by A W Hartoin
Rebecca shrieked, and Tess was back. “She’s gone. I have an eyedropper. Where do you want it?”
“Bentha, help me get a cauldron,” said Mom.
They dashed out and lugged a cauldron made of black walnut into Miss Penrose’s room. Tess stuck an enormous glass tube in the window and dropped one drop of hot water in the cauldron. It hissed when it hit the wood and filled the room with a fine steam. Lucien asked for a long spoon for stirring. Mom got it for him and we watched as Lucien stood above the steaming cauldron, muttering and dropping minuscule amounts in. With each new addition, shapes formed in the steam. The first was Horc’s face, then mine, then Daiki, Iris, Gerald, Bentha, and Lrag. The room smelled like spice cake and coffee and something else sweeter and more pungent which Lucien would eventually confide was love.
“It’s ready. Teaspoon, please,” said Lucien.
Mom gave him the spoon she used for her concoction of nasty cough syrup. That stuff tasted like dirty feet. I hoped Mom washed that spoon good. I didn’t want Miss Penrose getting a taste of that stuff. She’d been punished enough.
Lucien dipped the spoon in the cauldron and carried it to Miss Penrose. He slid a hand behind her head and tipped the spoon into her slack, blue lips.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I WOKE SCREAMING and clawing at my face. My fingers wrapped around two soft tubes over my eyes, and I yanked them off. Lizards. Mom ran in and looked at the ceiling with a sigh.
“Don’t do that. You’ll wake up Penrose. She needs her rest,” said Mom.
I would’ve responded, except that my mouth was covered with lizards, particularly well stuck-on ones that tasted like ground pepper.
“Calm down.” Mom tugged on a large juicy one on my cheek. “I’ll get them.”
Iris came in next. She bit back a giggle, like a good sister, and tucked the egg and Rufus into her pocket. She crawled onto the bed and peeled one of the ones off my mouth.
“Tail works best, Mom,” said Iris.
“Thank you, honey. How did you figure that out?”
“Lots of practice.”
I felt around the other lizard on my mouth and failed to find the tail.
“Where is it?” I asked out of the other side of my mouth.
Iris put the tail in my hand and I pulled the lizard off, letting it dangle by the tail.
“Stop it, you lizard. Not on the face,” I said.
It arched its back and purred, vibrating my hand. It would be right back on my face as soon as possible no matter what I said.
Lucien came in, carrying my brother. Horc had a biting stick thick as a club wedged in his mouth and was gnawing on it something fierce.
“Well,” said Lucien, smiling at the lizards while stroking Horc’s knobbly head, “that’s a good sign.”
“What’s good about it?” I asked, tossing my lizard to Mom. “These lizards stink.”
Mom caught it and gave it a sniff. “Actually, they smell quite nice. Like freshly ground pepper.”
“I thought you hated lizards in the house.”
“I don’t mind them so much now that I know where they’re pooping.”
“Oh, gross. It’s not in here, is it?” I pictured mounds of poop under my bed.
“They go in Rebecca’s potted plants and their droppings make the best fertilizer. You should see my herbs. Plus, they’re great at keeping soup pots warm,” said Mom, scooping up an armful and dropping them out my window. “I just have to remember to put them out.”
“Fire lizards have many uses,” said Lucien. “They’ve been very nice about keeping Penrose warm.”
I searched my memory and could only remember Miss Penrose getting the first spoonful of medicine. Beyond that was a blank. “How is she? Did it work?”
“It did. She’s regaining her strength day by day.”
“Day by day? How long have I been sleeping?”
“Three days. I gave you a small potion to allow you to recuperate,” said Lucien. “I’ve been waiting for the lizards to tell us how you’re doing and now they have.”
“I hope they’re telling you that I hate them.”
“I meant that they tell us your physical condition. They’re fire lizards. You’re a kindler. They’re your barometer, so to speak. Look at your hand.”
I held out my hand and it wasn’t so yellow as before, but I didn’t need stupid lizards to show me that.
A new lizard darted in the door and crawled up my bedpost. Lucien picked it up and put it in my hands.
“Thanks. I’ve had enough,” I said, trying to give it back.
“Just hold him and see what you see,” said Lucien.
The lizard purred, vibrating my hands and then all the way up into my shoulders. Its eyelids drooped and its sides bellowed out, turning a fiery orange.
“I don’t know. It’s just a happy lizard,” I said.
“And it’s happy because?”
Then I felt it. The stirring inside. The spiraling heat in my chest. The lizard purred so hard, I imagined I could hear it. “My fire. I think it’s back.”
Iris threw her arms around my neck. “I’m so happy you’re back to you.”
Mom didn’t look quite so thrilled. More like resigned.
Lucrece entered. “How is the patient?”
I crossed my arms. The lizard climbed onto my shoulder and purred against my neck.
“Don’t be rude,” said Mom, frowning.
“Seriously, Mom? She nearly killed Miss Penrose.”
Lucien untucked my hands. “Why don’t you show Lucrece how you’re doing, Matilda?” He stared into my eyes with intensity and then cupped my hands. He wanted me to make fire, but I wasn’t keen to do it in front of anyone. What if I couldn’t produce more than a spark? It would be so embarrassing.
“You can do it,” said Iris.
I swallowed and closed my eyes. I saw the flames leaping out of my palms, snapping and joyful. Iris hugged me, and I opened my eyes. They were there, same as before. Beautiful flames in pale yellow, not as majestic as I imagined, but there, so perfectly there. I wasn’t empty anymore.
“Show Lucrece,” said Lucien.
“Yes,” she said with an indulgent and thoroughly irritating smile. “Show me what you can do.”
I couldn’t tell if she was making fun of me or what. Maybe my weak yellow flames appeared ridiculous to her. They changed to orange when I thought that and I thrust my hands out at her. The flames formed an oval and I looked through them at that fake healer and saw something else entirely. I gasped. Lucrece’s eyes widened. She saw it in my face. I could see her. The real her. She turned and ran for the door. Lucien’s hand snapped out and grabbed her wing. He dragged her back and placed her at the foot of my bed.
“What is it?” asked Mom.
I closed my hands and my flames extinguished. “She’s not a wood fairy at all. She’s a spriggan.”
Horc pulled out his biting stick and pointed it at her. “I knew it! Your smell is repulsive.”
“She smells like lavender,” said Mom.
“Ignore the lavender and you’ll get it,” said Horc, taking another chomp.
We all sniffed. The spriggan stink was there if you could get past all that overwhelming lavender and knew what you were looking for. Lucrece struggled and Lucien squeezed her shoulder so hard she yelped.
“Explain yourself,” said Lucien. “And drop that facade.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I can’t. It’s a spell.”
“Did you come to steal Horc back?” I asked.
Horc’s eyes widened, but Lucrece shook her head. “I just wanted to see him. You’d never have let me in as a spriggan, but as a wood fairy I had a chance.”
Lucien’s hair whipped around his head. “A chance to do what?”
“To see Horc.”
“Why? Who are you really?” I asked.
“Lucrece the Difficult. Horc’s grandmother.”
“When you found out Miss Penrose needed kaki persimmon root, why did
n’t you just get it for us? You must’ve know the spriggans at the mall would have it.”
“I would’ve done it, but...” Lucrece’s ugly face tightened. “I’ve been banished for protesting when my son, Klog, traded Horc for that little mindbender. He said you would send him back, that wood fairies would never ever keep a spriggan, but you did and he refused to retrieve him. Horc was the best we ever produced. I knew you wouldn’t know how to take care of him.”
I looked at Horc. He didn’t appear pleased. I guess being called the best of the worst species wasn’t much of an honor.
“Do you remember her?” I asked.
“No,” said Horc. “Grandparents aren’t really part of spriggan culture. We barely have parents.”
Lucien’s hair settled on his shoulders. “You were banished for wanting your grandson back?”
“It was only the last straw. I’m not called The Difficult for nothing. Before Horc was taken away, I was trying to become a healer. It isn’t our way. Spriggans don’t have healers. We just let nature take its course. I got sick of watching us die for no reason. You galens would never teach one of us, so I thought if I could come take care of Horc and get access to Viola’s books, I could study and figure things out for myself.”
“You could’ve killed Penrose,” said Mom.
Lucrece wrung her hands. “I never intended that. I had to act like an authority or you wouldn’t have believed my story, and I’d have lost Horc all over again.”
“You could’ve told the truth,” said Iris. “The truth is best.”
Lucrece drew her head back and blinked as though the idea of telling us who she really was had never occurred to her.
“Spriggans lie,” said Lucien. “It’s her nature.”
Horc threw his biting stick across the room with a clatter.
“Present company excepted,” said Lucien.
Horc showed his pointy rows of teeth and looked ready to use Lucien’s leg as his next biting stick.
I threw off my covers and swung my feet over the edge of the bed. I couldn’t believe it. I was going to defend Lucrece. The horen venom must’ve gone to my head. “Horc’s not exceptional because he wanted to be different. He’s exceptional because he actually became different. So Lucrece is just as exceptional. She wanted her grandson. She wanted to be a healer when spriggans don’t do that. And she did what she thought she had to do.”
Mom crossed her arms. “Lying is not okay.”
“Really, Mom?”
“What are you implying?” asked Mom.
“I’m not implying. I’m saying you kept things from us. It’s the same as lying.”
Iris’s cheeks turned pink. “Don’t fight. Everybody should be happy. Everything’s okay.”
Mom hugged her and kissed the top of her head. “You have the best heart.”
I glared at Mom. “And even Iris lies. Lying isn’t much of a test of character. I have a better one. Horc, how many rows of teeth do you have?”
“Two so far. Very pointy.” He showed all of them to Lucien in a snarl. “Excellent for biting.”
“Has Lucrece given you any treats?”
Mom let go of Iris and stalked across the room, her hands in fists. “What did you do to my baby?”
“Nothing. Nothing,” said Lucrece.
“Horc, did she give you anything?” I asked. “You can say. She won’t be in trouble.”
“She gave me meat.” Horc’s eyes glazed over. “Meat. I love meat.”
“We’re vegetarians,” said Mom. “Don’t give him meat. It’s not healthy.”
“It’s healthy for spriggans,” I said. “Tell her, Lucrece.”
“Young spriggans have to start eating meat before their third row of teeth come in or their bones weaken and they die,” said Lucrece. “Do you see? I had to come.”
Mom snatched up Horc and cuddled him. “Why didn’t you just tell me? I’d have given him meat if he needed it.”
“No wood fairy would know that. I couldn’t take the chance you’d figure me out,” said Lucrece. “I just fed him.”
“I can’t believe you trusted her,” I said to Horc. “She could’ve been trying to poison you or something.”
“I’m no fool. Lucrece saw Ursula dose Miss Penrose right after you left and she didn’t tell Mom. I didn’t know what she was up to, but she wasn’t going to kill us.”
“I had no idea that you saw me when Ursula was in the room,” said Lucrece.
“It seemed best to let the situation stand.”
“What did Ursula do?” Mom asked me.
“I asked Ursula to help Horc give Miss Penrose the medicine I left. I figured he’d need help distracting you and Lucrece.”
“That’s why she kept showing up and asking for recipes. I’m surprised she got away with it.”
“She did not,” said Horc. “Her father caught her and has sentenced her to grounding until she’s thirty-eight.”
My heart sunk. Poor Ursula. Thirty-eight was pretty old. “How do you know?”
“She told Sadie and Sadie told Tess,” said Horc.
“Sadie?” I couldn’t have been more surprised. Sadie had barely spoken a word to me since she’d found out I was a kindler. “I wonder why she did it.”
Horc started gnawing on his hand. “You seem to incite rebellion in others. A useful trait.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” said Mom.
Lucien let go of Lucrece’s shoulder. “That’s good enough for me. If you still want to learn, I will teach you.”
“You’ll teach a spriggan?” she asked. “Out in the open? Where everyone will know?”
“Certainly. Have you ever been inside an albatross?” He put his arm around her shoulders and they left the room.
“Did he say albatross?” asked Mom.
Iris and I giggled.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked.
Mom groaned. “Out building another trap for the Home Depot fairies.”
“No, he’s not,” said Iris, cocking an ear toward the door. “He’s in the kitchen.”
Mom called for Dad, and he came running into my room, breathless with his hair standing on end. “I got one! I got one!”
“Stop that. Matilda’s awake.”
Dad hugged me. “That’s great. Everything good? Good. I need some string. Do we have string? Where’s the string?”
“Calm down,” said Mom.
“I can’t calm down. I got one.” Dad tore out of the room and Mom went to follow.
“Leave Horc with me,” I said.
Mom plopped him next to me and ran after Dad. I imagined a lot of yelling and banging of drawers going on throughout the house, and Iris’s grin confirmed my suspicions.
“Go find out what’s going on, will you?” I asked.
“I can hear it,” said Iris, giggling. “Dad’s emptying out drawers, looking for the string, and Mom’s threatening to tie him up with it when he finds it.”
“Maybe you should go help before they totally lose it.” I smiled innocently, but Horc wasn’t buying it. Iris didn’t notice his doubtful expression. She was rarely suspicious about anything. It was one of the best things about her. She just agreed and left me alone with Horc.
“So we’re not vegetarians anymore,” said Horc.
“We are. You’re not. Does it bother you that we’re not going to eat meat with you?”
“I’ll learn to live with it. Can I have pepperoni?”
“What’s pepperoni?”
“Spicy meat.”
“Sure. I guess so. Listen, I have something for you.”
“Is it meat?”
“No.”
“Not interested. I’m hungry. Hungry for meat.”
“Stop it on the meat. This is important and just between us,” I said.
“Is it a new biting stick? I prefer applewood wrapped in bacon.”
“You’ve never had bacon.”
“Lucrece got it for me. She gave me a stink bug, too.”
I shuddered.
“Let’s not talk about that.”
Horc swayed. “It was so juicy. I think Mom might’ve smelled it on me. She gave me three baths in one day.”
“That is just disgusting.” I stood up and limped over to a chair that my dress, still filthy with blood and dirt, was laying on. I searched the pockets and found Krust’s note to Horc.
“This is from your brother, Krust,” I said.
“I have a brother?” Horc’s eyebrow lumps came together.
“You didn’t know?”
“Like I said, spriggans don’t have families like wood fairies. A young spriggan belongs to everyone. Grandparents, brothers, and sisters aren’t important.”
“They’re important to Krust. He told me you needed meat. He went to a lot of trouble to make sure you’d be okay.” I sat next to Horc and gave him the note. He rolled it between his palms and sniffed it with eyes closed.
“Smells like spriggan,” he said.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” I asked.
“I might.”
I put my arm around his lumpy little body and squeezed. “I don’t think it’s bad. Krust helped me get the medicine. He didn’t have to, and he put himself in danger to do it. Reminds me of someone I know.”
“It’s still spriggan.”
“It is and will always be.”
“Like me.” He twisted the note.
“No way. You’re your own thing.”
“I’d rather be a Whipplethorn.”
“And you are. You’re as much trouble as me; biting that stick to distract Mom and Lucrece was genius.”
Iris stuck her head in the door. “Come on. You have to see this. Dad really captured a Home Depot fairy, and he’s got him on the mantel shelf.”
I started to pick up Horc, but he stopped me. “I’ll stay here awhile, if you don’t mind.”
I kissed his biggest lump and left him on the bed, cradling his note. Iris slipped my robe over my shoulders and we went into the hall. I stood under my favorite clump of fungus, Barbara, and watched my parents zigzag from room to room, arguing. Iris helped me pull my wings through the slits in the fabric, and I flexed the joints. Not bad.
“Don’t even think about it,” said Iris.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.