His kiss lit my face with a smile. “I’d love that.”
Chapter Fourteen
CASSIAN
Sterling decided to stay in Ladiall for a few days while he sold his house and packed his things, so I returned to Fibbersnap Inn alone.
Breaking the news to Griffin and Olive was difficult, but they were kind and supportive, and they offered help in whatever way I needed.
Gertrude arrived at the inn before Sterling, bearing a large pack of supplies. She explained her idea was not conventional, but she knew of an enchantment that could track a specific piece of text, and then she explained most Faian runes bore the same shape at their center. She hypothesized we could track that shape using the enchantment to lead us to each stone in the forest, but only if they wanted to be found. I told her they did, and we got to work.
It took a full day of work to collect materials and create the enchantment. Gertrude stayed in a room for the night but insisted I let her pay, and we spent the evening continuing to catch up.
“You know, Cassian,” she said to me while we chatted beside the fire in my room. “If you wanted to continue your apprenticeship, I could arrange something. We could correspond through letters, and I could come out to visit you once in a while to check your progress.”
“Really?!” I asked a little too excitedly.
She chuckled. “Sure. I loved having you as a student. Not many of my past apprentices were as enthusiastic about learning as you are.”
“Thank you, Gertrude—” I stopped to really consider the offer. What would I do with magic once my apprenticeship was over? “What’s the point, though? I won’t be a career witch. This is my job now.”
Gertrude folded her arms, tapping her glossy black nails along her upper arm. “My understanding of your goal was that you wanted to use witchcraft to help others. You don’t need to be a career witch to do that. Everything you’ve learned so far has helped you run the inn, hasn’t it?” she asked.
“Yes…” I said.
“That isn’t enough for you? Would you really be happy stopping your education now?” she asked.
“No, I wouldn’t.”
She smiled. “Then it’s settled. We’ll continue the apprenticeship.”
In the morning, she wished me good luck and returned to Ladiall, and I got to work searching for the rune stones.
The enchantment was a small glass orb that glowed violet when the text was near and dimmed when it wasn’t. I tested it by standing next to the boulder at the front of the property, satisfied when it lit bright violet.
It took the full day of searching, but by sunset, I had three rune stones in my cloak pocket. When I went out front to check the boulder by the sign for the final two, the boulder had ejectedthe rune stones onto the snowy ground. I wondered if Ponsaria had something to do with it.
I had all five stones.
I didn’t need to worry about uncursing them. I just needed to move them elsewhere. But where could I place them that wouldn’t cause problems? Could I lock them away in the attic?
No, I had a better idea.
I crossed the river bridge into the woods to the same spot I first met Ponsaria. I wanted her permission first, afraid of causing harm with my good intentions. I sat on the log with the stones in my lap and waited, shivering in the snow.
I heard her before I saw her. Her hooves crunched through the fresh snow until she reached me, resting her nose on my shoulder.
Cassian. You did it.
“Thank you for the help. Now I don’t have to sell the inn,” I said.
Wonderful. I’m happy to know you’ll be here. Is there something I can do for you?she asked.
“I have an idea, but I wanted your input first.” I lifted the stones for her to see. “These stones cursed the inn to make it impossible to receive money for services. I want to relocate them around the perimeter of your forest to keep humans from stealing its resources for money.”
Ponsaria paused.Would the animals inside the forest still be able to collect resources?
“Like what?” I asked.
