Page 12 of Above
Nova
“I created my first tonic today. It’s meant to help with my headaches since Mama’s doesn’t work on me anymore. Today, she said she’s proud of the young lady I’m becoming, and she promised to let me start mixing with her in the mornings once I turn thirteen. I told her that if Celeste and I don’t get magic then we can take over the apothecary. I’ve never seen her smile so big.”
-From the journal of Nova Tershetta, 9243 AS
Six days after my birthday, I began fully preparing for the shadow ritual. I was eager to prove that I could be something special. That I already was. But more than that, I was floored by the thought that I might find answers and hope for my parents and Celeste.
Which was why, as Mama sold an eadi woman a tonic for her hair loss, I was sitting at the front desk, reading my alchemy book. Celeste was arranging one of the shelves nearby, her constant clanking and clatter making my head ache. It was like when she chewed with her mouth open. The incessant noise more than bothersome. It was outright unbearable.
“Must you be so loud?” I hissed. She turned her head toward me, her curls bouncing, sticking out her tongue.
“Must you be so loud?” she mocked in a whiny voice.
Groaning, I folded myself tighter into the chair, hunching over the pages as if it would block out the sounds. But Celeste only grew louder, an evil smile on her face.
“You’re so lucky we have a customer right now.”
“Or what, you’d crush me with your big brain?”
“No, my fist!” I threatened.
“My fist,” she repeated.
“My fist,” I shot back.
We began a battle, each time we fired the words at one another becoming less understandable, until we finally started making noises at each other and sticking out our tongues.
“Girls, you’re too old for this,” Mama huffed as she walked toward us. She wasn’t wrong. But things had continued to become tumultuous between Celeste and I, and it seemed staying in our childhood home beneath the watchful eyes of our parents didn’t help. “Nova, Ms. Doherty will be purchasing a hair loss tonic and one of our needle pens.”
“Excellent,” I chirped, setting my book on the counter and grabbing the charge pad. I scribbled out the items, writing down the total. “That will be ten coppers.”
Ms. Doherty smiled nervously at me, opening her satchel and digging out the coin. I watched silently, my smile still plastered on. When she was done, she set them on the wooden desk, sliding them forward and ripping her hand away when I reached for them. As if I were poison.
Sighing, I grabbed a cotton bag and put both items inside, pulling the drawstring closed.
“All set,” I said, trying to maintain my cheery attitude.
The woman smiled, taking the bag and turning to Mama. “She’s nothing like those other wretched shaytan. You’ve done a great job raising her under the less than ideal circumstances, Octavia.”
My heart lurched. I waited, seeing what Mama would say, but Celeste was quicker than any of us.
“Nova will always be more eadi than shaytan.” Ms. Doherty looked at Celeste with wide eyes, her hand flying up to her open mouth. Celeste stood there, her fists clenched and jaw jutting out, ready for a fight. Too bad she didn’t realize that her words only hurt me worse. “You shouldn’t compare her to those scum.”
“Celeste!” Mama yelled, scolding her and putting her body between us and Ms. Doherty, the scandalized older woman looking ready to berate us all. “I apologize. Things have been difficult lately with the protests and Seamus’s health. When things have calmed down, I will send Celeste to your shop to apologize. And, of course, to get some of your delightful peaches. Actually, I would love to hear about what you are selling in your off season as I walk you out.”
With that, Mama guided the older woman away. I assessed the two, my mind straying from the hurt to something far worse. Mama was only younger than Ms. Doherty by maybe five years. If she stopped taking haya she’d crumble.
“You could at least attempt to defend yourself,” Celeste huffed at my side. Peeking at her from the corner of my eye, I sighed.
“What’s the point?” Throwing up my arms in a hopeless shrug, I let them fall back down, smacking into my thighs.
“The point is that they think you’re one ofthem!”Celeste was quickly growing more angry, her cheeks deepening and the crease between her brow making an appearance.
“Iamone of them, Celeste.” Stars, I wished she was too. It would fix everything.
“You don’t have to be! You can be different!” She looked at me as if I had lost my mind, gesturing at my body like it was an obvious thing. As always, I grew defensive in the face of her unfairness.
“Different? What exactly am I doing that lumps me in with the tyrants? All I ever do is try my best to follow the stars’ will. Same as everyone else.”
