“And when I’m in class—” I started, but he cut me off.
‘You are most vulnerable. All of the school hates you. Teachers included.’
Ouch, that hurt.
“Fine. At home and in the bathroom at school, I need you to leave me alone. I need privacy.”
He cocked his head to the side as if not liking the idea of such a thing. ‘Fine. I will sleep outside, but if it rains, I hope you feel terrible!’ Hepoofed into black shadows and flew through the wall, causing a gasp to rip from my lungs.
I guess I didn’t need to open the window. “Thank you!” I shouted out the open window and then closed it. Finally, some peace and quiet with my family.
I stepped back out to dinner with a triumphant smile. “He will not be guarding me at home.”
Hipsie still kept her hand firmly on the meat knife, eyeing my bedroom door with suspicion.
“I don’t know anything about magical creatures, but I didn’t like his little attitude,” she spat and I grinned.
There was a knock at the door and my father stood, crossing the room. I wasn’t used to living here and already felt unsettled any time someone came to the door.
Was I in trouble?
When my father pulled back the door, there were two guards holding baskets teeming with fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, and potatoes. “Gift from Master Clarke until you get started with work,” the guard said curtly.
My heart pinched and emotion welled up inside of me. I’d made an offhand comment to Master Clarke this morning and he’d taken it seriously, something for which I was now very grateful. I’d been worried about how we were going to feed ourselves until my father’s first coin payment.
“Oh, thank you.” The surprise was evident in my father’s voice.
“And here are your work orders. It’s a one-year placement to be evaluated at the end of the year.” He handed my father an envelope and then they left.
I rushed forward to take the baskets of food and my father opened the letter.
“What’d you get?” I asked, praying it was something decent that wouldn’t get him injured and would keep us fed.
He smiled when he read the letter.
“Mable requested a new full-time janitor and handyman. Three silvers a month.”
Oh, bless Eden and her mother, they were certainly looking out for us.
“Is that a lot?” Hipsie asked from behind us at the table.
He shrugged. “I have no idea.”
And we all burst into laughter.
I knew that paying back Avis would take one silver and fifty coppers, but I had no idea how long it took to earn that. Less than a month’s time for my father, so probably more for me since I was part time and in a lower position.
I brought the baskets to the table and we all rummaged through them, Hipsie looking at all the fruits with wide eyes.
“You are both going to get positively fat living here,” she commented.
Laughter again. It felt so good to laugh after everything we’d been through. I was counting that as a win. Maybe life here wouldn’t be so bad.
* * *
The restof the week at school passed quickly. I was on strict orders from Master Clarke not to attempt any magic just yet. Instead I was a lurker. I clung to the walls and watched my fellow classmates do really cool things as I came to terms with having magic of my own. Sometimes during tele class my palms itched, and I swore it was like my magic was asking me to use it. I had already worked two days at Avis Apothecary and it felt good to be giving back to the woman who had helped heal Hipsie. She had gone back to Isariah on a borrowed horse and promised to send word soon that all was well back home.
The Gilded City still didn’t feel like home. And now that this damn raven was following me everywhere, Clarke was having a hard time finding me a tutor, so I had yet to start that and was falling behind on the reading. They assigned more than three chapters per night and even though I stayed up late, I could barely get through one!
