Witch Born(41)

By unspoken agreement, she and Mistin worked steadily away from the others. Soon Senna’s skin glowed bright enough that the moths bumped into her as frequently as they did the flowers. As a general rule, she hated bugs. But these moths were so beautiful they didn’t really count. They were more like tiny, delicate birds than insects.

A soft touch startled her. She looked down to see a moth skimming along her palm. Another landed on her wrist. She brought the insect close, studying the intricate patterns on its wings. A third moth clung to Senna’s smallest finger, its tiny legs tickling so she had to fight to keep from wiggling and scaring the moths away.

She froze and let the moths come. They coated her hands, their wings working as they fought each other to get ever closer. Soon, her hands were covered in moths like living mittens. She must have some in her hair too, because they flitted next to her face, climbing the tendrils of her hair like vines.

She was so caught up with the moths that Mistin’s voice startled her. “Do they normally do that?”

“They’re lost without the moon,” Senna whispered so as not to frighten them.

Mistin was breathing hard. “Shake them off.”

But Senna didn’t want to startle them. So instead, she sang.

Off with thee, off with thee, off in the night.

Fly for the moon and stars so bright.

The music around her fell in harmony with her song, and the moths sprang away from her hands in an explosion of wings. In moments, they were again flitting from flower to flower in mass confusion. None came back to Senna. Her hands still tickling with the memory of their clinging legs, she watched the moths.

Her smile faded when she saw Mistin gaping at her. “Senna, you’re shining.”

Senna looked down at herself and she was shocked to discover it was true. It wasn’t just the pollen and the dust from moth wings. Away from the lantern light, her skin shimmered softly. “That must be why the moths came. They were attracted to the light.”

“But why are you shining?” Mistin’s voice was tinged with fear.

Senna shook her head in disbelief. “It must be the pollen.”

Mistin blinked a few times. “Maybe.”

Senna flicked her hands, trying to shake off whatever must be on her skin.

Mistin wet her lips. “I’m going to work my way back.”

A hollow sadness filled Senna as she watched the closest thing she had to a friend disappear. She slumped down amid the flowers and tried to force the tears back down her throat. She didn’t cry anymore. She was past that. She was so absorbed in not crying that at first she didn’t notice the whirring sound around her.

Something crashed. She jumped to her feet and looked around. “Hello?”

Relieved she had a Guardian assigned to her, she called, “Um, whoever’s watching over me, will you come out? Please?” Heavy silence answered her.

Fear spreading through her veins, Senna backed up. “Hello?” This time there was an answer: a steady whirring noise.

“Senna! Drop!”

Reaching for the pistol Joshen had given her, Senna spun around. Reden sprinted towards her, his musket at his side, blood running down his face. Her mind registered the whirring noise. She’d heard it before. A sling. By then it was too late.

The stone connected with the side of her head. There was no pain, only an explosion of pure white light. She was on the ground, her ears ringing and her senses dull.

Senna was only vaguely aware of someone kneeling over her, then hands gripping her under her arms and dragging her away. Blackness curled in from the outsides of her vision. She fought to stay conscious.

Reden shouting again. The unmistakable sound of musket fire. A blur of movement from her attacker. An answering hiss of pain from Reden.

Then Reden was there. He crouched protectively over her, his eyes raking the trees as he poured powder into his musket. “Senna?”

She didn’t answer. Mostly because she couldn’t drudge up the energy.

“Senna!”

“What?” she tried to say, but it came out as more of an incomprehensible mumble. Her head felt like a watermelon dropped from a cliff. It didn’t hurt so much as just felt…scrambled.

Reden gripped her arm and helped her up. “Can you stand?”

Her legs refused to bear weight. He caught her as she fell and draped her over his shoulder. Then he started running. The jarring motion caused her to lose her battle with the blackness. She passed in and out of consciousness. At one point Reden went off the path, running through the foliage. Plants slapped Senna as they went past. The next time she woke, they were on the path again. She didn’t understand.

Finally, Reden eased her down to the ground and braced her against him. He pulled her hood over her face like he was hiding her. His breath came in short bursts and sweat rolled down the sides of his face. He didn’t bother brushing it away. “I need you to walk, Senna. I can’t hide us here.”