Precious

Chapter 10

By the time we're safely under the city walls, we stop to rest in the tunnels.

I'm not ready to face my parents, nor to find out whether the horror we brought to life in the forest is still there with the light of day.

Instead we sleep on the old stone foundations, clinging to each other to stay warm. We didn't think to bring our blankets from the encampment, just ourselves, the ingredients, and the old book.

When I wake, I'm not sure what time it is, but I'm certain of what we must do.

In spite of what she did the last time we saw her, I must see Old Mae again. Whether she's willingly in league with the wizard or in his thrall, she knows more than she lets on. If anyone has a way to undo what we've done in the forest, it will be her. Trees and plants, walking like animals.

I shudder.

We should never have dabbled with magic.

I can think of nothing but why the spell went wrong, and now I believe I understand. How I wish I'd thought this through more before we tried it, instead of rushing off to cast the spell, all to show Mama I could save us from the evil wizard.

What's been troubling me is what happens to the magic the Wizard's Bane siphons off. It can't disappear. The stone contains it. And if the spell is performed with a Wizard's Bane that's already full to the brim with magic, what then?

I don't know for certain, but I fear it's like pouring more water into an already full bucket—magic spills out. And in the worst-case scenario, it could knock the entire bucket over, emptying the contents all over the floor.

We were fools and released the wild magic locked in the stone. All that is left of our hopes to stop the wizard is a pile of ash. We must find a way to undo what we've done.

"Ren," I say softly as I nudge him awake with my elbow. He groans and opens his eyes, then bolts upright. The look on his face makes it clear he remembers everything that happened last night.

"Rosabel . . . ."

"Yes, it was real. We woke the forest." Sickening guilt swims in my stomach. Ren puts his head in his hands.

"I was hoping that was only an awful dream."

I grimace, then squeeze his shoulder. "No, but we must fix it. I have an idea."

It takes a little persuasion, but half an hour later, we leave our tunnels and enter the market, doing our best to keep our faces cloaked. No doubt everyone is looking for us, though most will only recognize Ren.

The flower cart lies ahead, but the old woman is nowhere to be seen. My heart sinks as we approach. Where could she be? Ren and I risked so much. I fear this will be the last time I can sneak out. And now, in this hustling mass of market-goers, she has vanished.

"Perhaps she's getting a bite to eat?" Ren suggests, his face marred by the furrow in his brow.

"Yes, that must be it." I am desperate for some measure of hope.

But when we reach the stall, something's obviously wrong. Her wares aren't fully set out. The curtains surrounding her cart hang haphazardly, as though they were thoughtlessly displayed. It's nothing like Old Mae's usual meticulous setup.

Fear grips my innards and refuses to let go. One glance at Ren confirms he feels uneasy, too. Wordlessly we move to the back of her stall and stop short. A gasp chokes in my throat. I can't look away, until Ren forcibly drags me back to the street.

His hands are on my arms, my face, my back. Despite his kind whispers, I can't stop shaking. The image of the old woman will be forever burned into my eyes.

She's dead. Horrifically, terribly dead. No eyes. And her gut—

I shove Ren away and vomit next to the stall. That distinct metallic smell of blood clogs every pore on my body. I feel as though it's all over me.

But Ren, sweet Ren, he holds my hair and rubs my back as I dissolve on the street. "Come," he says. "There's nothing for us here. Let's go home before we really cause a scene."

Somehow I find my feet again and Ren leads me back to the church and the tunnels.

Old Mae knew who I was. She was the only one who'd risk speaking of magic. Hadn't all the other vendors been terrified to utter even a syllable about the matter? I have no doubt she's dead because of us.

That horror on the street—it's my fault.

  * * *  

We don't bother to sneak back into the palace. Terrified and properly sorry, we limp through the gates and make our way into the front garden. A guard is dispatched ahead of us once Ren is recognized. I hope the ones we left in the forest made it out alive.

Dizziness, gnawing at me for hours, now threatens to completely pull me under. Ren half carries me into the palace.

Magic always has a price. An action and reaction. I suspect this is my price, my reaction, which I experience now. Yet I had to try. How else can we hope to fight magic, but with more magic?

My parents run to greet us, a mix of fury and relief on their faces. Mama hugs me too tightly, and I have trouble focusing my eyes on her.

"Where have you been?" she demands.

When she releases me, I sway, and Ren steadies me. "We had to try to break the binding deal with the wizard. We sought out a Wizard's Bane, but it all went wrong when we tried to use it."

Papa takes me by the shoulders. "What happened? What went wrong? Where are the guards we sent to find you?"

I swallow, but my tongue feels sluggish and my mouth horridly dry. "We released magic instead of taking it. The forest . . . it came alive.The trees are walking."

Mama gives Ren a stern look. "What is she raving about? How could you possibly know about Wizard's Banes?"

Poor Ren can only look at the floor. "Your Majesties, we found a secret room in the library and read the books about magic hidden there. We only wanted to learn how to stop the wizard. And now the forest is stirring. We woke it up, but we didn't mean to. It was behind us. If the trees keep moving in our direction, they may reach the walls soon."

Papa does not look as surprised as I expected at the mention of the hidden library, but Mama turns an awful shade of pale.

"The forest is awake? What have you done?" Her eyes burn at me so brightly I have to look away. "Rosabel, you are never leaving that tower again. No more gardens. No more music lessons with your sister, and definitely no more books."

She grabs my arm as though she means to drag me to my room this instant, and I vaguely hear my father say something I cannot make out. The room spins beneath my feet, and suddenly all I can see is the gilded ceiling above me. Something cold and hard spreads over my back and I realize I am lying on the marble floor in the throne room. Ren's panicked face looms over me, until it's replaced by those of my parents.

My arms and legs feel like lead weights, but I try to reach out anyway. All I can muster is a whisper, "I'm sorry."