Quinn looked torn, wanting to ensure River’s health, but I could tell she was a proud woman and did not enjoy receiving charity.
“And now,” said Mischa, eyeing the contents of the pouch. “We’re getting lightleaf oil and fragrance for the four of us.”
“Helena likes roses,” I said. “We should take something back for her.”
“We will, Edie! And lavender oil for you and honeysuckle for Maureen. And I will try something new, something other than lilies.”
Mischa’s dogged cheer about the apothecary’s wares was hard to resist. If I let my mind stray, thoughts overtook me, thoughts of marrying the reserved Alric, who was, I knew with certainty, not happy about his sentence as my groom and thoughts of the Cian man’s proclamation.
Lady Edie, I believe you’ve earth magic in you.
It was easier to watch Mischa merrily collect scents for the four of us and two vials of lightleaf oil and not think anything at all.
“I am trying birch with mint,” she sang out, returning to me with Quinn, the two of them having paid while River distracted Zinnia with an onslaught of questions about Tintarian trade.
“Helena will like her essence of rose.” I said, unstopping the bottle of lavender oil and inhaling. “Gods, that is so good. Should we have bought fragrances for everyone?”
“Edie, you’re marrying Tintarian scum for the rest of them. I think that is plenty.”
“Is that what I am doing?”
Mischa looked at me. “What would you rather discuss? Marrying the captain tomorrow or how you have magic you did not know you had?”
“Neither, if I am honest.”
“Then let us enjoy our scents and put a drop of lightleaf in whatever spirits we can find tonight and sleep like lambs. We live, Edie!”
“We should keep our wits about us.”
The sun was high in the sky as we returned to the Shark’s Keep, back through all of the corridors to the dormitory were Helena sat up on one of the beds, a tin cup of water at her lips. Her back to the rest of the room, Mischa put a drop of the lightleaf oil in the tin cup, mouthing “for the pain.”
24. Placements
“Lady Edie,” said Zinnia, her hand on my shoulder.
I turned from the sight of Helena working her new rose oil over her dark braid that she had unwound from its crown. “Yes?”
Zinnia spoke quietly. “Down the corridor is a small room. The captain and others have gathered to discuss placements for everyone. I believe you should also be present.”
“Why me?”
She appeared confused. “I think it best. You know these women.”
I ran my hands down the black cotton dress, sweaty at the thought of an audience withhim.
“Also,” Zinnia kept speaking. “I have, secondhand, but of good quality, a wedding dress for you. We wear white here and abalone blossoms in our hair.”
“Abalone blossoms?”
She smiled. “You will like them. They will look lovely against your hair. They are the color of aquamarines. The ceremony will take place after luncheon in the temple of Mother Earth. Archpriest Cian will officiate.”
“The man who said I had magic?”
“He is the archpriest of Mother Earth. And as he has seen that you have her gift and the captain himself is an earth worshipper, it is only fitting that the two of you should wed at the temple.”
“An earth worshipper?”
Zinnia gave me a look as if it just now had occurred to her that I had much to understand about Tintar. “More than half of Tintarians have no magic. Those that do not usually choose one of the four orders that align with them the most, whether water runs in their family or their mother was devout to fire. And they practice that element’s faith. Captain Angler has no magic penchant in any of the four and he is a follower of Mother Earth. I believe, and I think I am correct in this, one of his parents is also devoted to the goddess.”
