Page 101 of Mama Si's Paradise

“I assume you knew,” I said, playing with the glass of water in my hand. “You knew about all of this before you came.”

They all looked at me. “Of course,” they said in unison.

Of course, they weren’t scared—theyknewabout all of this, and they chose to come here anyway.

“Where…” I cleared my throat. “Where did you come from?”

“Faeries’ Aerie,” said Cynthia.

“I’m from Witches’ Wing,” said Vera, and when she saw that Lucinda didn’t care to answer while she ate, she added, “andLucehere comes from Skinwalker Soil.” The way she said her name was different, with an accent—notLuce,but more likeLoo-cheh.

“Yes, yes, so thrilling,” Lucinda muttered with her mouth half full.

“She got her period today,” Cynthia said, patting Lucinda’s shoulder, and the other stopped chewing to look at her like she wanted to murder her.

“We’reeating.”

“What was it like?” I said before Cynthia could reply. “What was it like for you to find out about Ennaris?”

As I said those words, even though I knew who they were and that they knew so much more than me, I still expected them to burst out laughing and tell me that I was delusional, that there was no such thing as Ennaris or magic or any of the things I thought I’d seen and heard. I’d just lost my mind.

And a part of me actuallyhopedthey would, except…

“It was so magical for me,” Cynthia said. “I kept seeing this unicorn in the woods at the back of my fiancé’s house. I knew deep in my heart that it wanted me to follow it, and one night, I did. Then I saw Agerta, the fairy assigned to keep an eye on the surrounding lands for potential brides, and she showed me down a rabbit’s hole—literally!” She laughed, and she was sohappy. “We came out in Faeries’ Aerie, and from then on the people took me in and fed me and told me all about the handsome Evernight brothers, and how they thought I could be their next bride.” Her cheeks were flushed now. Bright scarlet. She waved her hand off. “Of course, I said yes to the ritual. The rest is history, as they say.”

“I was at my father’s vineyard in Italy when a witch found me and gave me a series of tasks to complete for her to determine my worth. I found it very entertaining, so I played along, never actually suspecting what she was until I brought to her all the things she’d asked for, and she did her first magic trick right in front of me. Naturally, I was obsessed, but old Ilemia knew how to play me perfectly, so she disappeared for two whole months and left me bitter and in grief, ready to submit to her the moment she came back to me, if only she would teach me that magic trick.” Vera met my eyes. “And you know the best part? It was simplythis!”

She raised her hand and waved her fingers around, and suddenly a bright green light jumped into existence, perfectly round like a glowing crystal ball the size of my fist. It was breathtaking.

Vera laughed. “This silly old trick did me in—but it looked so much more impressive in the vineyard at night.”

I was stuck looking at the light without daring to even breathe. I understood perfectly why that trick had convinced Vera—it was the first thing you thought of when you heard the wordmagic.A glowing light ball that somehowmeltedin the air—and it was full of glitter.

Vera waved her hand again and the green light disappeared just as fast as it had appeared, leaving no trace behind. “Suffice to say, when she offered to take me with to Witches’ Wing, I said yes right away, and I haven’t looked back since.”

“Lucinda, your turn,” Cynthia said, and when she nudged the woman in her arm, she looked up at us like she just remembered we were still there.

I pulled my lips inside my mouth to keep from smiling. I liked Lucinda.

“What’s to tell? I got kidnapped while I was hiking and brought to Ennaris. They told me I either die or accept to become a ruler’s bride. I chose the latter.” And she shrugged.

Both Vera and Cynthia laughed as they looked at her adoringly, and my shoulders were slightly shaking, too. She was funny without really meaning to be, which made it all the better.

“And you?” Cynthia said then. “How did it happen for you?”

My laughter died instantly. “I was actually lied to by Mama Si. Don’t know if you know who that is, but?—”

“Of course, we do,” said Cynthia, shivering visibly.

“The original seductress,” said Vera, nodding her head as she put a tiny piece of food in her mouth, her smile gone. “Master Romin says she’s extremely powerful, that he’s very careful about keeping her under control.”

“They say she’s awful,” Cynthia whispered, and Lucinda was finally curious enough to look at me.

“What’s she like?”

“Uh…beautiful. Very smart. Very cunning. Within a month, she basically convinced me to come here and offer myself to this place without knowing what I was doing,” I said.

That certainly surprised them. “A month? Are you serious? The witches pampered me for ten!” Vera said.

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