Prologue #2
“Do nae be daft! Uncle Brus told me.”
“Oh! What did he say?”
Lillith leaned in and cupped her hand to Lenora’s ear.
This was a secret, and everyone knew secrets should be whispered.
Of course, Uncle Brus had not whispered it, but he was in his cups.
“Uncle Brus says love broke da. Love for mama,” she added in case Lenora was confused.
“When mama died, da’s heart shattered, and he’s nae been able to piece it back together. ”
“How do we fix him?”
Lillith’s lips curved into a smile. “We need to go to the Wishing Tree by the fae pool tonight.”
“The fae pool?” Lenora gasped, pulling back. “Whatever for? Are ye daft? ’Tis freezing outside, and dark, and there are wolves in the woods. Nae to mention the seer’s cave is nearby, and ye ken what they say about her—”
“I ken exactly what they say about Eolande,” Lillith interrupted. “She’s full of magic. And she’ll cast a spell on ye if ye cross her. We’ll nae cross her. We likely will nae even see her. Everyone says wishes made at the Wishing Tree on certain special nights come true without fail.”
“But—”
“Do ye want to fix da or nae?” Lillith demanded.
Lenora nodded.
“Good. Tomorrow is the first day of the new year, and I overheard Cook just today tell one of the kitchen maids that wishes made at the tree on the eve of a new year are the most powerful of all.” Excitement bubbled in her chest.
“The most powerful?” Lenora asked, her voice tentative.
“Aye!” Lillith replied. Lenora was going to relent. She knew her sister, and she had that look that said she was going to budge.
“Fine,” Lenora conceded. “But if we die in the snow or get eaten by wolves or cursed by the seer, I’ll nae ever forgive ye.”
“Do ye truly believe a wish can fix da?” Lenora asked not long later as they trudged through the snow, huddled close together for warmth.
Lillith paused, shivering and looking up at the sky that glimmered like one of their mama’s gems that Lillith liked to put on when no one was around. “Aye,” she said, tugging her cloak tighter around her face and wiggling her cold toes. “And we’re almost to the Wishing Tree!”
Lenora nodded, and they continued walking in silence until the thick canopy of trees opened to reveal a small clearing.
At its center stood the Wishing Tree—ancient, gnarled, its bare branches reaching toward the star-strewn sky almost as if the tree was trying to grasp a star.
Beside the tree lay the fae pool, a perfect circle of still, dark water that the moon and stars seemed to shine brighter upon.
And beyond the pool, in the distance, Lenora could see the caves where Eolande and her mama were said to live.
They approached the tree slowly, and when they got near enough to touch it, Lillith reached out and placed her hand against the rough bark.
It was warm beneath her bare hands, which seemed odd, given the cold night.
Still, she was here to make a wish, and she would. “Close yer eyes,” she commanded Lenora.
“Why?”
“Because I heard ye need to close yer eyes to make a wish.” Lenora did as bidden, and after Lillith felt certain her sister would keep her eyes closed, she shut her own so tight it hurt. “I wish—”
“We wish,” Lenora interrupted.
Lillith nodded but kept her eyes closed. “We wish for our da to be fixed. For his heart to be made whole again, so that he can love us as he did before our mama died.” She pressed her hand hard against the tree, hoping that would help make the wish come true.
Then, without opening her eyes, she added a second quiet wish, meant only for herself, but she had to say it aloud since she didn’t know all the wishing rules.
“And I wish to nae ever have my heart broken like our da did.” Beside her, Lenora gasped but did not speak.
“I wish to nae ever be broken by love,” Lillith added, to ensure her wish was understood.
“I heard yer wishes, child,” came a lyrical voice from the silence.
Lillith’s eyes flew open, and her lips parted in surprise. Beside her, Lenora cried out. Before them, a woman seemed to float just above the ground. She had skin as pale as cream, eyes a strange violet and silver, and long, dark hair that floated around her shoulders.
“Eolande?” Lillith squeaked.
The woman nodded, tilting her head to one side as she studied Lillith. Her gaze shifted to the Wishing Tree, then back to Lillith, and one side of her mouth lifted into a strange smile.
“Wishes have power,” Eolande said. “Especially wishes made on such a night as this.”
“Will our wishes come true?” Lillith asked, forcing her tongue, which felt frozen in fear, to work.
Eolande gazed at Lillith for such a long time, and in such a probing way, that Lillith was certain the seer was going to curse her. “Tonight,” Eolande said, finally speaking, “I offer ye this gift—an answer to yer second wish.”
Lillith let out her held breath in a rush of relief that she wasn’t being cursed as the seer leaned down, bringing her face level with Lillith’s.
“If ye wish to nae ever be broken by love, then do nae ever give yer heart to a man. Keep it locked away, little lass,” the seer said, snapped her fingers, and was suddenly gone.
Lillith and Lenora stood in silence for a long moment, clutching each other, as Lillith’s thoughts tumbled. Was their da going to be fixed or not? And how did one keep their heart locked away?
Suddenly, Lenora tugged on Lillith’s hand. “We need to go. If we’re missed, da will be furious.”
Lillith grinned. “Nae if he’s fixed!”
Lenora returned Lillith’s grin, and with silent understanding, they took off full charge down the trail that would lead them home.