Page 115 of The Black Witch

Fallon narrows her eyes at the girl, slides out her wand and lets it rest in the palm of her hand. “What did I ask you to be?” she asks calmly.

The girl mumbles something, her eyes on the floor.

“I can’t hear you,” Fallon says.

“Invisible,” the girl mumbles.

“What’s that?” Fallon asks, holding a hand to her ear.

“Invisible,” Olilly mumbles a hair louder, her voice choked with fear. “I beg your pardon, Mage Bane, I didn’t expect you...”

“No, no, no,” Fallon grinds out slowly. “Tobeinvisible, you have tosoundinvisible. Do you sound invisible?”

“Y...yes, Mage Bane. I mean, no, Mage Bane,” the girl stammers.

“Well, which is it?”

The girl just stands there, mired in confusion.

“Get out,” says Fallon, sounding bored.

Fuming, I glower at Fallon, watching her through slitted eyes. Wishing I had a wand and the power to use it.

Hugging the clean sheets, the girl flees.

Fallon blows out a sound of disgust and leans back against a desk. She lifts her wand, murmurs a spell and absentmindedly creates a roiling, blue ball of smoke that whooshes to life over the wand’s tip.

I cringe at her casual showing of power. The ball morphs into a sapphire swirl and then into a puff of gray smoke.

Fallon turns to Echo with a sly smile. “Did you hear about Grasine Pelthier?”

“No,” Echo replies.

Fallon’s grin turns malicious. “She’s to be fasted. To Leander Starke.”

Tierney’s hands freeze on the vials.

Who’s Leander?

“The glassmaker?” Paige chimes in. “He apprentices with Tierney’s father, doesn’t he?”

Pain slices across Tierney’s features, the soft rain outside hardening into a pelting downpour.

“Oh, that’sright,” Fallon says to Tierney with mock concern. “I heard something about your fancying him.”

My neck burns with frustrated outrage.

Tierney doesn’t move, doesn’t look up at Fallon. Muted thunder rumbles and the heavens open up, a sheet of rain now obscuring the window’s view.

“He kissed her,” Fallon crows to Paige and Echo.

Tierney’s head rises, hatred burning in her eyes. Lightning flashes, and the rain beats down harder.

Fallon sighs. “She said he has lips soft as silk.”

Lightning flashes again, the windows rattling as if they’ll blow in. Tierney grasps at the desk’s edge, her eyes as dark as the storm. I worriedly look toward the window and wonder if Tierney’s distress is somehow influencing the weather.

“Don’t worry, Tierney,” Fallon croons. “Fasting’s soon to be mandatory. I’m sure the Council will even find someone for you.” Fallon turns to Echo and Paige, fighting back the laughter. “Someone they want to punish.” Fallon can’t help herself; she laughs openly and glances sideways at Paige, who’s fighting back a giggle. Echo shakes her head as if they’re being impossibly childish.

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