‘Goodbye,’ she whispered.
She went back to Luna and they left the Chapman Estate to return to the Enchanted Forest. They walked in silence through the cold night. Bisma could not find any words, not even as Luna silently cried. She didn’t fully understand why Luna was crying; she was alright.
‘Lu, you’re okay,’ Bisma said, trying to reassure her. She put her arm around Luna’s shoulders.
‘I just feel so afraid.’ Luna wiped her cheeks. ‘It was so dark.’
‘Nothing is going to happen to you,’ Bisma said. ‘I promise.’
Luna nodded, though there was a distant look in her eyes. She needed time, Bisma decided. Then she would be alright.
Luna stopped crying when they reached the Forest, which was dark, though all the Unwanted Girls could easily maneuver it blind. However, at a turn, Luna tripped, stumbling.
Just as she was about to fall, Bisma reaching for her from behind, a branch crept out and caught her. Luna steadied herself, and the branch retreated.
As they walked on, Bisma looked back to where Luna’s foot had caught: there was a small puddle of murky water. That was … strange. The Enchanted Forest never had random elements out of place in such a manner. The creeks and streams usually all flowed seamlessly.
But perhaps Bisma was imagining it. In truth, Luna was weak, exhausted. That was why she had tripped.
‘Thanks, Forrie,’ Luna whispered. A breeze lifted to kiss her cheeks, and Bisma felt the same breeze against her own face.
But Bisma didn’t deserve to be consoled.
They arrived home, and from the bottom of the treehouse she could hear noise and commotion. Azalea was clearly bossing everyone around, and the girls were begrudgingly listening. They would have eaten dinner some time ago and must have been getting ready for bed.
Luna paused to catch her breath, and a branch reached down, twining around her body to carry her up. Bisma followed on the stairs, and she heard the noise inside fall dead silent as she came up the last step.
‘Luna!’ Nori cried, rushing to give Luna a hug.
‘You’re alright!’ Mei called.
The other girls crowded around, Deeba waddling over with Azalea behind her.
‘You lookawful,’ Azalea blurted. ‘What happened?’
Luna’s lower lip trembled, and tears sprang in her eyes.
‘She’s okay,’ Bisma said. ‘We got the poison out.’
But Azalea was right; Luna’s skin was practically gray. She had lost a lot of blood.
Without another word, Luna went up the stairs to her room, disappearing from sight. Which left the girls to stare at Bisma instead. She saw the accusation in their eyes, the confusion and the fear.
‘She’s fine,’ Bisma said, her voice weak. ‘Everything isfine.’
The words were hardly consoling, to them or to her. In truth, nothing was fine. Two of her sisters had been poisoned, one barely escaping with her life. But Bisma did not say anything else, for she did not know what there was to say.
Deeba was the only one too young to understand; she sat on the floor, gleefully knocking over a tower of blocks. Bisma went to her, and Deeba greeted her baji with the usual affection, which Bisma sorely needed. She hugged little Deeba tight.
‘Everyone get ready for bed,’ Bisma said, standing with Deeba still in her arms.
Nobody moved.
Bisma cleared her throat. ‘Come on, then,’ she said. ‘It’s getting late. Nori, Mei, get changed.’
They went up the stairs. Azalea paused, looking back at Bisma as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn’t.
Bisma changed Deeba, then took her to Mei’s room, laying her down in the cot with her favorite handmade doll. Mei was already in bed, though she was sitting up, eyes wide.
