Page 58 of Tales of a Monstrous Heart
‘She’ll be better after a long rest,’ I lied. The truth was I never knew how Alma would be after a change. But no change had ever lasted this long, and she hadn’t jumped to multiple forms before so effortlessly.
‘What are you reading?’ I asked, rubbing my temples against the threat of a headache as I considered the mess of papers scattered across the table.
‘The Crow’s Foot.’
‘I’ve heard its nothing but salacious gossip and scaremongering.’ I frowned. A way for rebellion sympathisers to spread fear, so I was surprised to see William so engrossed in it.
‘You sound like Emrys,’ he replied dryly, slapping the pages in protest as he laid them flat and pointed to a section at the bottom of the page. ‘They’ve run a piece on Paxton Fields, about the incidents there.’
‘The illnesses?’ I leant closer, turning the page to see it better. Since when did mortals care about dark illness?
‘No, the missing beings . Two went missing from a village further south and another from a fey settlement to the west. Maris and Beven I believe. They’re hysterical enough to even claim a vesper demon is to blame.’
My stomach dropped to my boots.
Maris and Beven, the two places Emrys said he visited. It had been in his notes, but he’d said nothing about missing beings.
I pulled the paper closer, scanning over the words. Maris and Beven both had Council-run homes for women similar to Daunton. Hale had spoken about them before. He’d run campaigns to try and help fey settlements in both areas.
Something was very wrong. Breaches, sickness and now missing fey. All in the same areas. That wasn’t a coincidence; it was the beginning of something.
If I wanted to be told lies, I’d listen to my own. The memory of that strange woman outside the healing house mocked me as I looked over the paper again. I would be a fool to trust a stranger blindly, but this wasn’t coincidence, and Emrys wasn’t the type to forget such details.
‘Kat?’ William laid his palm flat on the paper to catch my attention.
‘Sorry, William.’ I shook my head. I needed to check on Mr Thrombi. Emrys hadn’t mentioned his condition and hopefully he was slightly more recovered now.
Hopefully recovered enough to tell us something about the anthrux.
‘You should have some breakfast,’ he cautioned.
‘In a minute, I just need to check on something.’ I moved to leave before catching sight of William’s crate of healing tonics by the door. The bottles empty, ready for cleaning.
‘You don’t happen to have any olus weed, do you?’ I asked absently, eyes turning back to the boy where he had resumed reading his paper. Olus weed was rare but powerful in its ability to repel dark sickness. If anyone had some, it would be William.
‘I can check. I did brew a tonic that needed it a few weeks ago.’ He got to his feet to check his inventory immediately.
‘Thank you, William.’ I tried to find some relief in his support of my madness, but again, dark sickness shouldn’t be here at all. I moved to leave, only for that crumpled page Emrys had found on Mr Thrombi’s body to come back to the forefront of my mind.
Reimor. Impossible lost things.
Troubled, I went back upstairs to find the study. It revealed itself where I presumed a guest bathroom was once located. I was relieved to fill my lungs with the comforting smell of books, relishing the heavy air and the quiet of the house after such a chaotic night.
Sickness from contaminated earth wasn’t unheard of, but an anthrux bite was worrying, as was the forest in Paxton Village. I might have seen many cursed illnesses, my mother’s coming to mind most vividly, but she had died at the end of the war when there were still skirmishes involving dark magic.
This land was supposed to have been cleansed long ago – the Council prided themselves on it – but if there were anthrux, dead folk, missing fey and a need for Emrys to investigate, it appeared the Council were just telling more lies.
No wonder Emrys hardly ever appeared in their meetings; he didn’t have time to waste on their games.
I found myself at my desk, flicking through pages of notes. I’d come here to complete my studies, find a cure and graduate, only, I couldn’t focus on anything. That word coming back to me over and over again.
Reimor.
There was something here darker than I could have ever feared. Fey needed my help now, no matter how inconsequential my assistance to Emrys was. I had to help them.
If I wanted answers, the first place I needed to start was Thornfield, and Mr Thrombi.
I moved in the direction of the portal, shelves shifting for me, anticipating my foolishness. I was relieved to see the portal was already running to Thornfield. I hoped Emrys was on the other side with answers, but as I stepped through, I found myself in Mr Thrombi’s room, not the hallway like last time.
