Page 26 of Degradation

I could feel the mistress’s joy just as I could feel Andrew’s need to find a reason to end our stay at this inn.

“And a husband for me?” I asked.

“That might take more time.” He glanced at the brothers. “You’re all of an age to look for a wife as well. I doubt many of them will wish to remain in the country to sheep farm with our family. There may be more opportunities for you here. My sister always hated that she couldn’t return to Adele.”

“Opportunities?” Eadric asked. He sounded confused, but I knew he wasn’t.

“The farmer mentioned there are many homes for sale,” Andrew said. “Go. All of you. Explore Adele. Find a home that will attract a bride and a way to support one.”

“Yes, sir,” Eadric said, setting his cards aside and rising.

The seven of them left quickly. I glanced at Andrew, but rather than gain any clues regarding their purpose, I watched him signal to the innkeeper that he’d like a bowl of stew.

“After you’re finished, can we go to the market?” I asked.

Andrew paused with a spoon partway to his mouth. “It’s safer to wait until your brothers and cousins return.”

“You’ve sent them out to look for homes and wives. I doubt they’ll return before dark.”

He grunted his acknowledgment but didn’t agree to go to the market with me. I could feel his resistance to it and glanced at the innkeeper. She was busy kneading more bread.

Having nothing better to do, I joined her and offered my hands in exchange for news regarding Adele.

“I’ve lived outside of it my whole life and am nervous about living here,” I said. “I’ve heard rumors, and my kin won’t let me out of their sight. Is it truly not safe here?”

She slowly straightened and searched my gaze. Whatever she saw or didn’t see there assured her that my question was sincere. She glanced meaningfully toward Andrew and toward the door. I understood her intent. She didn’t wish to speak of anything in front of him.

“I’m wondering if Father’s ox is safe in the stable when it’s unattended.”

“It’s always safer to watch over what you need to protect, girl,” Andrew said, proving he was listening to us as he ate.

When he finished, he didn’t move to check the livestock but slouched in the chair, folded his hands over his waist, and closed his eyes. That he felt I needed more protection than the livestock worried me. Was it truly that dangerous here? Why had he let the rest leave alone then? While I knew they weren’t alone but had each other, it still concerned me that he’d allowed them—strangers to this dangerous town—to leave with no experienced guide.

“Go practice your letters and numbers,” Andrew said suddenly. “Garron packed your books. It might help you find what we came here for.”

The innkeeper patted my hand consolingly and waved me away. I wiped my hands and went upstairs with the key to my room. They’d moved all their packs there, so it wasn’t troublesome to look through them all.

I found books, and as I suspected, they weren’t the primers Andrew had hinted they were. Garron had packed the spell books I hadn’t yet read. Since the window above the bed provided adequate light, I made myself comfortable and opened the first book.

It was easy to lose track of time as I learned more about what a caster could do. The complexity of some of the spells astounded me, and I wondered how the first caster had discovered them. It had to have taken time and endless experimentation. One of the spells did more than explain the steps to cast; it explained why a caster needed to do them.

For the healing tea spell, the caster’s hair helped to imbue the tea with the caster’s energy and intent. I frowned and thought of how I’d touched my energy to the tea outside of the piece of hair the second time I’d brewed it. Did that mean that the hair wasn’t necessary?

It also said that the candle was used to set the pace of the healing. The smaller the candle, the slower the boil, and the slower the spell would take hold. It then cautioned that using a fire to boil the water was too quick for many injuries, and the rapid healing could cause bones to set incorrectly or the skin to grow over stitches.

Intrigued by my newfound understanding, I didn’t notice the weaker afternoon light until I stretched the ache from my spine. Seeing it was close to dinner time brought out my restlessness again.

If they’d returned, they would have called for me. What were they still doing?

After only a moment of hesitation, I cautiously opened myself to the energy around me. It was different than lifting the lid off my well or connecting to my energy. Opening myself to what was around me felt more like quieting my mind to listen to the sounds of the forest when I was alone.

I sensed Andrew and the innkeeper below, the sheep and the ox in the stable, the boy hiding in the hay, and the people in the nearby houses. Then, I stretched myself farther and farther until I saw all of Adele’s people.

It was easy enough to see the casters. They glowed brighter than those without the ability to sense energy. The unhindered folk were dimmer and the animals dimmer still.

After spending so much time with the seven brothers, I’d thought I would be able to tell them apart from everyone else, but I couldn’t. In order to do that, I knew I would need to do more than simply open my senses. I would need to touch my well. However, I wasn’t certain I could do so without being detected by other casters.

I looked from the book resting on the bed to the door.

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