When it slips from her face, I gasp.
There is a third eye on her forehead, and it’s snow white.
Mask in hand, she steps forward. “I was born with this deformity,” she tells me. “A curse before anyone suffered a Great and Terrible one. Or at least that’s what everyone told me. My parents would make me wear a scarf to hide it. And for most of my childhood, I believed that. Until I realized I couldsee.”
She circles behind me and goosebumps run up the nape of my neck.
“I could see storms before they blew in. I could see when an ally was lying. I could see where a lost child had run off to. I could see when someone would die.”
She comes back around to face me and I try hard not to look at the third eye, but it’s impossible to ignore.
“I could see when a house would fall from the sky. When a girl would kill a witch.”
Oh god.
“Did you think you would get away with murdering one of the Cardinal Witches?”
“I’m sorry, your… majesty? I didn’t mean to. She came after me.”
Shit. Shit. Of course she knows about the Witch of the East, and of course she’s pissed.
I glance at the Tinman as she circles behind me again. I widen my eyes, hoping he gets the message. Now would be a good time.
Except… his teeth are gritted, his brows furrowed. Like he’s trying to move but can’t.
Like he’s locked up.
“He’s not going anywhere,” the witch says.
The fire on the hearth shrinks to half its size with a loud rush of air.
The Tinman makes a choking noise as blood starts pouring from his nose.
“What are you doing to him?”
He sinks to his knees.
Blood wells in his eyes.
“Stop!” I rush over to him but there’s nothing I can do.
He falls to all fours and vomits blood.
“You’re killing him.”
The witch clasps her hands behind her back and stares at me with all three eyes.
“What do you want?” I shout.
The Tinman collapses in a puddle of his own blood.
“Can… teen,” he gasps out.
I grab the leather strap and wrench it from his body. With my back still to the witch, I unscrew the cap. “You know, everyone was right. You really are a wicked witch.” I turn aroundand lunge at her, tossing the contents of the canteen in her direction.
But only ash floats out.
“What…” I shake the bottle, hit the bottom. Nothing. No water. “No.No.”
