10
Aletter came for methat night as Genevieve and I were getting ready for bed.
“Here you go,” Tori said, tossing the rumpled envelope on my mattress. “Whoever sent it must’ve been in a rush.”
“Who is it from?” Genevieve asked as Tori went off yawning to her own room.
I recognized my nanny’s handwriting from the front of the envelope. “It’s from Theodora,” I said, trying to sound casual. Something told me that it wasn’t merely inquiries about the Season.
“Are you going to read it now?” my stepsister asked, stifling a yawn.
I shook my head with a tight smile. “Maybe tomorrow,” I said. I blew out the candle on our bedside table. “Good night, Gen.”
“Good night.”
I waited until my stepsister’s breathing evened before pulling out the letter. Shifting closer to the sliver of moonlight by the window, I unfolded the parchment.
Amarante,
Rowena and I hope you are doing well. Remember, you must never reveal your secret to anybody. But do not worry. We know where the witch who can remove your magic is. Meet us at the outskirts of the city tomorrow afternoon.
Also, attached is a letter from Master Flora. I know you have been wanting to talk to him.
Best of luck,
Theodora
There was another letter inside the envelope, this time covered with Papa’s neat script.
My flower,
It pains me to write to you about this when I know I should be there in person. What Theodora and Rowena say is true. I wanted to tell you about the circumstances of your birth the moment your Mama passed, but I was afraid. And selfish. I knew revealing the truth so late would change everything between us or even worse, put you in danger. I fear I will ramble on more than necessary if I continue writing. I will head back to Delibera as soon as I handle some business matters. Until then, take care and stay safe.
Much love,
Your Papa
My throat tightened. Business matters always came first, so I wasn’t surprised. How long until I’d see him again? A month? Two months? It was much too long to wait. I stuffed the letters beneath my pillow and shut my eyes.
––––––––
THE CITY OF DELIBERAnormally had mild weather year-round, but as I took a horse chaise to the outskirts of the city, the sun was sweltering. Mixed with the jitters that plagued me all morning, the heat was positively nauseating by the time I arrived. Theodora and Rowena stood near the familiar cluster of buildings as I made my way toward them. Their faces were pinched.
“How are you, dear?” Theodora asked, holding me at arms-length as if she were looking for fatal wounds.
I ignored the tightness of my stomach and the sweat soaking the back of my dress. “I’m fine,” I said. “Are we going to go see the witch?”
Both of them winced. “Not so loud,” Rowena said, eyes flickering to a few passersby.
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Does she live here?”
