Page 13 of Sightwitch
At the sight of me, she flung the slate under the covers and then, knowing it was too late—I’d already seen—she dugherselfunder the covers too.
“Any luck?” I asked with forced lightness.
“Of course not,” she snarled, words muffled by the blanket.
I scrabbled onto the bed and burrowed under with her. It smelled like chalk, and a streak was smeared across her cheek. “I can tell you the answer, Rybie-Ry.”
“No,” she spat and, chalk still in hand, she clapped her hands to her ears. “I will figure this blighter outby myself, even if it takes me an entire lifetime.” Then, as she always declares and has for the past seven years: “Sister Hilga says that it takes some Sisters their whole lives to find the answer.”
“Can I at least give you a hint—”
“NO.”
With a groan, I kicked the covers off. Ryber gets worse and worse these days about following the Rules, about having to do everything perfectly ALL. THE. TIME.
Yes, I know she thinks that acting like the perfect Serving Sister will draw the spirit swifts from the scrying pool. That it will get her a Summoning from Sirmaya and she will finally earn that powerful Sight like the Sisters always promised her. But I think she’s wrong.
It won’t make a lick of difference. Sister Gaellan never remembered the Rules, so she constantly broke them by accident. And Sister Lachmipridedherself on breaking as many as she could. Yet they’re both clear-eyed now, and Ry still isn’t.
My poor Threadsister.
I just want her to be happy. To be free.
But she never will be if she won’tthink beyondlike I keep telling her.
“Hey,” I murmured, poking her in the shoulder. “Why do birds fly south in the winter?” I waited a beat before declaring, “Because it’s too far to walk!”
She glared at me.
I sighed. “Laugh, Ry. It’s funny, don’t you think?”
Then, because I was truly desperate to see her smile, I dragged out the only thing I knew she couldn’t refuse: “How about we go swimming under the Convent?”
She shot upright, the slate and puzzle completely forgotten. “Yes, yes, yes!” In a flurry of blankets, she tumbled out of bed and aimed for the door. “Last one there is an earwig!”
By the Twelve, she can move when she wants to.
Ugh, I thought, as I hurried after her.Why do I do this to myself? Sleeper knows, I hate earwigs—and I hate swimming under the Convent even more.
Goddess, the things I do to make her smile.
Then again, she does the same for me.
Y18 D180 — 6 days since I became the last Sightwitch Sister
I tried ringing the bell today, to see if it would trick the Goddess into welcoming me into the mountain. I tried first in the observatory after morning prayers …
Nothing. No answering toll came from the chapel.
So I tried again at the chapel.
But still, nothing. Instead, the words above the entrance mocked me.
TWO OR MORE AT ALL TIMES,
FOR A LONE SISTER IS LOST.
I am a lone Sister.
