Page 10 of Ember and Eclipse
Strange. It certainly didn’tseemlike a bakery.
“What do you need?” The witch’s wild gray curls popped out from around a shelf. She wore more colorful scarves around her neck and waist than necessary, and a light tinkling came from some sort of beads or bells she had hidden on her person.
“I—” The notion seemed ridiculous now as this clearly wasn’t a bakery. She glanced around the place and then back at the witch. Maybe the sign had been for somewhere else.
The older witch waited, peering at her expectantly until she finally let out a long exhale. “Right then, follow me.”
“But I didn’t even say anything.”
“Didn’t have to,” she sang.
Rel followed the witch around a corner into a cramped sitting area that held more shelves than seats. “Sit,” she commanded, gesturing toward a deep plum-colored chair. Rel sunk into it, her body immediately relaxing into the cushions.
Gods, she was tired.
The witch disappeared between two wooden bookcases, her footsteps and muttering fading. Rel stared at the spot between the shelves but couldn’t reason how there was an opening there. And then she noticed the things on the shelves—portraits where the peoplemoved. Some blinked in confusion, some waved jovially with bright smiles, and others turned their back on her as if they didn’t want to perceive or be perceived.
“Firstly, tea and food.”
Startled, Rel jumped as she whipped her head around to find the witch with a tray in her hands behind her. She set it on the cluttered table between them and sat in the opposite chair.
Rel’s stomach grumbled. She’d only eaten some of the nuts she had brought along and a piece of the dried meat found in the horse’s saddlebag. Neither of which were that appetizing or filling. So, the bread rolls and sweet buns made her mouth water.
“Go on.”
Rel picked up a bun and took a large bite from it without looking too feral. It was warm, buttery, and coated in cinnamon. It was rich, much richer than the food she’d grown accustomed to, and she vaguely wondered if she would have a stomach ache as she took another large bite.
“So,” the witch drawled, “you are running.”
Rel flicked her eyes to meet her amber gaze. How had she known? Between chewing, she said, “I’m—no.”
The witch arched a brow at her but ignored her denial. “And you’re seeking sanctuary not in a coven, but somewhere across distant seas?”
A moon witch, no doubt. Many of them had the ability to see what others could not.
“I’m not welcomed in covens.”
The witch studied her like she was seeing the tangled threads of fate, deciphering some language of the gods. Though her unfocused gaze was unnerving, Rel took another bite out of the sweet bun.
Finally, the shop owner said, “Unfortunately, you can’t hide from this. You can’toutrunthis.”
She swallowed hard. “What do you mean I can’t? Imust. There’s—” her voice broke, and she cursed herself. She was over-tired, too emotional. “I don’t know what made me stop here, but I just needed food, and then I’ll be on my way to the docks.”
A crease had formed in the witch’s brow. “Drink your tea and eat as much as you like. I’ll ready a room for you.” She stood and sniffed, her nose scrunching. “And a bath.”
“I’m not staying,” she gasped, “I need to go to the docks and—”
“You’ll need to speak with Hollum. He’s the only captain you should trust and has helped others in… similar predicaments. Hollum is early to rise, but by now, he is deep in his cups somewhere on the other side of the Mark. At no charge, I’m offering you a safe place to bathe and sleep. I’ll put your horse up even—he can keep Rose company. Take it or leave it.” She peered at her with pursed lips.
Rel weighed her options. Wandering around the Mark was dangerous, but so was trusting anyone within it. With very few good options, though, it seemed like her best bet. She nodded and said, “Thank you—”
But the witch had already disappeared through the shelves again.
Rel almost fell asleep in the hot bath. The oils the witch, Imren was her name, had put in the water were heady and thick—eucalyptus and something soft and floral. It made her feel much calmer than she had since the hunters. Pulling herself out of the still heated waters took more effort than it should. She managed to dry off and groggily put on a tunic and pants. She wanted to be dressed in case she had to leave abruptly.
Imren had given her a spacious, sparsely decorated room on the second floor. And though her heart ached for her home, and she spared a thought for the hunter who was probably growing hungry, none of those worries stopped her from climbing into the large bed. She placed her pack beside her and tucked one of her knives beneath her pillow. Weary and heartbroken, she fell quickly into a dreamless sleep.
When she awoke suddenly, gasping for a breath she’d forgotten to take in slumber, the first thing she noticed was that it was still night out. The Mark never truly slept, but the darkness seeped into the room like a living thing. She searched the chamber, her eyes unable to adjust as quick as she was used to. So, when she thought she saw something misshapen silhouetted in the doorway with a long torso and a snout, she merely narrowed her eyes to make it out.
