Nasty Little Witchling

Haily was concerned as I followed her down the hall to the kitchen. She had her arms full with our plates and refused to let me help her despite us going to the same place.

“Ma’am, please don’t try help wash the dishes, again.”

I frowned. “Did I do that bad?”

“You didn’t use soap!”

I caught the cup that fell from her stack with a cushion of air, keeping the tea cup with me until we reached our destination to spite her.

“What do you want?” An apron-clad cook asked me with narrowed eyes. Haily squeezed past him, eager to get away from me.

“Um, do you have a block of salt I could have? For the horses?”

He crossed his arms. “Girl, do you think we keep lumps of mineral salt around the kitchen?”

Haily reached around him to pinch the cup out of my hands. “No?”

“Exactly.” He turned to leave.

“Okay…thank you for making my meals, I enjoyed the chickpea salad.”

“You’re the one who doesn't like meat?”

I nodded.

“Hey, Granya!” He shouted into the kitchen. “What did you want to say to whoever had you making separate dishes?”

“Ima ring that pissant’s neck. What a pretentious fucker,” a woman’s muffled voice echoed off the walls. “Next thing he’s going to ask for no grain 'cause he feels sorry for the poor mule pulling the plough.”

Granya appeared behind the aproned man. Her rant stopped as soon as she laid eyes on me. I felt like running away from the lady holding a cleaver with red hair that matched the blood on her apron.

“Please tell me…” Her words trailed off.

Haily came pushing past the two, who were blocking the door more than before. “Let’s go, ma’am. I’ll take you to the stable master for your salt.”

She dragged me away before I could apologise for giving the chefs more work to do. We were down the rest of the stairs and on our way to the stables before she slowed down. “Okay, I know that sounded bad, but please don’t report her or anything,” Haily asked. “Granya was just ranting, she didn’t mean it.”

“Report her?”

“To Chief Yanla?”

I was lost. Something I had done had given Granya extra work, and she was upset about it. I knew how time-consuming it was to make a separate meal for myself.

“Can you tell her she doesn’t need to make my meals separately anymore, or would it be better for me to go and apologise?”

Haily stared blankly at me. “You’re not going to tell the duke a chef swore at you?”

“No?”

“Okay then…I’ll get your salt lick for you. And next time you can ask me for stuff like that, you don’t need to follow me to the kitchen.”

I watched Haily walk away down to the stables and I carried on the path to the paddock. She hadn’t responded on whether I needed to apologise or not. A stray thought convinced me to leave it and forget about it.

Having spent years only dealing with one person, in one place. I was overwhelmed by the number of people I now interacted with, needed to understand, and were upset with me even though I hadn’t met them before.

Thinking back, I was annoyed with myself for letting Clair talk about me without doing anything. Now that the doll was gone I needed to get used to being able to confront people without its threat hanging over my head.

I climbed the paddock fence and stood on the narrow beam, lifting my arms out for better balance. A saddleless Polem was already making his way over.

“I went through a lot of effort for this,” I said as he walked beside me. “Haily too.”

He neighed but didn’t share in my complaints. To him, stuff like that just appeared. He didn’t need to worry about how it happened. I tilted my head from side to side and agreed with him. That was the direction everything was starting to go with me, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it.

I stepped onto his back and almost fell as he turned towards the approaching Haily. He swayed extra hard with each step as I balanced on him though that might have just been my imagination.

A pinkish rock was hung on one of the posts for Polem to lean down and lick.

“Anything else, ma’am?” Haily asked. “An application for the extravaganza perhaps?”

“No, thank you, is that the one with all the face paint and masks? Don’t a lot of murders happen there?”

“You read some morbid stuff, ma’am.”

Sitting normally with a dress was awkward, so my legs dangled off to the side while Polem enjoyed his salt lick. I pulled out the note Jeremy had slid over to me at lunch and unfolded it.

I read it and then again. I turned it upside down and turned it to the side.

It was unreadable. The words made no sense, if you could even call them that. There were pairs of letters I hadn’t seen next to each other before in any of the books I’d read.

I stared at it for a long while, then folded it back and put it in my skirt pocket.

Polem had enough of the salt and started moving to the shade of a tree. I slid off, dodging piles of horse shit, and started making my back up to the palace. I wanted to find Jeremy for an explanation.

…

“Do you know what any of this means?” I handed over the folded note to Sam.

Jeremy hadn’t been on the way to my room, in my room, or outside near my hammock. That was as far as I’d bothered to look, so now Sam was helping.

We were walking along the street together with Linh. A few more from the castle meeting had joined us and were walking in a group ahead. The sun hung low in the sky, casting most of the street in shadow. Most people were already home for the evening and loud voices could be heard from the pubs.

“Hmm, looks like a cypher. See these two letters are duplicated often,” he said then continued when I gave him a blank look. “The letters just mean another letter, it should come with a way to know which translates to which. Where did you find it?”

“Jeremy gave it to me.”

Sam pushed the note back into my hands as if it had just bitten him. “I’m not getting involved with anything to do with him.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because he’s scared of him,” Linh said.

“He controls every bit of information that leaves and enters the palace, maybe even Drasda. If he wants Valeria to solve a little cypher, then Valeria can do it on her own. Otherwise, he’ll find out and I don’t want to know what happens to me then.”

“Well, Valeria doesn’t appreciate that,” I said. “Can you at least tell me where to start?”

“Nope.”

Glaring at him didn’t help win me more advice, so I walked while trying to think of a way to translate the note, and why I needed to.

My footsteps slowed as I got within range of the same creatures as before. The pain I’d felt coming from them felt fresh and raw compared to when I’d passed it with Annalise on the way into Drasda.

“Valeria?”

I hadn’t realised I’d stopped walking when we walked across the street that led to the multi-storey building. A line led outside its doors and wrapped around to the other street, out of sight.

“What’s that building everyone is lining outside of?” I couldn’t take my eyes away from where the one with the stronger mind was amidst a fight. Other animals were afraid, tired, and hurting.

“A gambling house,” Sam said. “There must be a big match on tonight with a line like that.”

“A match?”

“Yeah, there’s a fighting ring out back. People bet on the outcome.”

“It’s mostly for hooligans,” Linh said. “I can’t watch more than a few seconds of it.”

“C’mon, it's fun watching people go up against some of the stronger predators. Maybe even The Eviscerator is fighting tonight.”

I caught bits of the fight flashing through my mind. They took a spear to the flank, claws grated against a metallic shield. It made a horrid screeching sound that hurt their ears. An armoured arm took a slash from just out of reach of their claws.

I started walking with the two of them again but wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.

They were losing a lot of blood, and the fight.

An explosion went off next to them. I flinched before I understood it wasn’t my sight that it happened in. Another spell shoved spikes from the ground into their face and sides, preventing them from moving.

People shouted and cheered from all around them. Others in armour approached before a loud ringing stalled them. A wave of relief flooded them and drowned out the rage. I held my breath as healers approached and lessened their pain. They wanted to lash out at the people, yet didn’t because they knew these ones were helping.

Their thoughts and feelings faded from my mind as we walked further away.

I forced a smile on my face as Sam and Linh started laughing. I hadn’t heard the joke and wasn’t in the mood to laugh if I had.

Everyone knew what happened in that building. Sam sounded like he would enjoy watching what happened and the line outside told me plenty of people agreed with him.

Long brick buildings started to replace storefronts and homes. The faint sound of fast-paced music was drifting over from one of them. Lights were on inside, ready for the setting sun.

People stood around in groups outside, all holding and drinking from glasses. They were younger and dressed colourfully. The boys had the top buttons of their dress shirts undone. Sam was in a sweater that matched a few others.

Linh wasn’t alone with her raised shoes clacking along the cobble. Her pants were a common trend among the girls, having a crease down the front and back that gave them a triangular shape.

“It doesn’t look like a pub.”

“Have to be sixteen to get into those. Fergie’s mum owns the building and the watch turns the other way as long as we don't make too much ruckus. But if we do get busted, run faster than the slowest person.”

A long sliding door that reached the roof of the red brick building was fully open. The roof was made from a thin slanted metal sheet. Remee stood at the entrance clasping hands with everyone who entered. Almost half the buttons of his white shirt were undone, showing off his tanned chest.

Sam handed him a bottle with a black and white sketch of a castle on the label. It earned us a more enthusiastic greeting than those before.

“Samuel! How’s it going, bru?”

He went to hug Linh after, and then me. “New girl, glad to see you made it to a proper clothing store.”

I froze up as he hugged me but forced my arms around him for the quick embrace.

“I’m going to get this poured out before anyone tries to tackle me,” Remee said, flashing a smile. “Enjoy.”

Inside were piles of wooden crates shoved away from a cleared section where people were dancing together. They twisted and turned with the music. I was mesmerised, watching their feet slide and stomp across the floor in time with the beat.

The rest of those in the room stood in small circles or lounged on the boxes. A table on one side had people leaning against it and returning with cups full of different coloured drinks.

Linh patted Sam’s shoulder and pointed over to one group. She had to raise her voice to talk above all the noise. “I’m going to talk with Laily.”

She skipped over and was welcomed by the group she had pointed out.

Sam noticed me watching the dancers. “Do you want to try?”

“I don’t think I could.” I raised my voice and shook my head, but he couldn’t hear me since he led me closer to the dancers.

“It’s just a rendition of ballroom dancing that I’ve had classes for since seven. Against my will mind you.”

I stopped dragging my heels. It did look like a lot of fun though I was still nervous about not knowing what I was doing.

Sam took each of my hands in his. He stepped back to stretch out our arms and forward again, pulling me in. I stumbled forward. He pulled on one of my hands and let go of the other to twist me to the side so we made a line with our arms and bodies.

He pulled me back in and sought out my hand again.

We continued moving around and around. Repeating the motions of the other pairs I watched behind him. I slowly stopped concentrating on where exactly to place my feet and trusted him to pull me along.

I listened to the music instead of focusing on the sound of the heartbeat in my ears. My body started to shift about, anticipating his direction instead of following it, mimicking the sway of the music.

The music started to wind down and there was a popping sound as the phonograph needle reached the end of the disk it ran along. My chest rose and fell with deep breaths as everyone clapped and cheered as a few walked off the dance floor.

Another song started right after, but Sam and I left to the sidelines. He was still holding my hand.

We joined Linh and her group who stood around one of the wooden crates. It was covered in drinks and Sam went to get us some of our own. Linh was more reserved than her friends and spent more time sipping from her cup, but they made up for her silence.

I stayed just outside the circle and let them do all the talking. A smile played on my lips throughout the lively conversation. One of the boys was trying to reenact a story of a man who jumped up onto the stage of a play and ran around screaming obscenities at the cast. It was going to be in tomorrow’s paper according to him.

Sam came back and handed a cup full of orange liquid to me. I was thirsty from the dancing and took a large gulp. I pursed my lips at the sweetness and almost coughed as it burnt my throat on the way down.

He grinned at me while taking a much smaller sip from his own cup.

One of the girls, Laily, asked if anyone wanted to dance as the next song played. I volunteered when no one else answered.

I tipped the remaining orange drink into my mouth and placed it on the crate before she led me to the dance floor. It was dark out and everybody was inside with the sliding door shut. Not much air came in and it was hot enough that I left my sweater behind with Sam.

Laily took my hands and pulled me along to the music. It was easier to relax and focus less on everything going on around me with the alcohol settling into my stomach. Her movements were more fluid than Sam's but she wasn't directing me as much. Either that or the alcohol was to blame for my near trips.

Faint banging echoed over the music from thumbs on the door. Someone went to turn off the music and the bang echoed again.

“Watch Officer Parker. Open up!”

No one went to open the door. Quiet panic settled over the crowd as people rushed every which way to the small side entrances. Laily still had my hand and dragged me over to one. I couldn’t see Sam and Linh over the people rushing past us.

Laily let go of me as we got to the bottleneck where plenty of people were trying to exit a small door. Those in front of me surged back at the shout of the watch being outside that door as well now.

I backed off to the wall, separated from Laily as she ran back. I tried moving the brick out of the way with mana. It budged, but resisted, and I didn’t want to bring down the building or damage anything.

I took a few deep breaths. Everyone's panic had infected me. I didn’t know why we had to run from the watch to begin with. What law were we breaking?

Adding use of spells onto that would land me in the same trouble it did with Gram.

The door out was now clear. Mages waited outside of it, shouting at people to stop struggling. I dug my fingers down the neckline of my dress, draining the mana from the crystal sitting against my brassiere, and crept to the side of the door.

When it sounded like everyone was the most occupied I sprinted out, and towards the least amount of people and mages.

A few shouts to stop came from behind me, but my shoes kept clicking against the cobblestone. The only person chasing after me stopped as I turned the next corner and ran down the street.

I glanced behind me to be sure I was alone and pressed my back against the wall after the next turn, a laugh threatening to break out amongst my deep breaths.

I hadn’t moved more than a few streets down and could still hear shouts and even some laughter from people evading the watch officers. I kept going till the warehouses turned back into storefronts and bars, their music and patrons' voices masking much of the ruckus going on behind me.

I didn’t infuse the crystal again despite walking past a few mages. They didn’t notice, or care, about anything weird going on with my mana.

A few mages moving across the roof drew my eye. I picked out one of the clocked figures against the moonlit sky. They stepped across the tiled roofs of the row of buildings and jumped across to the next street, where a narrow alley separated the rows.

I peeked down the familiar street.

It housed the building I’d seen my coin thief duck into when Sam and I had gone to the library.

I wondered if Sam and Linh had managed to get out okay before walking down the street, keeping to the shadows.

The mages, and now that I was closer a few non-mages, entered through a window built into the slanted roof.

The building the window belonged, to had a glass display facing the road like most storefronts. However, this one was empty inside.

I slowly twisted the door handle and met resistance. On second thought, I was glad it didn’t open because there was probably a bell sitting above it, ready to announce my presence.

Up and down the cobblestone was empty except for the occasional passerby crossing the entrance to the street. I flexed my fingers and gripped an edge in the stone base of the building, widening it for my whole hand.

It was awkward telling when my shoes were secure as I climbed up. I was sure I’d scratched one of them quite badly trying to dig it in further. The tiled roof had a lip over the edge that stopped my climb from progressing.

Those inside were on the floor below, so I tried the window on the top floor instead of the roof.

The second one I tried slid upwards. It was still difficult to get myself in, but less so than the roof.

I dusted myself off and jumped in the air when I came face to face with someone else.

By the time I landed, I was scolding myself for getting scared of a fabric mannequin. My hard landing must have been heard downstairs because two of the group broke off and were ascending.

I ducked behind a pile of discarded cloth and pulled some of it over me.

The door creaked open. “See, no one. Trust us when we say there's no one.”

“Not everyone grew up with mana you fuckwit. I trust my eyes more than your weird sixth sense.”

The girl without mana walked in through the door and stood in the middle of the room, looking around.

The mage marched past her, and me, to slam the window shut. “It was probably just a bird trying to get out. Can we head down? I wanna be there when Fergie gets back. He’s going to be pissed Jay fucked with his party.”

“Can’t you put an enchantment up here to tell us if someone breaks in?” the girl asked, still not moving.

“Yeah…it’s called my weird sixth sense, dimwit. He’s almost here, let's go.”

The door was left ajar as the two retreated downstairs. Another mage came in through the roof and stormed down the hallway, his footsteps crashing against the stairs on his way down.