Chapter 15.-1
Nyx
Juniper practically skipped as she left my cabin. I followed behind her, wondering what the hell
she’d done with the large knife. One minute it was in her hands and the next it wasn’t.
Then the next, even more curious thought. Did she have more weapons hiding somewhere on her?
I had a stark vision of her shifting and a dozen knives falling to the ground. I giggled, and she turned her head back sharply and rolled her eyes.
I’d slept well past dawn. Another large table was being set up in the middle of town, and people
were bustling around it. I snagged a few pieces of fruit off it as we passed. “Are Rhyson and the
others out hunting for breakfast?” My stomach would not wait that long.
“No, it’s just an offering for them to have tonight at dinner. They’ve eaten, so go ahead and grab
what you want. Apparently breakfast here is a grab-and-go kind of affair. The food stays out all
morning.”
And yet it wasn’t covered in insects. Neat trick.
I hurriedly filled my plate with some boiled eggs, fruit, and toast and hurried behind Juniper. “Do
you have a plan, or are you just going to snoop around and hope that no one gets suspicious?”
“Actually, since they’re so fascinated by you, I was thinking that you might distract them, and then I
could snoop without worrying about getting caught,” she said gleefully. “Do you see those flowers
over there?”
I glanced over to a patch of brilliant pink flowers. “Sure. That’s hibiscus.”
“Yeah. It is. Hibiscus is a tropical flower. They don’t like to get cold, and yet here they are, growing in a seemingly untended part of the land, happy and healthy, despite it dipping well below freezing at night. Do you know what I call that? I call that magic.”
“Okay, but that’s not a surprise. They’ve admitted to having magic. This whole mountain has magic. Why are you so surprised to see it?”
“I’m not, but I want to meet their witch. I have some questions, and thus far, they haven’t been that forthcoming. Everyone we’ve met claims to have something magical gifted to them. None of it is theirs naturally. So we find the witch, and then maybe we get some answers so we can all get off this mountain alive.”
“Why exactly are we on this mountain to begin with?”
Juniper snorted. “If Rhyson hasn’t told you, then I’m certainly not going to. Keep your eyes peeled.
WED
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Chapter 15 1
Look for someone we haven’t met yet or a house that feels weird.”
I popped a boiled egg into my mouth. “Sure. That’s not vague at all.”
Claim
We walked around quietly for a few minutes, smiling and waving at people as we passed, like we
were out for a morning stroll. I didn’t know what Juniper was looking for, but I was keeping an eye
out for an old woman with long stringy gray hair, black tattered robes, and a striking red apple in
her hand.
“My father used to talk of witches,” I said conversationally. “He’d mutter about wild magic and how those that had it didn’t know how to use it correctly. Mostly, I just figured it was his way of wanting
what he didn’t have. Witches are so rare. I’ve never met one. Have you?”
“Shush. I’m focusing here.”
“On?”
“Those shadows. They’re moving.”
The shadows around a giant oak were moving, but a few seconds later, it became evident why. Sera and another woman stepped out from behind, circling the tree and pointing upward. Catching sight of us, Sera smiled and waved us over. “Juniper, Nyx, I’d like you to meet our resident arborist,
Lena.”
“Arborist?” I echoed as I shook hands with the young blonde. “You’re a doctor for the trees?”
“That’s exactly right,” she laughed. “I keep an eye on them and help when I can. Sadly, this oak may not last more than a couple more years. These suckers growing out of it are signs of ill health, and the leaves it’s been dropping show evidence of invasive beetle activity.”
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