I’m sure it wasn’t hard.”
“Well, it was better than the prince could do. He just sat there with his stomach growling.”
“You look beautiful, Alma,” Lorenzo said. “Purple suits you.”
The words sounded genuine. H
e smiled as he took my hand and kissed it. I grinned back at him.
“So, how do we get to the fairies?” I asked.
Rosa and Ethan put on the guards’ cloaks. If they kept their hoods down, they could pass for soldiers. It was a good thing Rosa was so tall.
“My godmother built a portal for me in case I ever needed to reach her. It will transport us to her home. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.”
“We get to go to the Fairy Mountains?”
I had lived my whole life with that mountain on the horizon, a distant reminder of magic and mystery. I had never expected to see it up close.
Lorenzo nodded, and I bounced in excitement. My body jiggled, and I stiffened my gown to give myself more support.
“Where’s the portal?” Ethan asked. “How does it work?”
“In the woods. We’ll need horses. I have one. Are there any more, Alma?”
“I rode Donna Senona’s mare here, so that gives us two. The rest pulled Father’s carriage and are at the castle. We’ll have to share.”
I winked at Rosa.
She shrugged, but a small smile spread across her face before she turned away.
Lorenzo helped me onto his horse before hopping on himself. It took a fair bit of effort as I was now quite heavy. Luckily, his horse was big enough to bear the weight.
Rosa and Ethan mounted Donna Senona’s mare and followed us into the woods. The moon was bright enough to light our way, but it cast eerie shadows on the ground, like phantoms crawling through the grass.
“Are you feeling alright?” Lorenzo asked.
I leaned back and rested my head on his chest. The extra padding on my back made the position more comfortable than it would have been before. I tilted my head up and could almost see his face.
“Honestly, I feel fine.”
Better than fine, but I wasn’t sure how to tell him about my increased magical abilities. The energy hummed inside me, practically begging to be put into a spell. I resisted the urge and instead used it to sense the magic around me.
Rosa’s soul felt bright and clear. Her loop surged as Ethan leaned close and whispered in her ear. His energy was less defined.
Lorenzo’s soul created a warm glow behind me. It was fainter than Rosa’s and mixed with something I couldn’t identify. Maybe because he hadn’t trained in magic.
“Alma, I’m so sorry I failed you.”
“Lorenzo, you didn’t.”
“I did. You’re in this situation because you were trying to warn me. I can only hope the fairies will help you since I can’t.”
The tension in his voice broke my heart. I changed the subject to distract him.
“Do you talk to your fairy godmother often?”
“This will be the first time I’ve ever visited her. I kept my distance because the fairies caused so many problems in Salaria, but right now I don’t know what else to do. Am I being foolish, Alma?”
“Of course not. You’re trying your best to be a good king.”
“I hope so. Sometimes I wish the Salarians had never contacted us.”
“But they did, and they’re here. Peace with them will be a good thing, Lorenzo.”
“I think so too. I just wish the rest of the kingdom agreed with us.”
“You don’t think they want peace?”
“Obviously not, if they’re willing to attack you and cause chaos in the market. Someone wants this treaty to fail, Alma. I’m afraid of what they’ll do next.”
“So you don’t think the Salarians are behind it?”
He shook his head.
“They have been enthusiastic in negotiations and cooperative in our investigations. I don’t think it’s them.”
And it wasn’t Donna Senona.
“I’m a terrible spy,” I said.
Lorenzo chuckled.
“You’re doing well.”
“Is that what you call this? Doing well?”
I gestured to myself, and Lorenzo kissed the top of my head.
“Very well. You would look lovely at any size.”
The kiss and his words made my heart flutter. I sat very still as I reminded myself to breathe.
Surely he didn’t mean anything by that kiss. It was just a friendly gesture. A token of affection.
If I had enough time, I might be able to convince myself of that. Thank goodness it was dark. Lorenzo didn’t seem to notice I was flustered. He took my sudden silence in stride and guided his horse through the woods.
Had Carlo been right all along? Was the prince up to something? Playing a game with my affections?
I couldn’t believe that of him. Lorenzo was too kind for such a trick.
Then what was he doing?
“Alma, if the fairies can’t heal you-”
“We’ll fix it.”
“Should I bring salt charms here if they’re so dangerous?”
“We just need someone to show us how to use them properly. Apparently some training is useful even if it isn’t necessary.”
He sighed.
“Sometimes I hate magic, Alma. It causes so many problems. I thought salt charms were safer than soul magic. I thought everything would get better if I brought them here. But now you’re cursed, and it’s my fault.”
“This isn’t your fault, and the salt charms will make things better. The healing charms will save lives. I know it. You’re doing well, you know. You’ve got the hardest King’s Trial in a century at least, and you’re finding a way to make it work.”
“I hope so. Alma, do you think-”
“Hey!” Ethan’s voice echoed from behind us. “There’s a clearing up ahead!”
“That’s the portal,” Lorenzo said. “We should leave our horses here.”
Whatever he had started to say, he didn’t finish it. Lorenzo dismounted and reached up to help me. I jumped down. He stumbled as he caught me. Apparently, I was heavier than he expected, but he still managed to set me gently on the ground.
I was heavier than I expected, and my shoes pinched my feet. I formed a soul loop and tried to stretch them. Nothing happened. It seemed the fabric magic I had learned didn’t apply to shoes.
Rosa tied the horses to a tree, and we followed Lorenzo through the forest. It was eerie, even with four of us. A silver gate, tarnished almost black, stood in the center of the clearing. Moonlight illuminated swirling symbols etched on the frame. It reminded me of the carvings on Ethan’s healing charm.
“A gate to nowhere,” Ethan said.
“It’s beautiful,” Rosa said. “I can’t believe no one has noticed it before.”
“There isn’t a reason for people to come this way,” Lorenzo said. “Stand back for a moment.”
He felt along the side of the gate, formed a fist, and stuck the gem of his signet ring into a keyhole. The ring and the carvings on the gate glowed with golden light. My skin tingled where the salt charm had cut me, and the drop of blood on the fairy corset hummed with energy.
“Go through one at a time,” Lorenzo said. “Remember to keep your hoods over your faces.”
He walked forward and disappeared as soon as he passed through the gate.
Rosa grinned at Ethan.
“Isn’t this marvelous?”
“Do you think it’s safe?” he asked.
“Are you going to let that stop you?”
She stepped through the gate and vanished.
“Of course not,” Ethan said.
He hurried through.
I eyed the space between the gate. Wherever the others had gone, I couldn’t see it. The glowing metal made the forest seem even more ominous, and I was not inclined to trust magical objects right now. Trees rustled and creaked with the breeze. A twig snapped somewhere in the darkness, and the horses whinnied. The golden symbols on the gate flickered like candlelight. Were they going out?
I took a deep breath and stepped through.
Chapter 25
A cool breeze brushed against my skin as I passed through the portal. I stepped i
nto a silver room illuminated by starlight. It didn’t have a ceiling. The moon had disappeared, but I didn’t need its light. Stars above decorated the sky like endless lace. The silver walls and floor reflected them like a mirror. Or maybe we were standing in the sky.
We stayed silent, staring in awe. The room was a perfect circle, and elegant arched doors lined the walls. Wherever they led, I couldn’t see. The space between the arches was dark. I turned to the one we had come through, half expecting to see the clearing in the forest, but it was as black as the rest. My heartbeat quickened. What if we couldn’t get home?
“Beautiful,” Lorenzo whispered.
I took his hand. Around the room, my reflection did the same. The mirrored walls let me see myself from every angle. I studied the fit of my gown and frowned. I had a dramatic figure now that I was fully bloomed, but my dress had been designed for a bud. The proportions were all wrong.
I waved my hand and stretched the sleeves, adding more volume so they balanced my narrow waist and wide hips. Then I added even more ruffles to the skirt and adjusted the flounces. Everyone was too busy studying the room to notice my alterations.
When I was satisfied with the gown, I turned my attention back to Lorenzo.
“Where is your fairy godmother?”
“I don’t know. I thought the gate would lead to her room.”
“Maybe she’s asleep?” Rosa said.
“All the better!” Ethan said. “We can explore.”
He took off his shoe and placed it by the arch behind us. We all stared at him, and he shrugged.
“I’m marking our place so we can get back. Who knows where the rest of these doors lead?”
“Clever!” Rosa said.
“We are not going anywhere without an escort,” Lorenzo said. “That would be extremely disrespectful. Not to mention dangerous.”
“So we just stand here?” I asked.
“I guess so.”
I stared up at the stars while we waited. Gossamer ribbons of light wound through them. The longer we stayed here, the more I had the feeling we were floating in light that just happened to be reflecting doorways. Ethan turned to the sky, and his eyes widened.
“These are different stars,” he said.
“What?”
Lady Alma Page 17