Siphon Magic Read online

  “How did the what get to Summartir, Liah?” asked Kale

  “I cannot say. The fox might hear me.”

  “The fox is dead,” reminded Vera.

  Liah pressed her lips together, refusing to speak about it.

  “Did you help feed the chickens the day before the what raided the nest?” asked Kale.

  “Yes. She asked me to.”

  “Who asked you to?” Kale asked

  “I don’t know.” Liah shrugged.

  “You don’t know who asked you to feed the chickens?” Kale frowned.

  “She didn’t tell me her name. I did not see her face.”

  “She’s not a member of the Monroe family?” asked Kale.

  “No,” Liah said irritably. “I know all the Monroes. I’m not stupid. She has no home.”

  “Do you know how we can find her?” Kale kept his voice smooth and soothing. He was good at this interrogating thing.

  “No, she is hiding. She hides among the witches, but she is the most powerful.”

  “Why did she ask you to feed the chickens?” asked Kale.

  “To save the hen house.”

  “But that did not save them,” Vera pointed out.

  “It will,” said Liah confidently.

  “Did she ask you to feed them something special?” asked Kale

  “Yes, I had to go all the way to the edge of the fields to find it. But I did. Now we will be safe.”

  “Did she make milktooth poison?” asked Kale

  “She had to,” Liah said as though this should be obvious.

  “Why did she have to? Who was it for?” asked Kale

  Liah smiled a sly smile that sent chills up Vera’s spine. “You already know that, Guardian.”

  “Was it for the Maiden?” Kale guessed.

  “No,” Liah frowned, becoming agitated. “That’s not the plan. That’s not the plan!”

  “Shh,” said Kale gently. “The Maiden is okay.”

  “She is not okay,” yelled Liah.

  “She will be, though,” assured Kale. “The Maiden will be okay.”

  “Yes,” said Liah. “She will be. We will all be okay.”

  Holy smokes, the woman was certifiable. Yet everything Liah said was the truth. Or at least the truth as Liah saw it. The woman hadn’t lied once, even though everything that came out of her mouth was nonsense. Suddenly, Vera’s heart ached for the woman.

  “Who did she tell you the poison was for?” Kale rephrased his question.

  “Her.” Liah pointed at Vera. “I need to go. My son is hungry.”

  “Why poison Vera?” asked Kale

  “To save the hen-house,” Liah said, scratching her arm harder. “I already told you all this.”

  “One more question, and we’ll take you back to the farm, okay?” said Kale.

  “Okay.”

  “Do you know what Vera is?”

  “Vera is not a what. Vera is a who. She does not want Vera here. It makes her scared.”

  Liah’s words knocked the air from Vera’s lungs. A buzzing sound started between her ears. Somehow, the witch they were hunting knew Vera was in Summartir and wanted her dead.

  “We’ll walk with you back to the farm,” Kale said to Liah. “We do have to tell the family what you’ve done.”

  “I know.” Liah smiled a bitter-sweet smile. “They won’t understand, but it’s all right. I had to save us all.”

  Kale eyed Mitch’s bandages. With magic stores as they were, the witches could not afford to heal the man any faster. They’d done enough to prevent infection and minimize scarring. The rest was up to Mitch’s body. Until then, proof of Mitch’s deception remained hidden from Kale. In the meantime, Kale noticed that the motivation behind Liah’s attack had gone unquestioned. Kale still had to figure out if it had anything to do with the unnaturals on Earth. Everyone in the family who might have given Kale some of the answers he needed was either hiding or gone. All of them smuggled away by Mitch, a man who’d not intended to deceive Kale a day ago.

  Kale kept himself calm by sheer will. Sinking his hand into Mitch’s burned flesh and squeezing until the man answered for himself was tempting. It would accomplish nothing, though, except to ensure hostility from the rest of the family. And he needed their cooperation since he couldn’t very well torture them all. Well, he could, but he’d given up those methods centuries ago. At this point, whoever had sent that butterfly was Kale’s best lead.

  “I’m probably not as surprised as I ought to be,” Mitch said, after a few family heads escorted Liah to her apartment until they decided what to do with their errant member.

  “What happened to her?” Vera asked Mitch curiously. “Has she always been like that?”

  “You mean has she always been paranoid and delusional?”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s fine,” Mitch assured. “No, Liah wasn’t always like that. She’s my niece, my brother’s daughter. Liah grew up an ornery little girl, for sure, always looking for the next adventure. She preferred sneaking out with the boys to watch the worms hunt over playing with the girls. Too smart for her own good. Figured out a way to get her cousins to do most of her chores by the time she was ten. When the High Crone visited to find a new handmaiden, Liah jumped out of her seat to volunteer. Literally. Her mama about had a heart attack. Most of the family was scared to death that Liah would drive the Crone mad and earn us a curse for generations. But the Crone’s eyes lit on Liah, and she barely looked at anyone else the family put forward.”

  “That girl was over the moon to get away from the farm. Instead of wearing the Crone out, she brought the High Witch’s youth back. The two were partners in crime. When the Crone rested for her seasons, Liah came home, but she was never content here. She packed her bags weeks before the Crone’s return each year. Then one winter, Liah returned changed. That season, the Crone had been ill and Liah caught it. No one realized how sick she was until she’d been missing for a couple of days. The Crone was so ill herself that she didn’t notice Liah’s absence. By then, Liah was out of her mind, babbling about the monsters. When she came home, it was like something had broken her soul.”

  “Soon, we learned Liah was expecting a baby. And that baby turned out to be two—twin boys. She told us the father was not someone in a position to be a father. She planned to raise the boys alone. Waiting for those boys to come gave Liah back some of her old self. Shortly after they were born, Liah started having nightmares. Dreams about animals following her. She was exhausted but insisted she didn’t want help. One afternoon, she fell asleep while the boys played together on a blanket in the sun. She woke to one of the boys crying and alone. His brother had scooted away and ingested some berries that an animal must have scattered there. That baby was gone. Liah never talked about her nightmares again after that, but I know they still haunt her.”

  By the end of the story, Mitch was pale and deflated. Vera and Kale left him to rest.

  “So, we need to find the most powerful witch hiding among other witches,” said Vera as they walked down the hall toward the hatchery. “A witch who summoned unnaturals—the things not of this realm, which should not exist—to Summartir. Had them raid a nest for poison ingredients in order to kill me because she’s scared of me. Oh, and she’s a witch-bitch who takes advantage of broken women. She manipulated Liah into becoming her accomplice by convincing her that she was saving her people. Which Liah needs to believe because she couldn’t save her own son. Am I missing anything?”

  “Sounds about right,” said Kale.

  “Now what? We go back to the palace and see who’s the most powerful witch among witches?”

  “I already cleared the most powerful witches at the palace. She’s not there.”

  “Or you missed something.” Vera’s voice cracked.

  “Hey, it’s okay. We’re getting closer,” assured Kale.

  “It doesn’t feel like it.”

  “Not right now, but we know more than we did a few days ago.
Tomorrow we’ll know more.” Because he was going to make sure Vera was sound asleep that night, and then go meet his mystery informant. He’d be back before Vera was awake, and he’d make sure to have a clear view of her window the whole time. If he left the window cracked, he’d even be able to listen in on her while she slept. A bit of meadow magic woven into her so he could track her, and hopefully, that would be enough. Although, with Vera, nothing would probably ever be enough.

  “By the way, I can’t believe you killed that fox,” Vera said, pulling herself together.

  “I didn’t.”

  “What?” Vera shot him an incredulous look.

  “I just knocked it out for a bit. She’s fine.”

  “I really didn’t think you’d have an issue with killing it.”

  “Don’t get the wrong idea about my morals, Vera. I am fine with killing a fox. Or doing just about anything to fulfill my responsibilities.”

  “Then why didn’t you kill it?”

  “I’m trying to think of a good lie,” he said when Vera grew impatient with his silence and waved a hand to get his attention.

  “I’ll just call you out.”

  “Which is why I’m having a hard time.” Kale sighed. “I didn’t kill it because I knew you wouldn’t want me to.”

  Vera tried to look away, but Kale caught the shimmer in her eyes.

  “Apparently, that makes you sad,” Kale teased gently.

  “Shut up.” Vera rolled her eyes then reached out and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

  Kale’s heart lifted. “You’re welcome.”

  14

  Kale stood motionless just inside the Velvet Woods, arms folded over his chest. The moon had slid behind the bluffs nearly an hour before. He’d been tapping a finger against his leg until a pack of worms peeked from the undergrowth, assessing whether they could eat him. Embedding one of Vera’s blades into the pack leader’s head had dissuaded them. Vera would be unhappy if she found her knife missing in a few hours. He was going to have to retrieve the slimed blade from the worm’s corpse, clean it, and take it back to her. The prospect made him irritable. Worm slime burned like acid.

  Kale clenched his jaw impatiently, listening through the hum of beetles and rustling of leaves for the approach of his informant. He nudged a strand of meadow-magic through Vera’s window and listened to her breathing deeply and evenly. Just when he decided the informant must have changed their mind, there was a scuffle through the trees. And it was getting closer. Whoever was coming, they were moving fast, unconcerned with concealing their presence. Kale plucked the blade from the worm’s head. He swiped it through the grass to get off the worst of the mess. His hand burned. If the person headed his way turned out to be a threat, they’d be too dead to mind the dirty blade.

  A woman emerged from the trees, dressed in black with a black scarf over most of her face. She staggered in a circle, looking for something. Or possibly for him. Kale didn’t immediately move forward.

  “Guardian,” called the woman, dragging a hand over the scarf to reveal her face.

  Kale dropped the knife and hurried from his lookout to catch the High Maiden under her arm before she fell.

  “Are you being pursued?” Kale positioned himself between the witch and the woods. “Why are you on foot?”

  “A pack of worms took my hen. There is no one else.”

  “Your magic couldn’t chase them away?”

  “The poison.” The Maiden swayed. “I don’t remember…”

  “You’re still healing. Why did you come alone?”

  “The Monroes are in danger. I need to find the last threadbearers before it is too late. I don’t know who I can trust,” the Maiden explained.

  “In danger? Not the source of the danger?” Diyu, I had it wrong. “Is one of them a threadbearer?”

  The Maiden’s eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed. Kale scooped her up easily and headed toward the farm. If the Monroes hid one of the last threadbearers, then Kale didn’t have to figure out where the betrayer was hiding. That witch was coming for them.

  Vera woke to a knock at the door. What is wrong with people? Doesn’t anyone sleep until the sun is up?

  “Kale? You get that?” Vera groaned when the person knocked again. “Kale?”

  No response. A quick survey of the room and Vera knew why—Kale was not there.

  “Vera?” called Gage softly through the door.

  Welp, that got her awake. Vera kicked off her blankets and rolled out of bed. She didn’t exactly dash to the door—her legs weren’t that coordinated yet—but she stumbled as fast as she could. Hand on the door, Vera acknowledged that Kale would not approve. He’ll be furious when he gets back. From wherever he’s gone without letting me know. Yep, forget him. Vera opened the door.

  “Sorry, it’s Eggbert…” Gage’s eyes widened, dipping to take in Vera’s nightshirt before flicking back to her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Vera. “Is he okay?”

  “Where’s the Guardian?” Gage looked past Vera for the man in question.

  “I don’t know. Who cares?” Vera waved her hands dismissively. “What’s wrong with Eggbert?”

  “He’s digging at the straw and ready to go outside, but I didn’t want to throw him in with the flock until we know how they’ll react to him. I thought you might want to come with us to the Woods so he can scratch for worms before they go underground for the day.”

  Gage did not take a breath in that entire spiel. Poor flustered man. Vera bit her lip to keep from grinning. Her shirt came down halfway to her knees. Girls wore shorter dresses than that every day. Just not in Summartir. Gage cleared his throat, suddenly interested in the doorframe above their heads. Then the words, “woods” and “worms” sank in.

  “You are not taking Eggbert to those woods,” Vera said, sharper than she’d meant. “Those things would eat him. And me.”

  “They won’t attack when a chicken is nearby. Even a little one,” Gage said.

  “Yeah, that’s what Kale said. I still have dried slime on my shoe that proves you both wrong.”

  “I didn’t know you’d had a run-in.” Gage was slowly relaxing. “I’m sure it was a fluke.”

  “Or really bad luck,” Vera said. “Can we take him somewhere else? The lake?”

  “Sure. That’d be a good place to find some frogs and mice.”

  “He eats mice?”

  “Yep. He’ll like those as much as the eggs you’ve been sneaking him.” Gage winked.

  “You know about that.” Vera winced.

  “I figured it out.”

  “Kale said you guys wouldn’t like him eating eggs.”

  “It’s not a good idea. But it was the first thing that worked for Eggbert, so I let it go.”

  “If it works so well, why don’t you allow it?” asked Vera

  “When a chicken eats eggs, they can get a taste for them and go after nests.”

  “What if that happens to Eggbert?”

  “He’ll have to be adopted out immediately or be put down,” Gage said seriously.

  “Someone would adopt him, though, right?”

  “Hopefully, it won’t be an issue. But maybe cut him off from here on?”

  “Absolutely.” Vera nodded. “Give me two minutes to get dressed and we can go.”

  Vera’s words reminded Gage of her attire. He blushed. Vera shut the door, ripped off the shirt, and threw it across the bed. On went another set of white-on-whites. Pulling on shoes, Vera realized her knife was gone. It was not under the bed or in the wardrobe. Kale must have it. Vera had not been without a knife since Errock. When Vera saw Kale next, he was not going to be the only one with a bone to pick.

  “I’m fine,” the Maiden insisted from the bed in her commandeered room.

  “Is she fine?” Kale asked the Monroe witch assessing the Maiden as they spoke.

  “From everything I can tell, yes. The Maiden simply ran her body past exhaustion.”

  “Is there a
nything you can do to help her?” asked Kale.

  “Magic cannot fix fatigue. She needs rest,” said the witch.

  “Then you can leave.” Kale opened the door for the witch. “Go use your talents where they are needed—get Mitch back on his feet. There’s no time to let him heal naturally anymore.”

  The witch spluttered, looking back and forth between Kale and the Maiden. Kale considered the few people loitering in the hall. They’d been making breakfast preparations for the day when he’d carried the Maiden through the front doors.

  “If any of you reveals the Maiden’s presence here before the Maiden is ready to announce it herself, you will get a visit from me. The family heads are the only ones to know for now. Do you understand?” Kale looked at each person in turn until they nodded. “Now, out before I toss you out,” Kale told the reluctant witch healer firmly.

  “That was cruel of you,” Maiden said after everyone scurried away. “To scare them like that.”

  “This place is the worst gossip-mill I’ve ever seen,” Kale informed the Maiden. “If I hadn’t scared them, you’d have a steady stream of well-wishers until sunset. And no rest.”

  “Well, I don’t want that.” Maiden covered a yawn.

  “No sane person would.”

  “I appreciate your vote of confidence in my sanity after what you’ve seen today.”

  “How many threadbearers are gone?” Kale asked.

  “Cassie was the first. I didn’t know she was a threadbearer until I felt her threads fall away while I was in and out of my mind from the poison. Eleven others were murdered the day you left. All were members of the triads. They met in secret to honor Cassie’s service to the realms in this life. A tradition of the threadbearers none knew about except them.”

  “Which means only two realms remain double-bound,” said Kale.

  “Summartir and Earth,” the Maiden confirmed.

  “Do you know who holds the threads?”

  “No. But they are rumored to be Monroes, Summartir’s most beloved subjects.”

  “I’ll talk to the Monroe family heads and see if they can identify the threadbearers,” said Kale. “I may already know who one is. Once I know for sure, I’ll lock the threadbearers up with Vera to keep them safe if I need to.”