Witch Born(45)

13. A Witch’s Burden





Senna woke to the sound of someone pounding on the front door; its echoes vibrated painfully inside her skull. Squinting, she peered out the window. It was bright daylight outside. How long had she slept?

After moving the chair that was propped under the bedroom door, she eased into the hallway and padded to the top of the stairs.

“What do you mean she’s here?” Joshen’s voice was angry.

“She was attacked. If I hadn’t stopped them, they’d have taken her by now.”

“What!”

“Keep your voice down,” Reden hissed. “She’s all right.”

Senna lay at the top of the stairs and peered below.

“You have to let me see her!” Joshen pulled his hand through his dark hair. “Please, Reden. We had a misunderstanding. Let me talk to her.”

Reden physically blocked him. “No. She’s fine. I just checked on her a moment ago. She needs her rest.”

“Fine, I won’t wake her. I’ll just see for myself.” Joshen tried to slip past him.

Reden matched him. “What kind of misunderstanding?”

Joshen blew out. “Things have become…complicated lately. If we could just talk like we used to.”

Reden shook his head. “She’s sleeping off a concussion. That’s more important than you saying hello.”

Joshen worked his jaw before nodding slowly. “I have to give my report to the Heads. You’ll tell her I stopped by? Send someone to tell me she’s awake?”

Reden nodded. “If she wants to see you.”

Joshen’s face fell.

Senna considered calling out to him, but she was still so tired. Silently, she backed into her room. She fell on her bed, grateful classes were cancelled the week of the chesli harvest, and went back to sleep. She awoke the second time to a hollow ache in her middle and her head pounding in rhythm to her heart. She could feel the sticky heat of midafternoon.

Not sure if she’d have time to visit the bathing pools, she did the best she could with a water basin and a wet rag. Finished, she tugged her tangled hair into a messy braid to hide the lump on the back of her head.

When she came downstairs, Reden was in the kitchen. He handed her an orange and a cup of tea. She breathed in the aroma, easily recognizing the herbs that would help with pain and swelling. After adding enough milk to make the tea lukewarm, she gulped it down.

“Joshen was looking for you earlier.”

Senna poured herself another cup of tea and rolled the orange around in her hands. “I heard.”

Reden nodded once, clearly uncomfortable. “He knows you were attacked last night—it’ll bring him around to getting you out.”

She hesitated. “Well, I suppose if we don’t tell him the rest—about Tarten—until after we leave.” She felt suddenly lighter. Joshen would be coming with them. She wouldn’t have to leave everyone behind. “Maybe the Heads will think Joshen and I just eloped. Then they won’t be watching for me to subvert their curse.”

“If you were going to elope, why would I come along?”

She sighed. “If they guess the truth—which they probably will—they’ll try to stop me, even from a distance.”

“Will they succeed?”

She shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how much of the curse I can heal.” She waited for Reden to demand that she explain exactly what she could do. When he didn’t, her voice dropped to a whisper. “Aren’t you going to ask?”

“You’ll do the best you can. Nothing I do or say will change that.”

Senna peeled away the rind and lifted a section of the orange to her mouth. She almost felt like smiling. This time tomorrow, she would be fighting back instead of bumbling about waiting for someone to take another shot at abducting her. “I’ll gather the supplies I need and wrap up my unfinished business. Then we can go.”

A Guardian she vaguely recognized was waiting for her outside. He nodded by way of greeting. “Brusenna.”

Reden touched her arm. “This is Hesten. He’s one of the few in your personal detail. I trust him with this. Our muskets are primed. I’ll go on ahead. Hesten will bring up the rear. I already checked your pistol, and your knife is within reach.”

Feeling her stomach twisting around her breakfast, Senna nodded. “I have my seeds as well.”

“Whichever weapon you need.” Reden searched the trees with his eyes. “You’re as safe as I can make you while you’re here. But be careful.”

She left with the smell of oranges on her fingers and a slice of rich, nutty bread that she no longer had the stomach for.