“What’s it for?” I swiped my nose, nasally sounding as I tried to block out the overpowering stench.
“Why?” Sinora gave me a pointed look. “You going to tattle?”
“No.” I fussed with the straps of my sports bra, hiking it up. “I wanted to take something to town to trade so I’m not standing around inthisfor the rest of my time here.”
“Ah,” Sinora said, tapping the side of the bottle. “Not this.”
“It’s not valuable?”
“Oh, it would beextremely,” she said as Sabrina nodded enthusiastically beside her. “But not for you, I’m afraid. No, I wouldn’t be getting mixed up in it . . . not unless you enjoy a dark corner and a cold pile of straw. Mugroot’s a contraceptive here, and Helen might be the last witch with any left since it was outlawed.”
“A contraceptive?” I asked. “Like birth control?”
Sinora lifted her chin in confirmation.
“But. If mugroot’s illegal, why does Helen have it? And why are you — ”
“No one pays attention to us, dear. Some might suggest you do the same.”
CHAPTER
TWELVE
EMBER
Peculiar, the Goddess’s sense of humor. You see, the knife that destroys everything is, ironically, Her artifact of creation.
— Charley Starvos, Echelon to the
School of Creation Magic
After my aunts left, I opened yesterday’s paper, interested to read exactly what Farrah Prolix had written about me. Then I saw the picture of us, Leland’s soft lips around the calzone’s pastry crust, his eyes intense and pointed at me for some reason. Heat rushed to my chest. I had to put the paper down.
I lay down on the floor — for once, not because of the phantom flu — but because I needed to cool down. In a cold, hard place where I did everything in my power not to think of him.
It had been twenty-three hours since I last saw him. Twenty-three hours of chugging moonale and incessantly checking my transmitter, yet no news of Trist had come. That was a chilling thought.
I got up and went to the porch in search of a new paper, but the steps were clear. I walked down to the yard and checked theflowerbeds and the creek, but there was nothing there. All day, Leland had been at Odessa Hall. Surely, if they’d found Trist, he wouldn’t still be there. He’d said not to worry, but . . .
What was going on in Everden? Their best labor and delivery Healer was missing. According to my aunt, only Allwitches and Dark Witches were strong enough to survive pregnancy. Contraceptives were banned. I hadn’t seen a single child in Hartik’s Hollow today. Notone.
I wondered if mugroot was one of the ten thousand things Leland carried in his backpack. If he used it for contraception or if he preferred the pull-out method like Gray did.
I stopped in my tracks.
Whywas I thinking about that?
I didn’t even go back inside to shut the front door. I took off running, this time away from town.
I climbed the steep hills, running until my lungs gave out, until I felt the rough cobblestones grinding down my heels, and an endless stream of sweat poured down my back. Only when my back was too sore to go on did I stop, doubling over. I was in pain. I couldn’t catch my breath. But I felt better. I felt like I could go five minutes without my blood pining for Leland’s magic.
When I returned to Helen’s, the newspaper was on the porch. And I was on the cover.
Truth-Teller confirms Trist Yidley was last seen at the half witch’s residence. The half witch, who openly worships at the Allwitch temple, is now the leading suspect in the Council’s investigation. The Truth-Teller has been assigned to monitor her, but until the Council’s investigation is complete, witches are warned to keep their distance. Stay vigilant!
I dropped the paper and walked back inside through the open front door — and slid.
My arms shot out for balance, and I grasped for the back of thecouch, a lump rising in my throat I could hardly breathe around.
