They broke down the door
without even knocking to see if I was inside. I swung around, nearly knocking a
glass of water off the table.
“Gentlemen,” I said evenly. “What brings you to-”
“We know you have the girls,” the closest one snarled.
“Hand them over, and we will show you mercy.”
“‘Mercy’ isn’t a word in either of our vocabularies. But
as you can see, they are not here.” I spread my arm in an inviting gesture,
drawing their gaze to the empty room. The only things visible were a single cot
in the far corner under a window, the pump, and the table of water glasses.
“We heard singing,” another mask spat. “How do you
explain that, witch?”
I tilted my head toward the glasses. They were each
filled with water at a different level and I pulled a thin strand of green
magic from the air, swirling it around the rims. Beautiful voices rang forth as
I pulled them from the water.
The masks were made of a fabric cursed to be sensitive to
magic. But the magic I had pulled to create the singing glasses covered the
effect of the magic suspending the girls’ cots to the ceiling and making them
invisible. The masks would not be able to detect the cots. Hopefully.
“My entertainment for the council ceremony,” I replied. “Singing
glasses.”
The masks eyed the room with suspicion, but there was
clearly no one else. One ran to the window and peered down, but even the blood
from the wolves was gone. The ropes had been drawn up, and no evidence gave
away the girls’ presence.
Several of the masks convened quietly, out of my earshot.
I listened for footsteps from above but none came. The oldest sisters were
succeeding in keeping the younger ones quiet.
I knew the masks were discussing taking me in for
questioning. I wasn’t frightened of questioning – I had done it before – but if
I left, the magic would leave with me and the bedrolls would no longer be
hidden. If more masks came, I couldn’t protect the girls. The house itself would
struggle to stand without me.
My
breathing was forcedly even as I waited.
The masks began filing out as the leader turned to me.
“We will not take you for questioning this time. But if you spill so much as a
drop of that water at the ceremony, we will know why you are out of line. And
we will burn this house to the ground.”
I smiled bitterly and gave an acknowledging half-nod. They
disappeared into the night, their torches burning an image in my mind I would
want to erase for the rest of my life. I waited until I was certain the masks
were gone before signaling for the girls to come down. Michelle and Xandra came
first, helping the younger girls in through the window. Annette was last, calm
as ever. I let the invisibility on the bedrolls fade and lowered them to the
floor. Everyone began arranging them back to their regular places, ready to get
back to sleep after the events of the night. Annette crossed the room quickly
to embrace me. I nearly collapsed in her arms.
“You need rest,” she said, concern filling her voice.
“You have done enough for us tonight. I will take care of the girls. Sleep.”
I couldn’t even protest as she led me to an empty pallet.
I was asleep before she pulled a blanket to my shoulders. I wish I could say my
sleep was dreamless.
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