“Well you’re not staying here!Iknow you—if we leave you, you’ll run straight toSisterAgathaand tell on us the minute we’re gone!”
The unfairness of her accusation stings me.Iwant to point out thatI’venever told about her letting theMinotaurfuck her—I’vekept her secret faithfully.Sowhy is she so cruel to me?
ButIcan’t say any of that—I’msure it would only makeMirabellasavage and she’s already making my life hell.
I decide thatI’llgo—butI’llhang back.Whenthe others are plucking wish flowers,Iwon’t even be in the witch’s yard.Imight even head back to the dorm early and wait outside until they get back to rejoin the group.I’msure they won’t notice my absence once we’re all out in the dark forest.
“Come on,Elowen—don’t you want to come?”one of the other acolytes taunts me.“Thinkof what you could wish for.Why, you could wish to bethin.Orat least you could wish not to be such a fat cow!”
The other girls—who are all pure-bloodHighFaeand thus extremely skinny—burst into shrill gales of giggles at this.
I feel my cheeks heating with a blush.IknowI’mtoo curvy—they never let me forget it.ButInever hated myself for it beforeIhad to move into the dorm.Imiss my tiny closet room more than ever, but what canIdo?
“I’ll come,”Isay stiffly.“ButIwasn’t going to tell on you.Ijust wanted to read.”
“All the time reading—what aloser,”Mirabellasneers.“Comeon then—and try to keep up.”
She comes to my cot and grabs me by the arm and drags me up and out of bed.She’ssurprisingly strong, considering how willowy and slender she is.
“Come on!”Shemarches me to the back entrance of the dorm, and we all leave as silently as possible.
Outside, my plan of hanging back isn’t working very well.Mirabellakeeps a firm hold on my arm, like she doesn’t trust me not to run back and tell one of theSisterswhat’s going on.She’sleading the pack and all the other girls are bunched behind us, giggling and whispering as we make our way into the forest.
I don’t much like going into theOldForestat night, butMirabellaseems to know her way.Shemust have been planning this on her own for ages before she decided to involve the rest of the girls in the dorm.Shesnaps her fingers to make a magic path that glows faintly in the darkness—a piece of magicI’monly just beginning to manage myself—and we’re off, into the trees.
In no time, it seems, we’re at the witch’s house.Tomy surprise, it’s not made of candy after all.It’sa crooked looking structure with a sagging roof and one wall that’s crumbling.Tomy relief, it looks completely dark inside.Thereisn’t even any smoke curling up from the tall, twisted chimney.
“Good—she’s not home,”Mirabellahisses.“Comeon—let’s go!”
She steps boldly off the path and right into the witch’s yard.Itry to resist, but she drags me with her.
“Come on, you—you’re coming with me,” she snaps.
Nothing happens to either of us, which apparently gives the other girls the nerve to step off the path as well.Weleave it glowing faintly in the darkness as we head for the back yard, behind the crooked structure.
I’m hoping and praying thatMirabellawas wrong about the bush and its wishing flowers—Ireally don’t want to steal anything from a witch!Butto my dismay, the moment we round the crumbling brick corner of the house, we see it.
It’s big and round with smooth, dark leaves but those aren’t what draw my eye.Dottedall over the bush and glowing like candles are the flowers.Theylook a little like dandelions gone to seed, but smaller and more delicate.Eachone emits its own soft pastel light—lavender, pale pink, baby blue, mint green and butter yellow.Itmakes the bush look like a big round birthday cake,Ithink and for a momentI’msimply caught up in its beauty.
But thenMirabellagives me a vicious pinch that wakes me from my trance and makes me yelp in pain.
“Shush!”she hisses fiercely.“Nowpick a flower and make a wish!”
“I don’t want to—you can’t make me!”Ihang back, resisting her tugging this time.Idon’t care what she says,I’mnotgoing to be the first to steal from a witch as powerful asGrizalyn!
“Oh, fine!”Shelets go of my arm in disgust and stalks over to the bush herself.Pluckinga flower that glows soft pink, she brings it to her face and announces, “Iwish my hair was pure gold!”Thenshe takes a breath and blows.
The fluffy little seedlings fly everywhere, each one glowing separately as they float away into the night sky, looking like a swarm of pink fireflies.
I don’t know whyMirabellawished what she wished—her hair is already blonde.Maybeshe wanted it blonder?Idon’t know.ButwhatIdo know is that it doesn’t seem to be working.Herhair is still the same medium blonde as before, falling like a shimmering waterfall down her back.
“Aw, it didn’t work,” one of the other girls says, looking disappointed.
“Of course it hasn’t worked yet,”Mirabellasnaps.“Youhave to wait for every single seed to settle before the magic takes effect and there are so many of them—it could take time.Whilewe’re waiting, all of you make a wish too.”
The girls look at each other and then all of them come forward to pluck a flower.It’slike they’ve decided collectively that it’s safe and beforeIknow it, they are all murmuring wishes and puffing on the flowers.Theair is full of the floating seedlings, glowing in every pastel shade of the rainbow.
I myself donotpluck a flower.Andluckily,Mirabelladoesn’t seem to notice.Ijust take a few steps back, watching as the other girls all wish for typical things.IadmitIam tempted to make one wish to get rid of my freckles—I’vealways hated them—butIrestrain myself.Ihave a feeling this isn’t going to end well.
