Page 7 of Kingdom of Locks

Aurelia stepped quickly away from him, gathering up the locks and winding them around her arm to keep them from his reach. She may not have the means to stop him from furthering his plans with the use of her hair, but she drew the line at letting him stroke it like some kind of living pet.

“I’ve been working on something new,” mused Cyfrin, his eyes passing from Aurelia’s tresses to her face. “Something for your benefit, Honeysuckle. I haven’t worked out the details yet, but I hope to be able to start the process soon.”

“What have you been working on?” demanded Mama Gail, who had moved to stand alongside Aurelia.

Cyfrin’s eyes flicked to her with the usual irritation. “That’s between me and Honeysuckle.”

“No such thing,” contradicted Mama Gail. “Anything involving Aurelia involves me.”

Anger flashed across Cyfrin’s face at her refusal to use the ridiculous name he’d chosen for Aurelia. “Don’t overstep your boundaries,Abigail,” he said, turning the name into a sneer. Without giving his opponent a chance to respond, he shifted his attention back to Aurelia.

“Have you made any progress on the task I set you, Honeysuckle?”

Aurelia lowered her eyes. “No, Master Enchanter,” she said. “I can’t think of any way to make my hair more like a ladder.”

“Can’t you even complete one simple task?” Cyfrin snapped, losing his temper with his usual rapidity. “You have nothing else to do all day up here. Do you realize how much effort it takes to haul myself bodily up a formless rope each night?”

Mama Gail leaped to Aurelia’s defense, as usual. “What a hardship for you,” she said with biting sarcasm. “I’ve no idea how she’s supposed to turn her hair into a ladder. Of course, we could probably do it quite well if we cut it all off.”

“Don’t you dare snip a single strand!” Cyfrin shouted, firing up with painful predictability. “You know what will happen if you do. What use would I have for either one of you if the hair stopped growing?”

Aurelia’s eyes were still on her feet, but she could sense his gaze shifting to her. She braced herself for further recriminations, but to her surprise his tone was milder when he next spoke.

“Well, I’d have no use for Abigail, anyway.”

Aurelia dared to look up, unnerved by his unusual manner. His eyes hardened slightly as they met hers. “I’m disappointed that you couldn’t even find one solution, Honeysuckle. I expect you to do better.”

Yes, Master Enchanter.Her standard obedient response was on the tip of Aurelia’s tongue, but something made her hold it back. Perhaps it was simply Mama Gail’s palpable annoyance beside her. Or perhaps it was something deeper, some underfed instinct of defiance that recognized that she was no longer a child, and refused to be forever silenced. Whatever the cause, she couldn’t bring herself to feign submission, not this time. She just stared into Cyfrin’s eyes, giving him no answer.

She could see the anger growing with each passing second, but somewhat surprisingly, he made no comment. Instead he turned away from both women, striding across the large living space. He bypassed the door into their bedroom, pausing instead outside the only other door in Aurelia’s world, a door she’d never been able to pass through. After muttering something inaudible—presumably checking that his protective enchantment remained in place—Cyfrin opened the door and disappeared into his study.

Aurelia let out a sigh.

“Well done,” said Mama Gail quietly, and Aurelia didn’t have to ask what she meant. The older woman shot an annoyed look toward the now-closed door. “I was hoping he wouldn’t want to work in there tonight.”

“I hope that every night,” said Aurelia fervently. “But,” her tone turned optimistic, “maybe he won’t be in there for long.”

Mama Gail smiled encouragingly at this bright comment, but both women held themselves tensely as they went through the supplies Cyfrin had brought, discussing their evening meal. The food was simple, but Aurelia didn’t mind that. Presumably Cyfrin ate more lavishly than they did, back at whatever home he occupied when he wasn’t with them. And she would rather eat rocks than partake of any food interesting enough to tempt him to stay for the meal.

The solid door notwithstanding, neither of the tower’s occupants ever relaxed while Cyfrin was in the building. Still, Aurelia couldn’t help but feel that her mother’s unsettled air went beyond the usual irritation.

“What is it, Mama Gail?” she asked at last, after the third time her mother had slammed a dish down with a little too much force. “Why are you afraid?”

The other woman froze, turning startled eyes on Aurelia. “Afraid?”

Aurelia raised an eyebrow. “Don’t deny it, Mama. You promised you’d never lie to me, remember?”

“Of course I remember,” said Mama Gail, her expression softening. “I just hadn’t put it in so many words, I suppose.” She laid down the pot she was holding, considering her answer. “You’re right. I am afraid, a little.”

“But you’re never afraid,” said Aurelia, alarmed.

Mama Gail laughed. “Of course I am, darling. Everyone is sometimes. No matter how old.” She sighed. “Perhaps I’m worrying over nothing.”

Aurelia sent her a skeptical look. Her mother wasn’t one to worry even over things Aurelia thought were alarming, let alone over nothing.

“I won’t lie to you, Aurelia,” said Mama Gail seriously. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you everything I’m thinking. I will say, however, that I don’t like not knowing what Cyfrin is planning. All his talk of working on something new has put me on edge.”

“Yes, I was surprised by that as well,” Aurelia said thoughtfully. “He’s never mentioned a secondary project before, has he? And what did he mean it’s for my benefit?”

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