Florisia Page 6

  "But we didn't make any noise!" Raff blustered, moving up beside them.

  Dub chuckled. "Don't get your knickers in a knot young fella. I happen to have better hearing than most."

  Leah coughed to stifle a laugh. Dub only knew they were coming because he could hear her thoughts. Raff, muttered under his breath, obviously offended by Dub's inference they were noisy.

  The churning in her stomach increased the closer they got to the edge of the forest, the dim moonlight unable to penetrate the thick foliage ahead. She pulled out her torch, some of her fear abating as three torch beams lit up the tangled growth ahead. She smiled as Raff's hand fumbled for hers, grabbing hold and squeezing tight in gratitude.

  "Don't worry, Zolinda's house isn't far in. Stay close together... we don't want anyone getting lost." Leah shivered as they followed Dub in silence for a few minutes, the trees gradually thinning out to reveal a dilapidated little house perched in a small clearing.

  Dub turned and held up his hand. "Wait here," he said, before walking to the door and knocking. The door opened, and after exchanging a few quick words with the person inside he waved them over.

  "Come in, come in, my dears. Friends of Dub's are always welcome here." Leah had a moment of sheer panic, the saying said the spider to the fly flashing through her mind. The woman looked ancient. Her matted, thin, grey hair framed a face that could have been made of leather, which crinkled into a gruesome smile as she stepped aside to let them enter. Leah's eyes found Dub's, who nodded encouragingly, so she stepped gingerly into the room behind Raff, still holding tightly to his hand.

  The tiny house consisted of only the one room. Although sparsely furnished, shelves were randomly attached to every wall, holding an assortment of herb-like plants and various jars filled with who-knew-what, giving the place a cluttered feel. An old, dirty mattress lay in a corner against one wall, a large wood-burning stove wedged into another. Leah crinkled her nose at the smell of dirt and decay in the air, as if the door was never open long enough to allow fresh air to enter.

  The old woman waved them toward the four chairs surrounding a small, round table in the middle of the room. Leah eyed the lack of chairs. Where was Dub supposed to sit? But before she could say anything, Dub moved to the stove, leaning against a low bench covered in a variety of cooking utensils. Leah pulled her chair closer to Raff, noticing Belle did the same on his other side, and the three sat huddled together, not knowing what to say or do.

  "I'm Zolinda. Although most people know me as the old hag." The old woman's voice crackled, as if rusty from lack of use. Leah shuddered as the woman's eyes studied them. "So... Dub tells me you need some information. Well, you've come to the right place. Been alive so long, I've probably forgotten more than most people learn in their entire lifetime."

  Leah froze, fighting the urge to run away as Zolinda's beady eyes, suddenly alight with interest, focused on her. "So, did you bring the trinket dear?" How does she even know I'm the one who has it?

  Raff's sharp intake of breath snapped her out of her daze, making her aware of how hard she was squeezing his hand. Poor guy must be totally regretting ever offering to hold hers. She threw him an apologetic smile and released her grip. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the Hessian bag, digging out the circlet, and holding it up for all to see.

  Zolinda's intense gaze latched onto the circlet. "May I hold it?"

  "Of course," Leah said, placing it on Zolinda's outstretched palm. The old woman covered it with her other hand, and closed her eyes.

  Holding her breath, Leah jumped when the woman's eyes popped back open, boring into her as if trying to probe her mind. Uncomfortable with her penetrating gaze, Leah shifted her eyes to the table. This woman was seriously freaking her out.

  "And you say it was warm and glowing last night? Because it's not doing either of those things at the moment. In fact, I feel nothing at all from it." Leah felt stupid. She clenched her fists, fighting the overwhelming desire to snatch the circlet from the old hag's hands and hide it away in its bag. "Which in itself is unusual," Zolinda continued.

  Leah's eyes flew to Zolinda's. "Sorry? How is it unusual?"

  "All metal objects carry within them memories of previous owners, or past events. The fact I cannot discern anything means the metal is blocking me, prohibiting me from learning its secrets. It must be extremely powerful to be able to do that."

  She handed the circlet back to Leah, who couldn't wait to put it back in its bag and return it to her pocket. Should she tell the old woman about sharing the circlet's emotions? Her eyes sought Dub's on the other side of the room, and he shook his head quickly so the others wouldn't notice. Okay... so he didn't think it wise to share that little secret with Zolinda.

  "Well, I must say I am disappointed. There are many tales of an ancient amulet, lost after the Great War. But the tales are of a winged dagger, with a black stone at its centre. I have never heard of an amulet in the shape of a circlet. Pity." She stood up to indicate the meeting's end.

  Leah pushed her chair back and stood up, filled with frustration and disappointment. What a complete and utter waste of time. So what was the circlet then? Raff stood beside her, shoving his hands in his pockets and frowning, while Belle looked like she couldn't get out of there fast enough. Dub moved to Zolinda, thanking her for trying to help, and ushering them toward the door.

  "Stop!" Zolinda hissed, her wrinkled, leathery face deathly pale, her eyes cloudy and out of focus. "I sense great danger ahead. I fear it will affect all of you, but him more than the other two." She pointed at Raff, who stared at her in horror. "You must heed this warning, and take every precaution to protect yourselves. Now go!" She slumped back into her chair, drained of all energy. Dub took a step towards her, but she waved them out of the house. "I will be fine, but you must leave now." Dub nodded, hurrying them out the door and closing it behind them.

  Leah was more confused now than she had been before they visited Zolinda. The questions kept going round and round in her head. Why didn't the circlet glow? And how did it block Zolinda, yet communicate its emotions to her? Why were they in danger? And from who?

  They were almost back at the tree when she realised she was holding Raff's hand again. His eyes met hers, full of concern.

  "Sorry about that," she mumbled, as she disengaged her hand from his. "Hope I didn't cut off the circulation too much."

  "Not at all. If they need to amputate, I always have another one." Raff smiled, holding up his other hand as if to prove it.

  Leah laughed. He was such an idiot. But then, maybe an idiot was just what she needed in her life right now.

  Chapter Thirteen

  - Miss Poppycock -

  Raff sat at breakfast, shovelling food into his mouth. The previous night's little adventure had left him starving. He smiled at his bacon, the hand holding his fork still tingling from the memory of holding Leah's hand for so long.

  "I get that you're hungry, but the goofy grin over the bacon is making me nauseous," Belle chuckled, winking at him.

  He groaned as heat flooded his cheeks. He really needed to get a handle on this blushing thing. Annoyed at Belle for bursting his little bubble of happiness, he scowled. "So I like bacon, bite me!"

  That's when the happiness bubble evaporated, sliding to the floor to be squashed beneath the feet of Jack, who sat down opposite Leah with his breakfast.

  "'Morning all! How did the horse choosing go yesterday?" Although he said all, his eyes zeroed in on Leah.

  "Umm, yeah, great. We're all happy with the horses we got." Leah beamed at Jack, making Raff feel like he'd been punched in the stomach.

  Raff glared miserably at his plate as Leah and Jack proceeded to chat happily to each other, managing to exclude everyone else from the conversation. He almost growled when Belle kicked him under the table, turning to throw her another scowl, and nearly falling off his chair when he saw her face. What the…?

  "So Raff, aren't you excited about Gift control classes to
day?" His jaw dropped at the sight of Belle batting her eyelids, smiling and tilting her head. Yeah… so she’s totally lost it… and then he grinned, as it dawned on him what she was doing.

  "Yeah, I sure am. 'Gotta be better than old Kafoops' history class. I read some of the handbooks in my room last night. Can't wait to find out more about how the Gifts work."

  Right on cue, Leah choked on a mouthful of food. She knew full well he wasn't sitting in his room last night reading. Raff stuck his hand in the air and 'high-fived' Belle as they both burst out laughing. At the puzzled expression on Leah and Jack's faces, they laughed even harder. When they finally stopped laughing, Raff returned to eating his breakfast, sending Belle a grateful smile and ignoring Leah and Jack.

  Finished eating, Raff stood to head out of the dining room, frowning as Leah sidled up next to him. "What was all that about?"

  "All what?" He deliberately avoided making eye contact.

  She moved in front of him, standing with hands on hips. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," she huffed. "You were so not in your room reading last night!"

  Raff glared at her, ignoring the other students trying to pass as they blocked the doorway. "Oh that...?" He smiled at the sparks shooting from her eyes. "I didn't realise you were listening, you seemed way too busy making goo-goo eyes at Jacky-boy!"

  Raff turned and walked off, linking arms with Belle as they headed for class. At the sound of Leah's footsteps behind them, his stomach did backflips as she slipped in between them and linked arms.

  "Hey, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to be rude. Jack is nice, but I'd much rather hangout with you guys." Hmmm... so Jack was nice, eh? Raff couldn't help wondering if she thought him nice too. "Please don't be mad at me any more?" She jiggled their arms, shaking them until they were all smiling again.

  "So, I guess we better move it then." She dropped their arms, turning to walk backwards in front of them. "Especially you Raff, seeing you... ummm... can't wait to find out more about how the Gifts work?" she mimicked. Poking out her tongue, she spun around, and ran off laughing toward the classrooms.

  Raff scratched his head as his eyes followed her departing back. I will never understand girls!

  * * *

  Miss Poppycock was, without a doubt, the kookiest woman Raff had ever come across. Her outfit was such a riotous mismatch of bright colours it hurt his eyes to look at her. Throughout the entire lesson, she floated around the room, making random vague suggestions to students about whether their outfit matched their eyes or clashed with their skin colour. But he had to admit, she knew a lot about Gifts and how they worked.

  "So, where was I? Ah yes, wings. It is common for all fairy types to develop wings, and contrary to popular belief, they can be quite difficult to control." She looked at the girl they had seen on their first day, the one who complained about her wings popping out unexpectedly. "As I explained to Helvetica yesterday, your wings will often respond to your emotions. If they think you are trying to flee, they may anticipate your needs and take control of the situation. You must, therefore, learn to practice control over your emotions.

  Raff's attention drifted as Miss Poppycock continued to drone on about the importance of developing control over emotions. Belle and Leah sat on either side of him, listening intently to every word Poppycock uttered. He sighed, trying to focus his attention on the lesson, instead of indulging in fantasies where he rode Rogue off on some heroic quest. He failed dismally!

  After what felt like an eternity, the lesson finally ended. Amidst the scraping of chairs and chatter, Miss Poppycock clapped her hands for attention.

  "Don't forget, tomorrow is village visit day. Please remember to pick up your credit notes from Dominic, in the main building, before dinner. There will be no-one available to hand them out tomorrow, so if you forget, it will be your loss. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your day." She waved her hand to dismiss them from class.

  "What's a credit note?" Belle asked Leah as they walked out.

  Leah shrugged. "No idea. I guess we'll have to ask Dominic this afternoon."

  Chapter Fourteen

  - The Second Piece -

  Lying on her stomach on the grass next to the lake, Leah smiled contentedly at Belle and Raff stretched out beside her. She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed. She loved Fey Academy, and Belle and Raff were great! They’d spent the afternoon in the meadow with their horses, learning how to brush them and check their hooves for stones. Solange had been absolutely perfect; co-operating with everything Leah tried to do. She chuckled, thinking how much easier she’d had it than Raff. Rogue had alternately nipped and shoved him at every opportunity. While the sound of Belle’s tinkling laugh had been enough to tell Leah she was having a ball.

  They’d been to see Dominic, who’d apologised for forgetting to tell them about the credit notes for village day. He’d handed them each a piece of paper, explaining that they could be used in any or all of the shops in Fey Village. Leah’s heart had constricted at the tears in Belle’s eyes. She doubted Belle had ever been shopping in her whole life.

  Raff sat up and cleared his throat, pulling her attention back to the present. “Ummm, Leah, I’ve been meaning to ask you about something.” He was concentrating on the blade of grass he was currently trying to shred with his fingers.

  “Hmmmmmm?”

  “It’s about the… you know… thing you showed Zolinda last night.”

  Leah’s head snapped up. He was talking about the circlet.

  “What about it?” She was feeling defensive all of a sudden. Her hand automatically went to her pocket protectively, but then she remembered she’d left the circlet under her pillow when they went out to the horses.

  “Well, it’s more about the bag it was in, actually.”

  Leah realised he was looking extremely uncomfortable, and she sighed. “Yes, Raff, what about the bag?”

  “I was just wondering, did it come with the bag, or did you already have that?”

  Leah frowned. “My Guardian, Miriam, gave it to me in the bag. Why?”

  “’Cos I have one exactly the same,” he finally blurted out.

  Leah realised her mouth was hanging open, and snapped it shut.

  “What?”

  “Where did you get it?”

  “Is there anything in it?”

  “Why didn’t you say something last night?”

  “Are you sure it’s the same?”

  Leah laughed at the confusion on Raff’s face. The barrage of questions had his head swivelling to and fro so quickly it looked ready to topple off his shoulders, and his mouth kept opening and closing every time he tried to answer a question.

  “Sorry, Raff, why don’t you tell us about it?” Leah said, catching Belle’s eye and grinning.

  “Ok, well, I found it the night before I left Naissance.” He related the entire story, finishing with the details of the small black rock he’d found in the bag.

  They looked at each other in stunned silence.

  Hadn’t Zolinda said something about a black stone being associated with the missing amulet? And wasn’t it way too weird a coincidence the bags were exactly the same?

  Belle finally broke the silence. “So where is it now?”

  Raff shrugged. “It’s in my room, under my pillow where I always keep it.”

  Icy fingers of excitement were running up and down Leah’s spine. “Maybe that explains it?”

  “Explains what?” Raff and Belle asked at the same time.

  Leah jumped up, and brushed the grass off her jeans. “I’ll explain later. So can we go see it? Like now?” she asked, waving them to their feet.

  * * *

  As they neared Raff’s room, Leah waved them on and dashed into her room to grab her own Hessian bag. The warmth seeping through the fabric told her she’d been right.

  She pulled the circlet out of the bag as she entered the room, holding it up as they turned to look at her.

  “Check this out!” The meta
l glowed even more than it had done before. Raff and Belle’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “Woh, that is so cool. How come it’s glowing, when it wasn’t last night at Zolinda’s?” Raff reached under his pillow, and pulled out what looked like the exact same bag. He shook the small black rock into his hand, and the same glow radiated from its centre.

  His eyes were like saucers. “I’ve never seen it do that before. But then, the last time I looked at it was back in Naissance. I hadn’t even thought about it until last night, when I saw you pull out your bag.”

  Belle had picked up the empty bag from the bed, and was turning it over in her hands with a frown on her face.

  “Ummm, guys… this just keeps getting weirder. Hang on, I’ll be back in a minute,” she said, dashing out of the room.

  Leah looked at Raff, who shook his head and shrugged.

  “Don’t ask me.”

  Belle came back holding another old Hessian bag. It was badly stained, and more a greyish colour than white, but it did look an awful lot like the other two.

  She held her hand up in front of her. “And before you start with the questions, it was empty when I found it. I only kept it ‘cos my little book fits inside it perfectly.”

  Another coincidence? This was getting way too weird!

  Belle was holding her bag, and staring at the two glowing objects as if she expected them to grow legs and attack her. “I think maybe it’s time we went and saw Madame Persimmons. Maybe she’ll know what we should do.”

  Raff nodded. “I agree. But I’m not missing out on town day tomorrow. Leah, do you reckon you might be able to get a message to Dub, and ask him to let Madame Persimmons know we need to see her in her office on Sunday?”

  Leah grinned. “No problem, I’m sure I’ll see him around in the morning before we go.” Or I could just think about it, and Dub will know, she thought. She wished she could tell her friends about the mind reading thing, but she’d promised Dub she wouldn’t.