“Then lock it.” He eyed me. “That will buy you some time as long as you can convince your furry friend to hold his tongue.”
“Lock it?” I repeated.
The old man nodded, and I dashed toward the Academy’s door and did exactly what he said.
And before my very eyes, it settled down.
“You’ve got a good day or two before it demands attention again,” he offered before wandering down the street without another word.
I walked toward Barlen. “I’m begging you to keep this quiet.”
He looked at me, but he didn’t say a word, and then I remembered what Twobble told me the very first time I’d met him.
Everything had a price when it came to dealing with a goblin, and that was what he was, after all.
“I’ll reverse your curse,” I offered.
He shook his head. “You can’t. Only the Priestess can do that.”
“Is that what she told you?”
Barlen nodded.
“We have witches that can do the unimaginable. I’ll take you back to Stonewick, and we’ll reverse the curse. You have my word.”
“We wouldn’t make it out of Shadowick.”
My shadow mark skittered awake, and I froze. She knew something. I could feel the pull back to the compound instantly.
“He’s right, Maeve,” the Priestess said calmly.
My heart jumped as I turned to see her down the street near the bakery with several shadows circling her for safety.
Barlen left my side and hastily went over to her as I took my time making my way to my grandmother. I didn’t dare look over my shoulder at the Academy. The old man was nowhere to be seen.
That worried me almost as much as the Priestess' appearance.
Almost.
The fog swirled between us, thickening around the edges of the narrow street and curling along the cobblestones like it had decided to listen. The bakery door had shut again, and the soot-covered awning barely moved in the still air. Behind one of the upper windows, a curtain shifted, then snapped back into place.
The whole street had gone silent.
Barlen stood at the Priestess’ side with his head lowered, his tiny paws clasped together in front of him. He looked smaller there. Smaller and older. The curse hadn’t only put fur over his skin. It had bent something in him, and I hated that I could see it now.
The Priestess rested one hand on his head like he was a favored pet.
I nearly threw up in my mouth. It reminded me of my ex with his string of mistresses.
“Maeve.” Her voice flowed through the street, smooth and unhurried. “You wandered quite far.”
“You told me to get acquainted with Shadowick.”
“I did.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “And did you?”
“I’m beginning to.”
The shadows around her circled lazily, three of them, maybe four. It was hard to tell when they overlapped. They didn’t look like the shadows that had slipped into the Academy. These were sharper. Tethered to her. Watchful.
