Page 74 of Anywhere

“Wha’ be dis magic?”

Stepping back, I looked at the front of the long surface and realized that the front looked like doors, but I wasn’t opening them. You never knew what creatures they could be hiding inside.

Returning to my investigation, I picked up a bottle with golden liquid inside. I stared at it from every angle and gave it a little shake. Pulling up on the small silver top, I was shocked when the two sides separated.

It had a strong aroma. Placing my nose to the bottle, I gave it a sniff, then pulled my head away, shaking it with a sneeze. It smelled like…I wasn’t sure what. Sort of like Rook but a lot stronger. A little bit of the liquid was dribbling out the top, and I stared at it, unable to decipher what they would use this for. Was it some magic potion? Did they drink it?

I gave the bottle a harder shake, and the top pushed in. Mist attacked me as it sprayed into the air. I started choking as droplets hit my face and stung my eyes. Tossing the bottle on the counter, I ran as far away as I could. Coughing from the intense stench trying to kill me, I banged on the rock wall and screamed for Rook to save me from the vial of poison he kept in here.

When no one came, I dove into the corner of the room and covered my face with my tunic. Barry, who’d lived through the attack as well, ran up under my tunic and began making little squirrel noises that I could only guess were sneezes. This was not a fun room, and it was filled with traps. I was terrified to touch anything else.

Wrapping my arms around my knees, with my tunic firmly in place over my nose and mouth, I waited to see if I was going to turn into a hideous creature or die in this position. I had no idea how long I sat there, but the sun had changed positions in the sky outside twice. My stomach growled, and I placed my head against the wall and closed my eyes, prepared to just go hungry, when I remembered I had half of a biscuit left. I grabbed for my bag, then swore as I remembered that Rook had taken that away, too.

“I’ma really wishin’ ya shared ya nuts wit’ me, Barry,” I grumbled to the squirrel that was comfortably napping in my lap.

Then I heard noises in the outer room. I placed my ear against the rock wall to see if I could hear what was being said. It was too muffled, but there was more than one person talking, and my chest began to warm again. Looking down, I rubbed at the spot that was making me feel tingly. This spell needed to go away before it did something permanent to me.

When the door opened, I jumped to my feet, ready to fight whoever it was.

“Hi’za, Elewyen. Dinnie be hittin’ me wit a spell or anythin’. I’ma no’ here ta hurt ya,” the female, Mari, from earlier said through a narrow crack in the door.

I didn’t say anything, but I didn’t move either, as her head poked around the corner. Her eyes were the exact same shade as the woman I’d seen in the garden. I sucked in a breath as I stared into those bright blue eyes that were intelligent and strong but warm with kindness.

“Cannie I be comin’ in?” she asked slowly. I nodded.

Mari walked in, and she looked even more stunning than down in the dungeon’s dim light. She wore the same black outfit that hugged her legs and black boots like what the guys wore on her feet. She looked like a warrior, with her hair pulled up high on her head and the leather straps that covered the tight shirt she was wearing.

“Would ya like me ta keep speakin’ wit me accent so ya can understand me betta?”

Once more, I nodded, and she closed the door, laying her hand against the wood. I felt her power surge as a new barrier was put into place.

“Me dinnie understand what dey want wit’ me. Me got nothin’ ta offer, and I’ma sorry for attakin’ Rook. But ya no’ let me go,” I said and crossed my arms over my chest.

Barry chose that moment to run down my body and across the floor toward Mari.

“Pleaz naw hurt ‘im,” I blurted as Barry leapt for Mari’s boot.

Mari shocked me as she laughed and held her palm open. I watched in fascination as Barry ran up her body and down her arm to her open palm before sitting up and voicing his displeasure over being locked in this strange room without more food as an offering.

“Aye, I understand. Rook cannie be an arse,” Mari said to Barry. “It be a good ting dat I stopped by da kitchen and reloaded me snacks.”

She reached into the same black pouch as earlier and pulled out a small handful of food. Barry chatted excitedly, and Mari held her hand out towards the shelf with the stinky bottle for Barry to jump off, then placed the pile down. “It jus’ be some sunflower seeds, nuts, an’ dried fruits. We be callin’ it a trail mix,” she said, then smiled at me. “Barry be sweet.”

“Aye. So ya ‘ave a way wit da animals too,” I said, daring to get closer to Mari.

“Aye, I do. It was me mother’s gift ta me, and it has kept me from feelin’ all alone many a night,” Mari said and looked away from me to stare at Barry.

Even though her words were meant to be happy, her mouth made the same sad smile the woman from the garden had. Without asking, I knew that the woman was her mother.

Sometimes, I wished I knew who my mother was, but then dash the thoughts. If my parents left me in the forest to die, then they were people I never wanted to meet or call family. The one thing I knew for certain was that I raised myself with the animals until my coven took me in. My coven was my family, and those women were all my mothers and sisters. A happy warmth spread through my body at the thought of Azula and Keeva and the rest of the women.

“I know ya wanna go. I cannie see it in yer eyes dat ya wanna run for da hills and never look back, but we need ya ta stay, an’ no’ ‘cause we plan on hurtin’ ya.” Mari sighed and leaned against the shelf that Barry was eating on. “‘Ave ya heard of a triad?” I shook my head no. “There be too much ta be explainin’, but I’ma gonna say dis. There be a lotta bad people dat are tryin’ to hurt everyone dat lives on da island, as ya saw. Da ones dat burnt down da villages are attackin’ many more and killin’ off all da food dat was growin’ in da fields. We be tryin’ ta stop ‘em, but ta stop ‘em, we need ya ta stay.”

“Wha’ do me stayin’ ‘ave ta do wit da ones dat killed all da babes?”

Keeping a wary eye on the bottle on the counter, I took another tentative step towards Mari. I didn’t feel threatened, and it was nice to speak to someone other than Barry.

“Let me ask ya dis. Do ya feel anything strange when ya see Rook and Rhys? Do ya feel a pull ta dem, like they mean somethin’ to ya, but ya dinnie know why?” Mari asked.