But the relief lasted only a second.
Nori threw up, vomiting out the cure, and the poison immediately began spreading once more. Nori wailed, breaking Bisma’s heart.
Xander swore, rushing to grab the freeze potion as Bisma gathered her little sister into her arms. She held onto Nori tight, the crash from hope to despair too much for her to bear. Xander fed it to Nori, who froze and fell asleep just like the rest, then he scooped her up and set her beside Deeba and Azalea.
Bisma could almost convince herself that Nori was just asleep—except she couldn’t because Nori was quiet. There were none of her usual loud snores to be heard.
Suddenly, Bisma rose to her feet, rage taking over. She let out a screech, kicking a table. The contents went crashing, but she did not notice. Blood roared in her ears, and she wanted to scream, to drown it all out.
‘Hey.’ Xander was suddenly in front of her. She couldn’t see straight; she couldn’t see anything.
He cupped her face in his hands, saying her name once, twice, rubbing his thumbs over her cheekbones, and finally, she saw him. She looked up into his green eyes.
‘Get some fresh air,’ he said quietly.
Over his shoulder, she saw Mei and Luna, both startled. Tears sprang to her eyes. Bisma was horrified with herself for succumbing to her despair in front of them.
She ran outside, gulping in cool air. She fell to her knees, sticking her hands into the soil, letting her magic flow through her. A thorny bush sprouted, and she felt her breathing grow more even, some of the more potent emotions leaving her.
With a sigh, Bisma walked and went to town, hoping to clear her head. She still felt Nori’s little body in her arms, the way Nori had clung to her. The front of Bisma’s dress was still wet with her tears.
It broke her heart.
In town, she spotted Haru leaving the butcher’s shop, presumably on his way home. When he saw Bisma, he came over.
‘Everything alright?’ he asked, looking concerned.
‘Yes, it’s nothing.’ She attempted a smile.
‘How’s Luna doing?’ he asked. He always asked.
‘She’s doing a bit better,’ Bisma said, her heart breaking for him now, as well. Why was everything so horrible and sad?
‘Tell her I’m thinking of her,’ Haru said, then paused. That warmed her, this thread of hope persisting among all the awfulness. ‘No, tell her I miss her. She hasn’t replied to any of my letters.’
‘I’ll tell her,’ she reassured him.
He went on his way, and Bisma went back to the greenhouse.
When she returned, she saw Xander excitedly showing Luna and Mei around different plants, the three of them sucking on toffees. The sight was a balm to her heart.
Xander was good at that, distracting them away from their sorrow. He was a bright light, the glimmer of a rainbow shining through the rain.
Bisma walked over to Luna and Mei, pulling both of them into a hug. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. They both held her tight, and when they separated, both Mei and Luna gave Bisma a reassuring smile.
She turned to Xander, who held up a toffee. ‘A sweet for my sweet?’ he asked, giving her an inane smile.
Bisma gave him an incredulous look as Luna and Mei giggled behind her.
‘Thank you,’ she said through gritted teeth, approaching him to take it and discreetly kick his shin in the process. He yelped, which finally made her smile.
‘I should have known it would be torturing me, and not sweets, that would bring you joy,’ Xander grumbled, rubbing his leg.
Bisma smiled sweetly, popping the toffee into her mouth. ‘It can be a combination of both.’
He shook his head, amused.
‘Let’s go home,’ Bisma said, turning to the girls.
