Which meant I was back to the slow and frustrating approach of appealing to logic with people who didn’t want to see the truth.
But not now.
And not with Gemma.
I made my excuses and fled.
Eleven
Alan
???
I couldn’t explainwhy I was walking along the stream toward the boulder where I had previously met Mina. Unlike last night, she hadn’t asked me to meet her. And why would she? After last night, she probably regretted spending any time worrying about me.
It was all a waste, I knew. It didn’t matter that I had another person confirming that Powell had used magic against me. That didn’t stop the magic. It didn’t erase years of being overlooked and dismissed. It didn’t give me any hope that the coming years wouldn’t be more of the same.
But I still wanted to talk to Mina again. I should probably apologize for storming off the way I had last night, too. I couldn’t visit the Wrison’s home looking for her. Not only would facing them be unpleasant, but if word got out to Powell...
My stepfather had been looking at me oddly ever since Mina’s visit the day before. I had no idea what he might do if he discovered she wasn’t under the influence of the charm; I didn’t want to find out. Which left me hoping, against all odds, that Mina would visit the stream again.
The boulder came into view, and I stopped walking. Mina lay atop the stone, her hair draped over the side, the tips of the long strands brushing the ground.
I had wanted to see her, but I didn’t know what to do or say now. I took another step, then froze again.
She must have heard the pebbles shifting under my boot, because she surged to her feet and spun around. “You came.”
I shrugged, not nearly as indifferent as I tried to appear. She had been waiting for me. After yesterday evening, I hadn’t expected that. I had barely hoped that she might visit the stream regularly for unrelated reasons.
It only took a few more steps before I reached the boulder. “I owe you an apology for last night. You were only trying to help. I should have appreciated that more.”
Her eyes narrowed. “But you still don’t think I can help.”
“I don’t think anyone can help. If you are right, then everyone in Skorsa has had their thoughts warped by a mind-bending charm for years.”
“I don’t think it is a mind-bending charm anymore.”
“What?”
“I tried to test the power of the charm by talking to Gemma this morning. That’s when I realized my mistake. It is a heart-changing charm. That’s why everyone focuses on how disappointed they are.”
It surprised me that Mina had tried at all, though it shouldn’t have. She wouldn’t walk away just because I was rude. She had already pushed past the magic, finding a way to weaken its hold on her. She had broken her belt knife and studied how Powell’s presence affected me, then arranged to meet me in secret. Giving up wouldn’t occur to her.
But her efforts were a waste. “It doesn’t matter. It is still magic that has influenced the villagers for too long. Even if the charm suddenly broke, they wouldn’t change their minds overnight. If it were that easy, things would change every time Powell went to Haiwella to renew the spell.”
Powell must have feared such an outcome. It explained why he always paid extra attention to me when he returned from those trips. However, I knew better. Mina was the only person who had acted differently around me while Powell was gone, and that was onlybecause she hadn’t been exposed to the magic before then. No one else suddenly forgot their opinions.
“Breaking the charm is a brilliant idea,” Mina exclaimed.
It took me a moment to understand. She clearly hadn’t listened to what I was saying. “It won’t solve anything.”
She gave me a look, one that said plainly I was an idiot, but she was willing to overlook that this once. “The villagers might not suddenly shed their warped views, but they also won’t be forced into ignoring proof that you are skilled. Plus, if we break the charm, any magistrates or constables from the city won’t be affected.”
That made sense, but... “How would I break it?”
One pale eyebrow lifted. “Surely you have a hammer or two lying around in the forge?”
I snorted. “I know how to smash it. I meant how can I even find it? I have never noticed this charm in all the years Powell has relied on it. What would it look like? There are plenty of odd bits of metal around.”
