Page 19 of The Cursed and the Broken
“The way you described Hanna’s body makes me believe they are draining girls of, not only their lifeblood, but their power. A transfer of their energies to another party. The question is … to whom?”
It was a question none of us had an answer for, but if Mama was right, there may be more than one culprit to find. The Dark Queen’s followers sounded devout, unfaltering, so could it be they were hunting for a way to return their mistress?
If so, the deaths weren’t personal at all, but merely a means to an end. I just hoped we could snuff them out before anyone else fell to their dark magic. There was more to this mystery, and now it seemed our lives depended on solving it.
As I lay in bed later that night, Laszlo sprawled across my feet, not even his warmth could stave off the chills that haunted me.
EIGHT
I replayed yesterday’s events inquiet moments?and there were many?given Mama had demanded I stay indoors. Despite our shared truths last night, she’d still threatened me to stay home. As an elder, my mother would bear the weight of responsibility at the council meeting today. The others would respect her words, even if they might not believe their merit. Not if they came frommymouth.
Breathing deep, I paused my stirring to lick the wooden spoon in contemplation, the sticky sweetness of thebejgliclinging to my tongue. Even poppy seeds and walnuts doused in sugar couldn’t lift my spirits today.
Perhaps the elders were right to dislike me.Well, mostly just one.But as chieftain, her decisions held the most sway. Caitlin thought my stubbornness caused trouble, as did my disregard for etiquette and feminine propriety.
I snorted. What a load of crap. If I hadn’t searched for Hanna, who would have? Would the elders have formed a scouting party? Would they have lifted a finger to help Anna get her daughter back?
My heart sank as I thought of Hanna’s mother. She was a timid woman. Reserved, but always helpful. She had a good heart and had healed many a witch when sickness struck our village. Anna owned the town’s apothecary, running operations behind the scenes while her daughter tended to customers. Everyone had liked Hanna, lapping up her charm like cats do warm milk.
The apothecary would be a lot quieter now. The whole town would.
I pushed the sombre thoughts from my mind, watching Eszter weaving magic through the window instead. Her delicate fingers twisted and curled as she focused her attention on a gigantic pumpkin. It was her pride and joy, and she’d kept a careful watch over it during the winter months.
The fat gourd was as big as Laszlo, and I wondered how big it could grow before it might burst. My sister smiled as she lifted her hands, the tell-tale blush of her magic wafting around her like clouds of perfume.
The pumpkin had been neglected for a few days, but with a wave of her magic the dull skin returned to a vibrant orange, and its leaves flourished and curled. The fruit was even fatter when she finished.
I smiled. Once, that feat alone would have tired Eszter out, but now she was moving onto other vegetables, restoring those with signs of rot, encouraging others with wilted leaves. What a miracle, earth magic was. It suited my sister so well; she practically glowed when using her magic.
My mixture bubbled and I focused my attention back to stirring. I couldn’t stand to drown in my woes and, even more than that, I hated every ugly, jealous thought I had when it came to earth magic.
Why couldn’t I share in that gift? Why did the gods mock me so?
“Stress baking?” My sister’s voice nearly had me shedding my skin as I flinched in fright. She laid a hand on my arm, soil still clinging to her nails. Her eyes crinkled in worry. “Hey. Are you okay?”
“Yes? No? I don’t know.” I sighed, setting the spoon and bowl down and heading for the hearth. “Yesterday was intense, Eszter. Seeing Hanna like that? It’s not something I’ll soon forget.”
My sister grimaced as she sat on the floor beside me, her brown eyes peering into the crackling fire. “I’m sorry for what you went through, Kit. That must have been hard to deal with by yourself.”
I avoided her inquisitive stare as I toyed with the fabric of my cream sweater. Eszter had made it for me the Christmas before last and it felt all the cuddlier for it.
“Kitarni.” She drew out my name. “You were alone, right?”
“Wellllll …”
“You’re kidding.” Indignation flared in her eyes. “You left me behind and took someone else?”
“Actually, no. I might have met someone else. A man.”
Her expression sped from excitement to wariness and, finally, to gobsmacked. “A human?”
I laughed. “Not quite.”
Her eyes widened with interest. “You met a táltos?” she whispered in a conspiring tone, as if someone might be spying.
I looked around to confirm no one was indeed listening. “Met a táltos, almost died fighting a pack of wolves, conjured a new power.” I shrugged. “Nothing unusual.”
“But you met a táltos!?”
