“Thatisan unpleasant dilemma,” answered the dragon.
Help me, Seryu. Can you remove this bowl from my head? It’s the only way I can regain my magic.
The waters rippled, and I felt an invisible force touching the bowl on my head. It tugged and tugged, until finally Seryu let out a growl of defeat.
“Let me think on it, Shiori,” he mumbled. “You finish the net before my grandfather changes his mind about letting you live. I’ll send for Kiki when I have news about your stepmother. I am confined to the water until spring, and it’d be better if you could come to the river. Can you manage?”
The river was outside the fortress walls. I didn’t know if I could sneak out, but I’d find a way. I nodded.
“Try to stay out of trouble until then, all right?”
What makes you think I’ll get into trouble?
“You’re right, I might as well ask a moth to stay away from a flame.”
It was a lighthearted joke, but I was not in the mood for humor.
Without a goodbye, I left Seryu for the well and hurried back to Zairena, my buckets as heavy as my heart.
That evening after dinner, Zairena’s soup returned to the kitchen. Untouched.
Given how she’d treated me, I should have delighted in her failure, but I was too worried about Takkan. He would die if he couldn’t regain his strength.
The kitchen was in an uproar. Rai and Kenton were tasked with preparing all of Takkan’s favorite dishes, and Chiruan resumed making his herbal soups. Whenever I glanced over at the head chef, he had his lacquer box out, poring over recipes and herbs. None of them seemed to work.
Demons take me, I had to do something.
You’ve already done something,said Kiki that night when we were alone in the fish cellar.And look, you almost got yourself killed.
I almost got myself killed by trying to escape,I reminded her.Not by helping Takkan.
Why do you care so much about him? Because he’s your betrothed?
I glared at my presumptuous little bird.That’s the last reason why,I told her staunchly.I don’t care about him. But if he really got himself hurt searching for me…then I have to at least try to save his life.
You’ve grown a conscience in the past few months, Shiori.
Does that mean you’ll grow one, too?
My bird made a chirp of displeasure. But she twittered no retort, and I hurried out of the cellar and into the pantry. Late-night trips to the kitchen had been how I’d survived the last few weeks on Rai and Kenton’s meager meal portions. But this was the first time I’d slipped inside to cook.
Not every ingredient I needed was available in the winter—no cabbage or onions, and the supply of carrots was low—but I would make do. Takkan had said he thought that there was magic in my pot, but he was wrong. I didn’t have magic. All I had was hard work and care. Both, I needed now more than ever. Luck wouldn’t hurt either.
I kindled a fire, sparks flying as the flames illuminated the kitchen. With a clang, I set my pot over the stove and began to work.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Three times now, I had secretly exchanged Chiruan’s soup for my own—just a bowl’s worth so no one would grow suspicious. It went into the castle on a crowded tray full of Takkan’s favorite dishes. My spirits deflated each time the maids came back, shaking their heads that he had touched none of it, but I didn’t give up. I’d keep making it until it worked—or until I was caught.
On the fourth morning, the maids didn’t come back. Instead, a sentinel stormed into the kitchen, his boots covered in snow that had fallen overnight.
It was Pao, the warrior who had left Takkan with me when they’d returned. His hair was so short he was nearly bald, and there was rice on his face, clinging to his stubbled chin—a sign he must have been sent here from breakfast—but no one dared point it out.
“Who prepared Lord Takkan’s soup?” he demanded.
“I did.” Chiruan crossed his arms, but his brow wrinkled with worry. “What’s the matter?”
Pao ignored him. “I ask again: Who prepared Lord Takkan’s soup?”
