Page 80 of The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland
Beatrice wanted to hug the girl and, at the same time, to yell at her for insisting they do whatever it was they’d just done. But she took the chair next to Minna. “Should I know what’s going on?”
Astrid’s glare was sharp. “Of course not. You know literally nothing, as you’ve just so magnificently evidenced.”
Beatrice’s spine prickled. “Considering that you left before teaching meshit—”
“Enough, both of you.” Cordelia finished placing the last of the candles and switched off the overhead chandelier, plunging them into a wavering yellow light. She slid into the chair between Astrid and Reno. “Yarrow and yellow dock for repelling fear and negative forces.” She poured each of them a cup.
Minna opened her mouth, but Cordelia interrupted her before she could speak. “If you ask for sugar, I swear to god, Minna.”
Minna’s mouth snapped closed.
Opening the wooden box, Astrid pulled out a small bundle wrapped in purple cloth. She unwound its red ribbon to reveal a deck of cards. The edges were worn and soft-looking, and they made a shushing noise as Astrid shuffled them.
Beatrice tucked her fingers under her thighs.
She was choosing to believe until proven wrong. And these women knew what they were doing. Even in the darkened room with the heavy atmosphere emanating from Astrid’s darkexpression, Beatrice felt a bump of hope. She sent a small, private smile in Minna’s direction.
Unfortunately, Astrid caught it. Her shuffling remained even and rhythmic as she said, “You were a fool to come to this island.”
Cordelia shifted in her chair. “Mom, you said you wouldn’t.”
“It waswrong. And it’s even worse for all of us that she’s stayed. Reno knows.”
But Reno said nothing. She rubbed her chest with one hand and kept her eyes on the candle in the middle of the table.
Astrid went on. “We’ll cast a circle of protection that will last until Beatrice leaves the island.”
“No, she’s staying! She bought a houseboat. Please don’t make her go,” said Minna. “It isn’t fair.”
As if Astrid could make Beatrice go anywhere.
But Astrid smacked the deck so hard against the tabletop that they all jumped. “She contributes to the darkness being called to us. Do you not feel that?”
Minna’s shoulders folded in on themselves.
Was that true? Could darkness be summoned by someone whothoughtshe knew what she was doing, but could probably use some more training? “How are any of you going to help me with this—whatever it is—if you send me away? Astrid, you and I have to come to some sort of resolution.”
As if Beatrice hadn’t spoken, Astrid shoved the box across the table to Cordelia. “We will sew.”
With a nod, Cordelia reached her fingers into the box and pulled out a small white paper packet. She tugged silver needles out of it, handing one needle to each of them.
Astrid kept shuffling as her nostrils flared in the candlelight.
Passing Minna a spool of white thread and a small pair of scissors, Cordelia said, “Lovey, can you cut me off five lengths?”
Minna nodded. “How long?”
“Double your forearm.”
Beatrice worried the needle, testing the sharpness against the tip of her finger. “Did you even hear me, Astrid? We’ve got to come together. I think we both know that.”
“Silence!” The word was a roar, and under any other circumstances, it probably would have cowed Beatrice.
But these weren’t normal circumstances. She was being silenced by the mother who’d abandoned her, and that went far beyond bullshit and all the way into completely un-fucking-acceptable.
“No.”
Astrid’s fingers fumbled the cards, and two of them spilled out of the deck onto the table.
