16. Chapter Sixteen #3
My thoughts consume the taste of my lunch, and I chew mindlessly, wondering if I should jump off the mountain so the curse can reset.
The black rose chose wrong this time, but that wouldn’t save my family.
It wouldn’t make sure baby Florian can breathe when the madness leaves him. My tears sting my hot cheeks.
After I sulk for a good portion of the afternoon and worsen things by wasting more time, I pull out parchment and quill from the desk drawer.
Purple ink sits in another drawer. There is no actual progress on anything, but I know where the key is for sure.
The cloak has to be behind the red door, but I’m no closer to finding the dagger.
However, Lazzus said the cloak would be behind a forbidden door, so maybe the red door leads to an outbuilding. Two other possibilities are the objects are moved without Lazzus realizing it, or he’s lying to me for reasons I can’t figure out.
After all my failures, I desperately want to do something both productive and defiant. I put on all my winter clothes and travel to the garden shed and choose a small shovel that I take to the apothecary building. I wedge it into the newly black door to pry it open.
It doesn’t budge, and I push it in deeper while pushing the handle toward the door with more pressure. It creaks but doesn’t give. The lock clicks, and I tumble into the room.
Aldric hops to five different spots, flapping his stubby wing bones. “Oh dear! Sorry about that. Wanted to be of some help. Are you injured?”
“No, but thank you for your help.”
“Morvin and I have missed you.”
“Same for me.” I get myself up from the ground and glance around the room. “The wicked king forbade me from coming back here, but I’m wondering if there are two very rare ingredients here. Wormwood stone and black pixie dust?”
“If they are, I imagine they might be in the stone and dust collections.” He waves me toward a little side door I haven’t been through yet. “Morvin, can you climb through the lock?”
The little bone mouse climbs up the wall and squishes through to the other side. It takes a moment, but he turns the lock.
“That’s a neat trick. I could use Morvin’s help on another door if he’s willing,” I say.
Aldric whispers in Morvin’s ear. “He says he would like to help you wherever you need him.”
“You’re such a good little friend, Morvin.”
The mouse squeaks several times as his little head bobs up and down.
“You’ve pleased him,” Aldric says.
The other room is cool and damp with mud walls and floor and it's a very long and narrow room.
Roots dangle from the red clay ceiling. Jars with soil and dust are on rusty shelves along the back wall, and there are bins of stones.
I sort through the bins first and gasp when I see a barrel full of the porous black rocks that smell of wet, rotted wood.
I pick up three and place them in my bag.
The king appears to have every type of pixie dust in existence besides black.
It’s the rarest and most expensive. A house could be purchased with a small jar full.
I find an empty jar on the shelf and fill it with the emerald dust. The amount I gather should cover the cost to buy just enough black to finish my brother’s medicine.
I’ll trade it in the market when everything is put back right.
I can’t rely on the curse actually curing him as I was told.
I hide all the ingredients in the inner pockets of my bag, not that it will help if Zyon searches my things again. I lock the inside door and hurry to leave before I’m caught.
Aldric hops after me. “When can we help you with the other door?”
“I’ll come get you maybe tomorrow if that’s okay? Do either of you need anything?”
“That will be fine. We’re fine too.”
“Alright. I will see you later.” I lock the door and jog back to the castle to keep as much space between me and the apothecary building as I can.
Something is on a hill beyond the wall, and I squint to be sure it’s what I think it is, or rather whom.
Lazzus sits on top of a boulder on a large foothill in front of the mountain.
If it wasn’t for my urgency to hide my stolen goods, I’d go see him to make amends and regain his quest help.
Once back in the castle, I head straight for my room, but there is a cow guard waiting at my door. I consider running with my bag, but it’s possible he’s arrived for another reason.
He bows, putting his giant horns only inches from spearing me through. He notices and backs up a little. “His Majesty the king wishes your presence at dinner tonight. There is a dress he wishes you to wear that has been laid out on your bed.”
“Tell the king I’ll consider his invitation as I have only agreed to breakfast.”
He stops walking and opens his snout a moment before continuing on his way.
I hide my prizes in the middle drawer of my tall cedar wardrobe and choose a gown different from the red, skimpy one on the bed.
The one I choose is deep purple and covers from my collarbone to just below my knees.
Pissing him off with my clothing selection is just the pick me up I need after all my recent failings.