Chapter 15

E velyn woke the following morning with a clear head and a newfound sense of determination. As she bustled around the small shop, packing up supplies and a small meal, Archie hopped along the roughly hewn mantel, following her with his keen eyes. "What's lit your skirt on fire?" he asked.

With a sigh, Evelyn grabbed the last of the new glass bottles she'd purchased from Sio and rolled them into a piece of cloth before tucking them into her satchel. "It's Caelmorn, Archie. Again. We've been here for two weeks now, meaning it's been more than three since we left Crownvale. And what do I have to show for it?"

"Well, you've made this place inhabitable for things that neither creep nor slither, so that's something," the owl replied.

"The sooner I sort out this blight—this… curse, the sooner I can leave this place."

Archie flew across the shop and landed on the windowsill beside the door. He peered out into the street, his head swiveling back and forth. "And what's so wrong with this place? I thought you were enjoying yourself."

"That's the problem," Evelyn replied, quickly adding half a loaf of bread and a small jar of apple butter to the pack. She hoped Archie wouldn't look back and see the small jar, as it would only send him on a rant about how she hadn't yet replenished their supply of orange marmalade.

"I wasn't sent here to enjoy myself. I have a job to do. It's the only thing standing between me and my freedom. I can't afford to waste more time on markets and festivals and game nights." She sniffed a bit of hard cheese, wrapped in beeswax-coated parchment. It smelled fine, so she stuffed it into the satchel, alongside the bread, then cinched the leather cords together and shut the flap over the top.

Archie's head swiveled so far around it made Evelyn's own neck twinge. His golden eyes glowed as he peered at her through the shafts of pale pre-dawn light. "What's this really about? You're acting like a rabbit who caught a whiff of fox."

"I'm fine," she insisted as she swung her cloak around her shoulders. "Now, are you coming with me, or staying here? "

Archie clacked his beak. "I'll go with you, but if you think this conversation is over, you'll be mighty disappointed."

Evelyn slung her satchel across her chest, lifted her hood, and opened the door. Archie flapped his wings and lifted off from his perch, leading the way into the damp streets. A drizzle of rain was still coming down outside, making the cobbles slick and forming tiny pools in the gaps between the worn stones. Sailcloth Row was empty but for a few workers bundled and hunched, heading toward the docks. The merchant with the hand pies was nowhere to be seen, which was a shame, as Evelyn's mouth watered merely from thinking of the delectable pastries. Not to mention, a warm breakfast would go a long way toward improving her mood.

As it was, the gray sky and chill in the air only made her thoughts darker and more frustrated as she headed toward the city gate. Archie flew overhead, high enough that they could not converse, which suited Evelyn just fine.

The road leading to the farms and the woods beyond was in worse condition than the ones inside the city, and by the time Evelyn reached the edge of the orchard, her boots were caked with mud, the hem of her cloak likewise splattered and damp. If there had been time, she'd have waited for another day, one with sunshine and birdsong, but she could no longer afford to do so. Not with the town healer so insistent that she leave .

Trudy's warning still echoed in her ears, after spending all night spiraling through her restless dreams.

Archie swooped lower, flying level with Evelyn's shoulder as she bypassed the orchard and went into the woods. The dense branches overhead made a natural sort of thatching protecting her from the worst of the rain, though the ground was soft and more mud clung to her boots.

"I need to see how far the curse goes," she explained to Archie as he landed on a low-hanging branch. "I'm going to write a letter to Rona and the others this afternoon, and she'll want to know how much of the surrounding forest is affected. Caele cares deeply about her forests, so I imagine Rona and the others will be more inclined to help if they know the woods are suffering, too."

"Impending ruin of an entire town isn't motivation enough?" Archie asked. "I will never understand humans."

Evelyn frowned as she fussed with untying the laces on her satchel and wondered why she'd knotted them so tightly. "I didn't mean it that way," she replied, working the leather cords loose. "It's just… protecting nature is a sacred duty to all Sisters, regardless of which coven, but the woods are sacred to Caele in particular."

"Yes, yes," Archie said with a dismissive flap of his wings. "Whether I understand it or not, I must say, I'm glad to hear you've come to your senses and decided to write the letter."

The skin on the back of Evelyn's neck prickled, but she kept her thoughts to herself. She had her doubts Rona would deign to offer her any aid.

"I suppose that also explains why you awoke in such a foul mood," Archie added. "Well, that and this dreadful weather." He scowled upward, at the place between branches where the occasional raindrop managed to slip past and fall onto his feathered head.

Evelyn wanted to tell him the full truth, about Jarvis and Trudy's warning. He was her familiar, after all. But she knew he would only worry—or worse, attempt to go after the man himself. He was a small owl, hardly much larger than a pigeon—not that she would ever draw such a comparison aloud—but when threatened, he could turn as feral as the cats that lived off the castle's kitchen scraps. She didn't need to add him to her long list of things to worry about.

Unfortunately, that only added another secret to her pile, and she was getting rather tired of them adding up.

They fell into companionable silence, but for the gentle patter of rainfall and the sound of the various forest creatures waking to start their day as the cloud-obscured sun rose higher in the sky, banishing the last bits of darkness in the sky. Evelyn had mapped out her plan the night before, by the glow of her lantern, and consulted the sheaf of parchment as she worked. The first thing she needed to know was how deep into the woods the blight spread. She'd made more revealing powder, but still carefully doled it out, making a trail, until she could no longer see traces of the scorched soil or the angry purple and black vines and nettles. She marked it off on her parchment, then worked from left to right, going around trees when needed, until she'd made something of a grid for herself and confirmed that the blighted land stopped some fifty paces from the edge of the orchard.

Along the way, she took more samples, though the damp soil was hard to bottle, and she ended up even more filthy than she already was, at one point scratching her cheek before remembering the state of her fingers. This amused Archie to no end, and he cackled when he pointed out the streaks of mud smeared across her cheeks.

When she reached the end of her supply of glass bottles, she turned to head back, only for her gaze to snag on a creamy gold mushroom cap near the base of a large fir tree. "Buttershades!" she exclaimed, rushing toward it.

"Whooo?" Archie trilled, swooping overhead.

"Buttershades," she repeated, already kneeling in the dirt. "These mushrooms, here. I've never been able to find these in Benenfar, but they grow all over the Glade."

She was already uprooting the first of the mushrooms and delighted as she spotted two more peeking out from around the tree.

"You're looking at them the way a new mother looks at her babe," Archie commented.

Evelyn laughed and plucked the second mushroom free from the dirt, careful to keep as much of its roots intact as possible, because they held their own medicinal properties and could be dried into a potent powder that would keep far longer than the mushroom caps themselves.

She'd uprooted the third and was greedily looking around for more, when she heard a snapping branch in the near distance and realized they weren't alone in the woods. A flash of panic surged through her as she spun around in the direction of the noise, immediately picturing the angry healer, spittle flying from his mouth and hatred blazing in his beady eyes. Had he followed her out here? To get her alone and take his threats a step further?

Archie peered at her from his perch. "What is it? You've gone white as marble, well, all but those smears of mud on your cheeks."

"Shhh!" she hissed.

Another snapping was followed by a low, grunting voice, muttering a curse.

Before Evelyn could get Archie's attention and tell him to follow her, the owl launched from the branch and flew toward the sound. Evelyn's instructions came out as a small squeak and she stood frozen, torn between going after him and running the opposite way.

With a scowl, she started after the reckless owl, careful to keep her footsteps as quiet as she could. Fortunately, in her cloak, she blended in well with the dark greens and browns and thought she had something of an advantage that way. If it came to it, she could get some distance and throw herself into a bush.

She hadn't made it very far before a black beast emerged from between two trees, blocking the path she meant to take.

"Nareen!" the voice called, followed by a sharp whistle. "Come on, girl!"

Evelyn blinked and realized the beast was only a large dog, its fur shaggy and solid black, but for the bits around her face and eyes, which had gone white and silver with age.

"Nareen!" the voice shouted again, and this time Evelyn recognized it, a moment before Coren appeared, his attention fixed on the dog, which turned and wagged her thick tail.

Archie let out a disgruntled hoot and Coren looked up, but his eyes didn't reach the tree branches as the owl swooped into view, stopping instead on Evelyn.

Archie's beak clacked as he perched on a low branch. "What's this? Are you following her?" he demanded, skewering Coren with a narrowed look.

"What?" Coren tore his eyes from Evelyn long enough to spot the owl. "No, of course not."

The dog took advantage of her owner's distraction, and bounded over to Evelyn, leaping up happily in greeting. "Oh!"

Coren swore loudly and marched the distance between them. "By the Four, Nareen. "

"Nareen?" Evelyn repeated, kneeling down to stroke the dog's velvet face. "That's a pretty name."

The dog licked her cheek.

Coren sighed. "I'd like to say she normally has better manners, but I make an effort not to lie. She's old and spoiled and knows she could likely get away with murder." He chuckled.

"As it should be, if you ask me," Evelyn said as she rose back to her full height.

"Oh, your cloak," Coren said, frowning at the paw-shaped streaks of mud. "And your, uh, face." He cut a disapproving look toward his canine companion.

Evelyn raised a hand to the side of her face. "Oh, actually, I'm afraid that was my own handiwork." She laughed as she looked down at herself. "Though it does appear as though she helped paint my cloak to match."

He tried to scowl at the dog, but it quickly turned into a hapless smile as Nareen padded toward him, tongue lolling and tail wagging. "And who is this?" Coren asked, flicking a glance up at the tree branch. "Your bodyguard?"

"Whoo?!" Archie trilled, his feathers ruffling.

Evelyn bit her bottom lip to try to keep from grinning, as she'd never hear the end of it if she did. "Something like that," she said. "That's Archie."

The tiny owl puffed out his chest and marched to the end of the branch. "I'm Evelyn's familiar."

Coren's eyes darted to hers. "A familiar? So that means you're a?— "

"A witch," Evelyn interjected with a nod.

"I see. I suppose that explains why you know so much about herbs, then. Which coven are you from?"

"I am a Sister of Caele."

Coren blinked, the fragments of information still knitting together in his mind. "You're quite a long way from your homeland then."

Evelyn inclined her head, though she hadn't considered Everspring Glade her home for many years, and doubted that she ever would again. Her mother had been her home, and she was gone now.

"I started to tell you, the other night, at the tavern. But I?—"

"What's this?" Archie interrupted, hopping wildly.

"Nosy old bird," Evelyn muttered. "Anyway, I'm sorry for the way I left. It wasn't your fault. I just, um, wasn't feeling well."

"Right." Coren nodded, but it was clear his thoughts were still shifting around to fit in the new bits of information. "There's no need to apologize."

A silence stretched a moment too long, and Nareen butted her head against Coren's leg. He absently reached out and scratched behind her ears, one flopped over onto itself, the other raised, then gestured with his other hand toward Evelyn's small basket. "What do you use the buttershades for?"

Evelyn glanced down at the mushrooms, as though she was only just seeing them. "Oh, um, they have a few purposes, but I like to use them in one of the memory potions I brew. It helps with concentration and recollection. They're quite popular with scholars and students."

Army generals and captains, too, though she kept that part to herself.

Coren smiled. "Well, say the word, and I'll collect them for you. I spend enough time out in these woods." He hooked his thumb over his shoulder, and only then did Evelyn see the wooden cart in the distance, the front half visible from behind a thick spruce tree.

Her brows furrowed together as her gaze returned to Coren. "Do you get many of your herbs from out here then? It seemed most of your selection were herbs and botanicals that don't grow in these parts without some help."

This realization led to half a dozen further questions she hadn't considered before. Was his own business struggling in the same way as the farmers? It surely didn't seem that way, judging by the way his market stall and wagon were overflowing every time Evelyn saw him. But if not, then why? Where were his herbs coming from, if not his own farm or plot of land near the city? She also noted his wagon was pointed with the handles facing toward the harbor and the city wall, meaning he came in from the woods, not venturing deeper into them.

Before she could decide which of her queries to raise first, a bell tolled in the distance and Coren jolted. Nareen barked and wagged her tail as she trotted toward the wagon. Coren took a step backward, still facing Evelyn, though he turned at the second echoing clang. "I have to go," he said, already walking back to his wagon. "The market will be open soon, and Eideard goes apoplectic if anyone is late. Last time it happened, he wouldn't let me set up my stall for a fortnight." A flicker of irritation crossed his stormy eyes, and the muscle at his jaw flexed.

"Good luck foraging," he said, looking back at her. "And I meant what I said, if you need me to keep an eye out for anything in particular, let me know."

"Thank you."

He waved and headed for the wagon, jogging easily over the roots and fallen branches strewn across the forest floor, then vanished from the woods by the time the bells stopped ringing.