A Passion for Potions (Petalfall #1)

78. Seventy-Eight - Offerings

Seventy-Eight - Offerings

Edric

Aprica has effectively put a bubble around us.

I can’t be certain of the exact rules, but spelled bracelets like that one are how she’s kept a dozen released prisoners from the Scale War from crossing back into her lands.

It seems that the three of us are the border Staci cannot approach, much less cross.

Kaelen says something soft to her and Staci’s tears start again as she flees the room.

Again, we have to stop Ana from going after her.

“If you ask it, she will remove the cuff.” I say, so softly only she and Viggo would hear me.

She takes a deep breath. “No. All I can think of is the matchthistle.” She squeezes Viggo’s hand and looks up at me. “It was in amongst our tea…”

And if Viggo drank it... he’d be dead. Not even night fairy could save him.

Aprica watches Staci go with an angry sadness, but it fades when her gaze returns to Ana.

“You said your youngest sister still lives at home?”

“Yes, your grace.”

Aprica grimaces at the “your grace” but doesn’t correct her here.

“Mina was a toddler when I last saw her. I would like to learn what sort of girl she’s become. If she wishes, I would love to have her come for a visit again. I would like to see all four of your sisters.” She smiles and I wonder what memory has crossed her mind. “Humans are such fragile creatures, I was too quick to believe that I’d lost you all.”

“She really told you they were dead?” I ask.

“She wrote to inform me of Niamiah’s death and when I asked after the girls... it’s not unheard of for an illness to wipe out an entire family.” She looks at me. “Moston confirmed it.”

“She probably paid him,” Ana says.

Nodding, the Queen says, “You may leave now. I know you want to be home. And I have other matters to attend to.”

“Thank you,” I say. “For everything.”

“Thank you for finding my girls again.”

She presses a kiss to Ana’s forehead. “I will see you after you are wed. I have so many more questions.”

Viggo leads Ana out and I follow behind as the court parts for us.

I knew the Goddess would not be so cruel.

Not to us, anyway.

When we reach Dorrian, the dryad creaks in relief. “My flower is brighter than before.”

“I am.” Ana laughs and when she looks back at me, her smile is one of relief.

I don’t share that sentiment until we are through and Dorrian has closed his connection to the Palace.

But I don’t go with them when they start for the sitting room. “I’ll join you in a few minutes. There’s one more thing I want to do.”

Viggo looks at Dorrian again, but he doesn’t tell me not to do what I’m about to.

“Let the others know what happened,” I tell them and then I look at Dorrian. “Will you open to Kirra’s home, please?”

He doesn’t look happy about it, but he does and I step into the darkness beyond him as gasps sound behind me.

Kirra’s house is quieter than it’s ever been when we’ve visited. Somehow, it feels emptier, too.

She’s so silent, I have to follow the gentle cooing of her owls to find her.

The room is dark, the fire unlit, and wings flutter as she stares blankly at the wall, petting the owl perched on her knee.

“Are you still here?” she asks.

“I am. Are you alright?”

She laughs, and it’s a broken thing. “I don’t know.”

“He’ll forgive you.” It will be easier now.

“I know. I never had any intention of letting him stay mad at me forever.”

“Where will you go?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Come to Petalfall.”

She looks up at me, blinking slowly. “I am not going to intrude on the manor house while the three of you navigate your newlywed lives.”

“I was not offering that. There’s a house on the lake. It was abandoned, but I will have Blicks see to getting it back to working order and closing up the windows.”

“Thank you.”

She takes a deep breath and this time, she turns to me fully. “I will take you up on that offer, at least until I find a reason to be somewhere else.”

Looking up at me, she bares her teeth in a smile. “Go home. Enjoy your bride-to-be. I look forward to celebrating your future life, now that I know it won’t be fleeting.”

She shoos me away and I only linger a moment in her melancholy.

I should have expected the confusion that greets me when I step back through Dorrian.

Blicks and Loric are happy as can be. Yenna and Deanna are amazed. Murdoch looks as though she might try to peck someone to death, and Mina... Mina looks scared.

She comes to me, eyes locked on her sister as Ana and Viggo explain to Murdoch.

“Is she going to be okay?” she asks.

“Yes. I promise you Ana’s fine. The Queen is very old. Her magic is something that not even I understand all of the time, but what she’s done to Ana is not a bad thing.”

Mina nods, but she doesn’t look like she believes me.

Perhaps hearing Mina’s unhappy sigh, Ana comes to us. “You can ask her for all the details yourself.”

“What?”

“She wants to meet you.” Ana winces. “And I’m not certain you’ll be able to go home if mother is there.”

“What do you mean?”

I let Ana explain everything and Blicks comes to me with a deep crease in his forehead. “Is it true that your father was banished?”

“Yes. I don’t imagine we’ll see him anytime soon.”

“Good.”

“Tomorrow, we should take a walk to the abandoned lake house. I’ve offered it to Kirra, and she’s agreed to come to Petalfall.”

Viggo glances at me sharply when I say it, but he doesn’t cross the room to tell me I shouldn’t have.

“Not tomorrow.” Blicks says, “Or at least, you won’t be going tomorrow.”

“Why not?”

“You have an appointment at the temple.”

“We do?” Ana asks.

He hands me an opened letter from the Queen. “When did this arrive?”

“An hour or so ago. She knew Dorrian was open and had it delivered through him.”

The missive is simply a time and a command.

“It seems the Queen agrees with you.” I look at Viggo. “ Tomorrow is the perfect day for a wedding.”