“That’s a banana chameleon,” the woman chirped. “The plant. It changes colors and produces bananas. I came up with the hybrid. Neat, huh? Grafted it myself.”
As I surveyed the victim of my golden lassoes, I realized that I had just pinned an elderly lady to the tree with magical ropes. The glowing gold cinched her body tight to the trunk of the tree, winding her legs and arms taut—a thin strand around her neck, threatening to cut off her circulation if I so much as...
If I so much aswhat?
I glanced down at my hands, unsure how to control this outburst of power. I was almost certain this old woman wasn’t trying to kill me. I wanted to loosen her binds. I just wasn’t sure how to execute it.
Then again, in The Forest, I’d been pretty sure the mermaid hadn’t been trying to kill me either, and lookwhere that had landed me. My magic seemed reluctant to dissipate, like it knew inherently that I wasn’t very good at protecting myself and might need a little assistance.
“I won’t hurt you,” the woman said. “If I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead.”
“What do you mean?” So far, I had every reason to believe that most things in this magical land were trying to kill me. Alone in the middle of the night was not the time to assume otherwise.
“This is my land. My name’s Hettie,” she said. “This is my private garden. It’s called The Twist. It’s called that because it’s enchanted to be a labyrinth, and anyone who wanders in who doesn’t have West Isle Witch blood will be lost forever.”
“All right, then.”
“If I wanted you dead, I could’ve just let you starve to death. Or head to the poisoned peach grove, where you would’ve eaten the deadly fruit and died within minutes. Or I could’ve let you meet Hank, my new friend—an alligator with a touch of dragon blood in him. He’s practicing his fire-breathing over in the lagoon. Not to mention the cattails around there which’ll poke your eye out if you get too close.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Because Lily Locke is my granddaughter, and I assume you’re looking for her,” Hettie said. “That’s all anyone comes to the West side of The Isle for. I can getyou to the bungalow if you’d like. Can I tempt you in a cup of tea first?”
At this, I dropped my hands. My magic followed suit, fading into the blackness of the night, winking out like fireworks after the grand finale. I felt tired from the exertion, worn, but in a positive way. Like I’d stretched muscles that had been lying dormant for far too long.
“Thanks, dear.” Hettie paused to do a little stretch as she slumped down from the tree. “When you get to my age, you can get a crick in the neck from the slightest thing.”
Hettie then paused to do what resembled some calisthenics. High knees. Bicep curls, butt kicks. A half-hearted attempt at some splits?
The woman was dressed in a flannel nightgown with a matching cap. It seemed laughable that I’d thought she could kill me.
“Don’t let this geriatric body fool you,” Hettie said, as if reading my mind. “Or the nightcap. I can still do a world of harm, though like I said, I’m impressed by your powers. They told me you were strong, but even I couldn’t imaginehowstrong.”
“Who’s they?”
“The voices in my head,” Hettie said so seriously I wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not. “Anyhoo, would you like that cup of tea before I bring you to Lily’s place? I promise it’s probably not poisoned.”
“Very reassuring,” I said. “I think I’ll pass.”
Hettie let out a broad smile. “I’m just having some fun. It’s been a while since I got out and visited with a friendly face, what with the curse and all. People aren’t wandering around like they used to, visiting the treehouse and coming over for flapjacks. It’s a cryin’ shame.”
“You’re aware of the curse?”
“Oh, yes.” Hettie began walking, gesturing for me to follow her. “It’s been around for a while, but it’s just getting mainstream attention lately. It’s only within the last few months that we’ve experienced our first island deaths from it. Though nobody knows who’s responsible for it. Obviously, we don’t know how to fix it either, or we’d have already done that.”
“Are there any theories on why the curse is growing in strength recently?”
“There’s one.” Hettie studied me with wide eyes that reflected the moonlight so strongly it was like it radiated out of her. “About you.”
“I just got here.” I didn’t want to recount what I’d learned in my conversation with Silas to this stranger. I was, however, curious if her theories matched up with his.
“Exactly. Silas finally found you, which means other people could’ve found you too. If you’re as strong as they say you are, then you’re a threat.”
“A threat towhat?”
Hettie’s eyes glowed like little moons as she looked at me. “You’ll need to ask Silas about that. He’s real good at what he does—he’s got all sorts of theories, I’m sure. He found you after all, didn’t he?”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked. I had sworn to keep his Hunter blood a secret, and I didn’t plan on breaking my promise, but I had a feeling that’s what she meant. “He’s good at what he does?”
