The Underground Witch (Incenaga Trilogy) (30 page)

Emmeline
pulled her dress from off the line by the fire and dressed in the tub room. The fabric crunched as she put it on, but she knew it would soften the more she moved.

“Do you want to heal yourself before you go?”
Flora asked when she emerged.

Emmeline glanced at the fire
and then at the window overhead. The sky had turned a lighter shade of purple. “I’d better not. If I don’t leave soon, I might not make it back before sunrise.”

Flora looked up. “Oh! You’re
right. You must go!”

Emmeline turned around
and found O’fin still curled up on the chair. Flora leaned over as if to wake him.

“Let him sleep
,” Emmeline whispered. “I can find my way back. Tell him I will return tomorrow night and that he doesn’t need to come for me.”

“Very well, until then.”

“Until then.”

With one last embrace,
and a deep breath, Emmeline ascended the stairs and prepared herself to return to the stench of Cantil’s Pit.

About halfway through the tunnel into Cantil’s Pit, Emmeline could no longer pretend she didn’t hear Tayve’s rumbling snores. The closer she crawled, the more she wanted to stuff moldy straw into her ears. Even the snakes avoided the grating sound and had left her alone to make her way through in peace. By the time she pushed the stone back into place and stood in the pit, her gown had gathered enough dirt to undo all of Flora’s efforts. And even though she smelled better, it wouldn’t last twenty minutes before the pit’s stench infused into her clothing once again.

Midday rolled around and
Emmeline grew bored, her gaze flickering to the loose stone every other second. She could hardly wait to leave the pit again. Sitting around did nothing but drain her of energy and leave her feeling listless.

After
an hour of counting stones, she began to crave Burungi’s conversation. With her feet tapping and her fingers swirling in the dirt, she listened for the change of guards. It came later, much later, and nothing but silence followed. Emmeline lost her patience and called out to him.

“Burungi?
”

Silence.

“Burungi!
I know you are there. What is the matter with you today? Aren’t you in the mood to irritate me?”

A pair of boots
stomped toward her from the entrance.

“What are you ho
llering about?” a yellow haired guard called down to her. “Your racket is bothering me.”

Emmeline bristled.
“Don’t let me disturb your hectic schedule. Where is Burungi?”

“Who?”

“The guard usually stationed here during the day.”

The guard spat. “I don’t care about anyone’s schedule
but my own.”

“
He has dark skin and even darker hair. And he talks a lot.”

“Oh, that fool?
He’s gone.”

“Gone!
Where did he go?”

“No one knows and no one cares.”
He turned and stomped back to the entrance.

Emmeline slumped against the side of
the pit. Piercing disappointment shot through her, surprising her. Burungi was an irritating little man, but she was at least a pleasantly irritating man. Without him to help past the time, her days would turn into endless torment.

The guard returned.
“I forgot. Turns out, the King doesn’t want you to starve so the night guard will bring you food from now on. The King still wants you to suffer, mind you, so don’t count on your meals being all that fancy. You’re lucky you’re getting anything at all.”

“What did the King say? Is he still planning on keeping me down here for
the full six weeks?”

“Look. I’m not as…vocal…as Burungi, so don’t expect to find another friend in me. I prefer to leave my mind at the threshold before entering this wretched place and I
won’t take it up again until I leave. The less I think, the less I smell the filth. So don’t bother me and I won’t bother you. If you’re dead, I’ll let the night guard find you. Understood?”

Emmeline nodded.

The guard plodded away, leaving Emmeline alone with her thoughts. She wished she could be more like him and leave her mind somewhere else, even if for a little while. Her only escape from the smell was sleep. That is, until she went through the tunnel again. Her eyes flickered to the loose stone and she smiled. She couldn’t wait.

Emmeline
leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, letting herself drift in and out of consciousness for the remainder of the day. It wasn’t until the yellow haired guard stomped out and Tayve shuffled in that her senses awakened. Tayve made his way to the pit and lowered a bucket of slop.

“Don’t eat it too fast,” he rasped.
“It’ll give you an ache and I don’t need you dying on me.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank the King who decided to show mercy on you and let you to eat. Or maybe he is prolonging your torture. That must be it, since you did something real bad.”

“I’ve done nothing.”

“Yes, yes, I know. Let’s just cut to the part where you tell me what you did.”

“Can I have some water?”

“Food today. Water tomorrow. You get one bucket a day. That’s the orders.”

Emmeline unlatched the bucket and the rope
whipped out of the pit. Startled, she jerked her chin up to find Tayve eyeing her as if he had expected her to grab the rope and pull him down.

“If you tell me your story,” he said
out of breath. “I’ll think about letting you send that bucket up for water. No one needs to know you got two buckets today.”

“There is no story.”

“Huh. Well, your choice. We’ll see how you feel tomorrow.”

Emmeline
smiled. She’d get plenty of water from Flora.

“What are you smilin’ about?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re thinking about what you did to get in here, aren’t you?”

Emmeline shrugged and turned her back. She’d let him think what he wanted. Tayve groaned and hobbled to his chair. Ten minutes later his snores had warmed up to a low growl, but Emmeline had no patience to wait any longer. Pulling on the loose stone, she wriggled her way through the tight tunnel.

Much sooner
than the night before, or so it seemed, Emmeline broke free from the tunnel and emerged into the open air. She took in a deep breath and imagined the stink leaving her lungs and evaporating off her clothing. It felt so good to be out of the pit. With a quick glance at the East Tower, she dashed across the field without looking back.

As soon as she reached the other side, she put her hands on her knees and caught her breath.
Her heart pounded and her breath whooshed in and out of her. After six weeks of sprinting across the field, Emmeline figured she would be capable of any sort of escape.

She
hiked around the hill and stopped just outside Flora’s underground home. Candles lit every hole and illuminated the door in a welcoming gesture similar to the one she and Erick had shared the night they returned from the waterfall. The night her life had been turned upside down and inside out. A stab of loneliness caught in her chest. She missed Erick. She missed her father. And she missed Dolmerti.

Emmeline
pushed her gloomy thoughts aside. She needed to dedicate all her energy to learning from Flora. If she could prevent anyone from controlling her then the constant fear of being found again would become obsolete. She could protect herself, and her loved ones, even from people like Demyan.

She knocked on the door and it opened almost immediately.

“Ah, child,” Flora said in a way that made Emmeline wonder if she had expected someone else. She shook the thought aside. Flora didn’t seem like the type of person to receive regular, if any, visits from her neighbors.

“Good evening,” Emmeline said.

Flora scrunched up her nose. “I’m delighted to see you again, but I wish the smell hadn’t returned with you.”

“I’m sorry.
There isn’t much I can do.” Emmeline fiddled with her skirt.

“No matter.
Come in. I’ll let you bathe while I scrub your clothing.”

“
It’ll only get filthy again.”

“I can’t work in these conditions.”
Flora said as she gestured toward Emmeline’s grime covered dress. She laughed a musical laugh and led Emmeline to the tub.

“Where is O
’fin?” Emmeline asked as Flora added salts to the water.

“He’s fast asleep, sweet boy. I told him it would be best if h
e were not here to distract you.” She chuckled. “He pouted for a good solid hour, but I explained that what you had to do would tire you and you’d be no fun. He seemed more willing for bed after that.”

Emmeline laughed. “He’s a good
boy. I’m glad you found him. I don’t think he has anyone else left.”

“I’ve become quite fond of him. It’s been so long since I have had a child to care for.”

Emmeline smiled. She couldn’t have asked for a better home for O’fin. After a quick soak and a hard scrub, she clothed herself in a working dress Flora had laid out for her. The coarse fabric scratched at her waist and shoulders, but it was clean, which more than made up for the rough weave. She made her way to the kitchen and found another hot meal waiting for her at the table, the aromas of fresh baked bread and apple pie begging for her to relax and enjoy the moment. But in a hurry to begin, she barreled through her meal.

Flora
bent over a large tin tub placed near the fire and wrung out Emmeline’s dress. Her arms were soaked to her elbows and half her hair had come loose from her bun. She looked up when Emmeline rose from the table.

“That was fast,” Flora noted.
“I’m nearly done here.” She hung another garment over the fire and the logs sizzled.

“Take your time,” Emmeline said, although she wasn’t sure she meant it. Her knee bounced
with anticipation.

“Your first lesson will be here.
There is no need to go to the cellar until…you are ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“Patience, child. We’ll get there. First you must heal yourself.”

“
I’m fine. Let’s begin.”

“
I can’t look at you like this,” Flora said with a frown. “You are black and blue from head to toe. One of your eyes is swollen and you have blisters on your knees and scabs on your wrists. Don’t you feel any discomfort?”

Emmeline looked at herself and grimaced. She’d almost forgotten
her injuries. It was a miracle she had survived them. Her eyes flickered to Flora and the old woman held up her hands, her palms forward.

“You are still unsure of me,” Flora said.
“I understand.”

“No, I’m sorry. That isn’
t it. I-”

“No need to apologize.
I’ll wait outside.”

“Don’t go. I just
need a minute to open myself to the fire.”

“
Because you have been used horribly,” Flora stated.

“
I never feel the pull around Erick because he doesn’t want to control me. I guess I’m afraid to find out if I’ll feel a pull with you in the room. I’m sorry.”

“My feelings aren’t
hurt. I don’t mind waiting outside.”

Ignoring
Emmeline’s protests, Flora gave her a kiss on the forehead and stepped outside.

Emmeline turned to the fire. Its warmth pulsed around her, looking for a way in. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The heat followe
d. It filled her lungs and then spread to her fingers and toes. Her back straightened and her legs seemed to stand a little taller. The sting of her wounds disappeared one by one until she felt whole again, refreshed and ready for anything. She opened her eyes and held her arms in front of her, turning them back and forth to marvel at the improvements. Her skin was smooth and without blemish, and her joints moved freely. She touched her face and sighed. The swelling had gone down and her cheekbones no longer throbbed. Oh, how she had missed the fire’s power!

“Very good,”
Flora said from the doorway.

Emmeline
whirled around with her hands braced in front of her.

Flora
cleared her throat and smiled. “Sorry to startle you.”

Emmeline relaxed and dropped her hands.

“You are more powerful than I thought,” Flora said. “That level of healing would have taken me an hour, at the very least.”

Emmeline looked at her arms again and touched her face. “I
guess it wasn’t as bad as it looked.”

Flora looked at her for a long moment. “Did
Orinda say anything to you about joining her?”