Page 7

“Okay, all right, I’m getting up.”

She graced me with her gorgeous doggy smile, licked my face again, and jumped off the bed, dancing around with excitement.

Happy. Nia happy.

I laughed and shoved back the covers. I didn’t need my magic to interpret how she was feeling, I could see that for myself. Still, I heard her loud and clear, her voice filtering through my mind.

No, animals didn’t speak like you and me, or even think like us, but my power worked as a kind of translator. Whatever an animal was putting out, or trying to communicate, my magic delivered it to me in a way that I would understand. Nia was my familiar, our connection was incredibly deep, and communicating with her was as natural as breathing.

Other animals, well, I was getting there. My magic had grown a lot stronger over the last several months. Animals had always been drawn to me, though, they trusted me, wanted to please me. I often had stray cats follow me home—I was now very good friends with the lady who ran the local cat sanctuary and rehabilitation center. Birds liked to flutter around me, and squirrels were often sitting in the tree outside my bedroom window, much to Nia’s excitement.

“Come on then, sweet girl, let’s go get breakfast.” I pulled on my robe and walked into the hall. Rose’s door was ajar, and I eased it open as quietly as I could, not wanting to wake her if she was still asleep.

“I’m awake,” my sister said, her voice so incredibly weak.

I gripped the handle, took a steadying breath, plastered a smile on my face, and pushed the door open. “Hey, Roe.” Nia followed me in, rushing to my sister, then carefully jumping up to lick her hand, sensing the need to be careful. Rose was twenty-two, two years younger than me, and had been sick her entire life. No one knew what was wrong with her, and every year, she’d grown more and more unwell. She lay in a sea of pillows and blankets, so tiny and fragile. She felt the cold now. God, her skin was like ice most of the time.

I sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand, biting back my tears at how frail she had become. There was nothing to her, and her skin was paper-thin. I barely recognized my sister anymore.

Her pale blond hair was spread out on her pillow, her blue eyes faded and huge on her drawn face. They blinked up at me. “Can you help me dress? I’d like to go downstairs.”

“Of course.” I could carry her, she was so small now, but Rose hated that. “You need the bathroom?”

She shook her head. “Mom helped me earlier.”

“I’ll just grab a washcloth.” I rushed to get what she needed.

When I pulled back her covers, I kept my expression neutral, not letting the heartbreak I felt show on my face. I helped her sit up, keeping her that way by propping pillows around her, and quickly undressed her. Rose hated this as well. She didn’t like anyone seeing her body now, so we did this part as fast as possible. I handed her the cloth, and she slowly, painfully, washed under her arms and between her legs while I grabbed her clothes from the drawers on the other side of the bed.

I picked out a shirt and tights and glanced over at her. Her back was to me, and I almost let a sob escape. She was like a skeleton covered in pale skin, but what upset Rose the most was the hump that had appeared on her back. We didn’t know what it was or what it meant, but it was big enough to be noticeable even when she was dressed. Else, our aunt and a great healer, didn’t know why it had appeared and neither did any of the other healers she’d spoken to.

So we didn’t mention it, all studiously pretending it wasn’t there.

I helped her dress, slid her slippers on her feet, then wrapped my arm around her narrow waist, taking all of her insubstantial weight, and we slowly made our way downstairs.

Voices reached us before I walked into the kitchen. The whole family was up by the sounds. Mags, our baby sister, jumped up from the table as soon as she saw us and cleared off the chaise in the kitchen by the window for Rose.

Magnolia was nineteen and had recently graduated from high school. She was working full time with our aunt Else now, making tonics and potions for my sister Willow’s store, The Cauldron. The money from Else and Mags’ hard work was our family’s main income, and I helped out with what I earned at the bar. But the shop did more than all right. Else’s tonics were highly sought after, and she had trouble keeping up with demand. Thankfully, she now had Mags to help.

Bram, Magnolia’s familiar, a crow shifter, leaned against the wall. He was dressed all in black, as usual, his dark eyes watching her every move from under his tussled, glossy black hair. Bram had just started a new job. I didn’t know much about it, but he seemed to mainly work nights, and Mags wasn’t overly happy about it.

Elswyth, our seventy-two-year-old great aunt, limped over—her prosthetic leg gave her more trouble in the mornings—and tucked pillows around Rose, then covered her with a blanket. “I’ve got a new tonic for you this morning, sweetness,” Else said to Roe. “I’m hoping it’ll help with your appetite.”

Rose smiled at our aunt indulgently. My sister thought our efforts to find a cure for her were a waste of time. But she’d never argue with Else. None of us would.

“Don’t give me that look,” Else said.

“What look?” she said innocently.

“You know what look.” Else shuffled to the kitchen, grabbed her tonic, and shuffled back. “Now take your medicine, no arguments.”

Rose smiled wider. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Good,” Else said, fed her a spoon of tonic, then planted a kiss on her forehead. “Now I’m gonna make you some eggs, because I’m expecting to hear your belly start growling any minute.”

Rose chuckled weakly and rested back against the chaise.

I sat at the table and stole a sip of Magnolia’s coffee. “Where’s Mom and Art?”