“Well, you are going to be queen, and you’ll need to keep good relations with all the other realms. But I swear, no one even cares I’m gone. I’m not like the heir or anything. Like I said, my mom wasn’t even a favorite concubine.”
Hmmm. I doubted no one cared, since they had sent encantos to find her in the human world. But I would deal with Nix’s situation later.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” I said. “I’m not sure what Iwould’ve done without you, actually. I never really had a real friend, you know.”
“No need to get all sappy on me,” Nix said, but bumped her fist against mine nonetheless.
This was the time to tell them about my problem. Since we were sharing. I opened my mouth to say it.I have a secret, too. I don’t have any magical gift.
But before I could confess, Lucas was hurrying us along. “We still need to find the witch.”
Maybe next time, I’ll tell them,I promised myself.
***
By the timewe arrived in the Lambana Village, it was nearly dusk. It was chilly, and though it wasn’t actively raining, drops from the last storm still fell from wet leaves onto our heads or into puddles. Most of the villagers were already indoors for the evening. Smoke drifted out of their chimneys, and their windows shone with yellow light from within.
“Wish I was wearing boots.” I pulled my skirt up to keep it from being dragged in the mud. Though the narrow streets were all stone, they were still damp and tracked with dirt from people’s boots, horses, and carts.
“I should’ve warned you,” Nix said. “Constant rain here. Biggest drawback.”
“We didn’t have time for a wardrobe change, anyway,” Lucas said. He was looking around for someone to talk to.
“What’s the advantage?” I asked Nix about living there.
“Also the rain,” she answered. “It keeps people away.”
“Unless they’re looking for somewhere to hide,” Lucas said.
We wandered aimlessly for a while as the sun lowered at the horizon. We were nearing the end of the village and hadn’t found anyone to talk to.
I looked up at the darkening sky. “I need to get back.”
“Soon, we’ll head back soon. But first—Nix, see that house down there?” Lucas pointed beyond the village proper, where the official road became gravel and then dirt. Though not quite a forest, the area was full of trees. And within a group of them, there was a little nipa bungalow, just barely visible. “Who lives there?”
She shook her head. “Beats me.”
“Let’s go find out,” Lucas said, marching right for the tiny house. We followed behind him.
“I don’t like this,” Nix said.
When we got there, Lucas pounded on the door. The little house was dark, and all the curtains were drawn. It looked like it was just one story—no upstairs and not even an attic window. There was a cracked clay pot next to the door, filled with weeds and some struggling flowers.
After a few minutes of knocking and waiting, we decided to look around the back.
It was even darker and more desolate behind the house. The trees made shadows against the siding, and the wind began to pick up, making spooky whistling noises. Nix peeked in a back window. “No one’s home,” she said. “But Fortunadahasto live here, right? Take a look!”
I stood next to her and cupped my hands on the window to see inside. “You’re right! That’s a Court of Lambana uniform—and those are her jeweled hair clips!”
I wrapped my arms around myself and scanned the property. Itdid seem like no one had lived there for a long time. Except. I saw a small patch about twenty feet from the house that didn’t look wild. “Check it out,” I said.
We left the house and walked over to the garden.
There were tomatoes, carrots, various herbs. “Good crop,” Lucas said.
Then I spotted it.Acalypha bitela.
Poison.
