She glanced up at me and then popped an almond into her mouth. I could hear the crunch as her teeth broke through the sugary coating. “Fates,” she cursed, lifting her hand to shield her mouth from view. “I thought they would have them.”
“Afraid not,” I said. “They suggested we try the mountains.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “I had a feeling that would be the answer.” She wordlessly stuck out her hand, placing a few sugared almonds into my palm. She tossed another into her mouth and crunched on it. “We should hang around here for a few more days, I need to try the market again when new stalls open up.”
“Still not going to tell me what you’re searching for?” I asked.
“Nope.” The word popped from her lips with a flair.
I hummed thoughtfully. “Is it eggs?”
Her jaw slackened and the blood drained from her face. She gulped. “No.”
I pointed at her in triumph, my finger inches from the tip of her nose. “Aha! I knew it!”
She shoved my hand away. “You don’t know anything!”
“I still don’t know what kind of eggs,” I said thoughtfully.
“Exactly. Maybe I need… butterfly eggs.”
“You’re lying.”
She said nothing, just gnawed on her lower lip.
I sighed. “Fine, fine. Keep your secrets. I’ll figure it out eventually.”
She mumbled under her breath, so quietly I could hardly hear her, “Gods, I hope not.”
The next handful of days passed with a pleasant swiftness.
We split our time between Rune’s cottage, the town market, and the beach, walking along the shore for hours and hours, just listening to the waves crash along the sand.
Daisy was having the time of her life. She grazed on beach grasses to her heart’s content, trotted through shallow waves, and soaked up as much attention as possible from Rune’s littles, as well as any passersby.
She loved it here. My heart squeezed at the thought of snatching her from so much happiness, of forcing her to journey back through the Barren Lands, and drag the heavy carriage all the way back to Moonvale. Unfortunately, there was no other option.
The market stalls exchanged, but Kizzi never found what she was looking for—whatever eggs she needed were elusive and hard to track down.
Every day, we tried again.
No luck.
I could see the way she withered as each day passed without finding what she was looking for, the hopeful gleam draining from her eyes.
When the fourth day rolled around and the witch Kizzi was waiting for had no eggs either, we decided to abandon Tidegrove and move on, toward the mountains.
CHAPTER 25
Kizzi
The carriage bustle was becoming strangely soothing. The rocking, bumping motions, once jarring, blurred into the background. My side pressed into Tandor became a familiar comfort, rather than an irritation. Something to lean into instead of move away from.
The horse walked slower than before, but it wasn’t for lack of energy.
It seemed like a heavy sadness was weighing her down. Guilt had tugged at my stomach when we finally hooked her up to the carriage and tugged on her reins. She had let out the saddest whinny and her head drooped. She was certainly pouting.
We had no other option, though.
