Hiram steels himself for more.
“I gave as many clues to as many people as I could, but it’s not enough. I thought I—”Everett’s eyes flicker red. He covers them, clearly pained.“I Saw her real face in a vision, and now this is my fate ...”
“Has Veda been home since you got back?” Gabriel asks.
“No,” Hiram replies, distracted by Everett. Veda’s paranoia wasn’t enough. Seeing this will send her into a tailspin he isn’t sure he’ll be able to stop.
“You need to do what I couldn’t and burn this place down with everything in it.”
The video cuts off. Gabriel grabs everything he can carry while Hiram walks out. Eyeing the nearby trees, he wants to make sure none are too close for this. By the time Gabriel emerges, his arms are full.
“We need to—”
“Burn it down.”
Gabriel looks unsettled. “Ifanyonefinds out I destroyed evidence, I could lose my job and compromise this investigation.”
“Who saysyou’redestroying anything?” Hiram raises his hand, amulet glowing fire red. “Ardeat.”
Sparks land on the wooden roof. They catch, then spread. Hiram watches it burn, flames engulfing the structure until it is nothing more than a skeletal silhouette.
He doesn’t move until only ashes are left.
The next morning, Veda wakes with a clear, determined mind. Hiram is barely out of the shower when she sets on him with a list.
“I’m scared.”
“You should be. We’re going into the woods to find the last four ingredients for the Liquid Curse, and you’re coming. Gabriel says I need a bodyguard andyouhave an amulet.” She goes into the closet and throws suitable clothes for hiking on the bed. Before she leaves, she says, “Antaris is already getting dressed.”
The door closes and Hiram curses.
He’ll take her determination over sadness any day. When Hiram emerges from his bedroom, Antaris and Veda are waiting for him. The former is wearing boots that clash magnificently with his T-shirt and bow tie, but when he looks at Hiram for approval, he says, “Perfect.”
“One more thing.” Veda vanishes in the direction of his office, returning with a small box. Curiously, Antaris opens it, excitement blooming when he realizes what’s inside. His own rucksack. He quickly puts it on, draping it over his shoulder like she does. It looks good on him. Inside, Veda has packed a magnifying glass, a few small bags, one plastic vial, tweezers, and a pair of binoculars.
“He’ll be able to add to it, the older he gets, the more his interests grow.” Veda smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I ordered it and had it mailed to Khadijah. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
Antaris signsthank you. His appreciation seems to warm Veda’s spirits.
They drive to the edge of town and enter the forest after Hiram casts a spell on his car to conceal it from view. Not long into their trek, Veda tells him he walks too loudly, too confidently,arrogantly. On the island, it didn’t matter, but here, wildlife scatters long before they get close. Antaris, by contrast, is quiet. Hiram sees Veda lose track of him, only to realize he’s right beside her. When she pauses beside a tree, pressing a hand to its bark, Hiram is grateful for the break.
“Remember on the island when I showed you how to tell what direction you’re going?”
Antaris nods.
“Show me which way is north.”
His son circles the tree four times, gaze traveling up and down. Hiram, watching intently, mutters that the question is too difficult for him. Veda hushes him, clearly believing Antaris is up for the task. That belief is rewarded when he points north with certainty. Veda beams.
“How did he know that?” Hiram asks, surprised.
“I taught him that branches growing south spread south toward the sun, while the north side of the tree grows straight up.”
From that moment on, Hiram pays close attention as Veda identifies the ingredients she finds, demonstrates how to properly harvest, and when they happen upon bushes of fruit, she explains which fungi and berries are safe to eat. Pokeweed is easy to find. Veda needs it for its root. Absinth wormwood needs to be as fresh as possible. The valerian and ivy are the last things she finds, but once they’re secured, they keep going deeper into the forest. Antaris finds a particularly rare needlegrass that he wants permission to pick as his first ingredient for his storage room. Veda looks around, then kneels next to him.
“We can’t pick this.”
“Why not?” Hiram asks. Antaris looks to her for an explanation, too.
