Page 35 of Kingdom of Locks

“Honestly, Mama Gail,” Aurelia said in frustration, “the thing that’s frightening me the most right now is your behavior.”

Her mother groaned softly, running a hand down her own face. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m scared as well, to tell the truth. I don’t like not knowing what’s coming, and I don’t like feeling powerless to stop whatever it is.” Her voice took on an edge of desperation. “I wish I could get you out of here. I wish I could do ittoday.”

Aurelia frowned, placing her hand over her mother’s on the settle. She wasn’t used to the older woman showing such vulnerability, but she welcomed it. Her experience the evening before had bolstered her, making her dare to believe she was stronger than she’d always feared. “Don’t be afraid, Mama Gail. You’ve always been strong for me, and I’m old enough now to be strong for you as well. Whatever’s coming, we’ll weather it together, like we always do.”

To her amazement, moisture welled up in the other woman’s eyes. Mama Gail leaned forward to wrap Aurelia in a quick hug, effectively hiding the emotion, although the thickness in her voice betrayed her.

“You’re so good, Aurelia. I wish sometimes I had your gentle spirit.”

Aurelia laughed. “Don’t wish that. Who would stand up to Cyfrin if we were both gentle?”

“You would,” said Mama Gail firmly. “And I trust you always will.”

“Of course,” said Aurelia easily. “Now tell me what you learned about his project.”

Mama Gail let out a frustrated breath. “Nothing clear. Tell me again, what happened with the key?”

Aurelia cast her mind back over her strange encounter with the enchanter the night before. “He said that giving it to me was a sign of goodwill.” She frowned. “And something else. What was it? Something about a key being a fitting gift.”

“Fitting,” Mama Gail repeated grimly. “Hm.” She sifted through the papers in her hands, her eyes scanning the pages rapidly as she turned them.

Aurelia leaned forward curiously, but she was only able to catch a glimpse before her mother turned them upside down.

“Why are you hiding them?” Aurelia demanded. “I saw something about giving me the key. What does it say?”

“I don’t understand it yet,” said her mother pleadingly. “Let me make sense of it before I try to explain it to you.”

Aurelia frowned. “Can’t we try to make sense of it together?”

Her mother blinked several times in quick succession. “Maybe that’s wisest,” she muttered to herself. “Maybe best to be forewarned…or maybe it’ll just make it worse.”

“You’re muttering, Mama Gail,” said Aurelia, a little alarmed. With great resolution, she drew a deep breath, swallowing her impatience at her mother’s reluctance to confide in her. Time was something they had in abundance. “You’re not thinking straight. Why don’t you get some sleep, and we can talk in a few hours.”

“You’re right,” said Mama Gail, glancing longingly at the door to the bedroom. “I can’t think clearly in this state.” She smiled at Aurelia, but the expression was strained. “We’ll talk it all through when I wake up.”

Aurelia nodded, hoping the older woman would sleep long enough for the anxiety to ease from her visibly tense body. Aurelia, meanwhile, would use the hours to come up with a series of unassailable arguments for why her mother should tell her everything she’d discovered, and everything she suspected about Cyfrin’s plans.

Any hope of sneaking a look at Cyfrin’s notes while her mother was asleep was dashed when Mama Gail returned the papers to the study before seeking her bed. No matter. Aurelia preferred to convince her mother to confide in her rather than finding the answers behind the other woman’s back.

It was earlier than Aurelia usually woke, but she didn’t try to go back to sleep herself. Her thoughts were too full. She moved around quietly, making herself a simple breakfast from the eggs Cyfrin had brought the night before. By the time she’d eaten, the sun was shining brightly, and she could hear birds singing in the grove outside her window.

A peek into the bedroom showed that Mama Gail was sound asleep, so Aurelia closed the door gently, and set about her usual morning tasks. There was some mending to do, but she spurned it for the moment. She didn’t feel like sitting still, not on such a glorious morning. She retrieved her pruning shears, and moved around the circular living area, tending to each of the plants she and her mother had managed to cultivate in their tower over the years. As she worked, she passed Mama Gail’s words and behavior over in her mind. Something had certainly changed, and although Aurelia couldn’t for the life of her figure out what, it was something significant enough to have Mama Gail more worked up than she’d been in years.

What had Aurelia glimpsed in the quickly covered notes?

Give Honeysuckle the key? Risk vs reward.

She frowned over the strange words, not entirely sure she’d remembered it correctly. Cyfrin’s face swam before her mind’s eye, as it was when he’d handed her the key. It had seemed like the whim of the moment to her. But if it was mentioned in his notes, it must have been something he’d planned.

A slight shudder went over her. She’d never wanted to be part of any of Cyfrin’s plans, and that hadn’t changed. But she tried to push the fearful reaction down. Mama Gail had said she didn’t like feeling powerless, and yet having a role to play surely meant that Aurelia wasn’t entirely powerless. And if the enchanter had decided to give her the key, he must have concluded that the rewards—whatever they were—outweighed the risks.

A flash of resentment passed over Aurelia, some rebellious inner voice noting that even Cyfrin seemed to be trusting her with a role, while Mama Gail wouldn’t even tell her what she’d found. The thought was fleeting, but it unnerved Aurelia all the same. She would do well not to forget who her real enemy was.

Still, she was determined to show Mama Gail that she could handle whatever sinister plot Cyfrin was hatching now. She glanced at the silver key, sitting on the counter next to the copper kettle. Perhaps it had been more than a gesture. Could it be an artifact? Aurelia sighed, running a hand over her unrestrained hair. She had no need of extra magic. With all the power Cyfrin had poured into her hair, she was basically a walking artifact.

The feel of the loose dark waves gave Aurelia her next task. Mama Gail had been too distracted the night before to re-braid her hair after Cyfrin’s departure, and it was tugging painfully at Aurelia’s head. Not to mention it was trailing behind her gathering dirt, which would make her job of sweeping the floors impractical.

She settled herself on a chair by the window, gazing out at the lovely scene before her eyes. A familiar wistfulness washed over her at the beauty that was, as always, just out of reach, but she was determined not to give in to melancholy today. There was a gentle breeze blowing, she had a rare moment to herself, and Cyfrin wouldn’t be coming near them for hours and hours.

---