Bisma suppressed a sigh. ‘Yes, I’m coming!’ she called back, folding the letter. She placed it in a box with the first letter, then locked it, slipping the key into the pocket of her burgundy dress. It seemed an unnecessary precaution, but she didn’t want her sisters prying.
Years ago, she remembered one of her older sisters had a diary, and nosy eight-year-old Bisma had snuck into her room one day to read it. Her sister had been furious. Little girls don’t mean to be terrible, but sometimes it can’t be helped.
‘BAJI!’ Luna bellowed.
‘I’M COMING!’ Bisma called back.
With a final glance at the locked box, she went to tend to her duties as Baji.
9
After lacing up her boots, Bisma grabbed a black shawl and hurried down the spiraling steps of the tree trunk, all the way down to the very bottom, where Luna was waiting with Deeba.
The two-year-old wore a knitted white bonnet, her adorable chubby cheeks sticking out. It had stopped raining, but the air was still cold.
‘Are you ready?’ Bisma asked Deeba, scooping her up and kissing her.
Deeba laughed. ‘Yes, yes!’ she cooed.
Bisma set her down so she could pick up her basket of poisons, as well as another empty basket for their shopping.
‘Ready?’ she asked Luna, who wore a pale yellow dress. Her honey-brown hair was pulled back into two braids fastened with pink ribbons to match the embroidery on her dress.
Luna released a long sigh. ‘I havebeenready!’
They began walking, Deeba between them, and Bisma smirked. ‘Someone is impatient to get to town,’ she sang.
Luna held up a hand. ‘I have no idea what you are talking about.’
Both girls exchanged a smile, then began chatting as Luna recited various poems from the poetry book she was reading, highlighting her favorite lines and dissecting what the metaphors meant. They passed by a brook, where toads were happily croaking.
A little while later, they passed rabbits munching peacefully on grass, until Deeba tried to reach out and grab them. They hastily hopped away, while Deeba laughed, looking back at Bisma and Luna. ‘Them run!’ Deeba said, clearly proud of herself.
‘Yes,theyrun!’ Luna said, smiling at the two-year-old.
The trio continued walking, and along the way Bisma plucked an apple from one of the apple trees, tossing it to Luna before plucking another for herself. It was red and ripe; when Bisma bit into it, sweet juice poured into her mouth along the crisp fruit.
The fruit in the Enchanted Forest was always perfect, a magical marvel. Often, fruits and vegetables could even be found growing outside their ordinary season. It would turn a huge profit if the Unwanted Girls wished to harvest and sell them in town, but the Forest fruits could only be enjoyed within the bounds of the Forest. Once the fruit or vegetables left the Forest, they rotted.
Something Bisma was sorely wishing wasn’t true at the moment; she still had to pay Xander for curing Mei. It had been nearly a week and she’d avoided going to town as she figured out how to gather the necessary funds.
At least orders had come in, and she’d spent the better part of the week completing them, and now she could drop them off and collect payment.
When they made it to Old Town, Luna instantly brightened. She smoothed her braids, checking the bows at the ends, then said, ‘Let’s go to the bakery, first.’
Bisma bit back a smile. ‘Sure.’
The town was busier than usual as they walked toward the square, and Bisma carried Deeba to make sure she didn’t get lost. Luna skipped ahead, and as they approached the bakery, Bisma inhaled the comforting scent of fresh bread.
They walked in; it wasn’t very busy, and right away, Bisma spotted Haru behind the counter, wearing his usual apron. He was filling pastries with custard, but when he saw them, he immediately stopped, his face lighting up with a smile.
‘There’s the prettiest girl in town,’ he said.
Before Luna could respond to the compliment, Bisma arched a brow. ‘I do hope you’re talking about Deeba,’ she said.
‘Baji!’ Luna hissed, mortified.
There was no one around, so Bisma laughed as Haru’s cheeks turned red.
