Page 114 of Brambles and Bellflowers
His lips thinned, attention turning to the contents of his drink. “I just hoped…”
“That there was an easy way to get back to civilization?” she interrupted, crossing her arms. She still wore black, and her hair was in a thick plait down her back. “You’ll have at least a four-hour walk back to the river—and that’s if you’re moving unhindered. Your leg will slow you down. You’re lucky I had oregano left for a poultice. Your face, though, will scar.”
I clenched the blanket tightly over my chin as my heart thundered. That’s what I had assumed might—but hoped wouldn’t—happen.
“It’s okay,” Miles said, gingerly touching his face. “It was worth it.”
She pursed her lips as she studied him.
Miles lowered his hand and closed it back around his cup. “That place where you found us—the witch’s circle. Is it yours? How do you have the strength, considering?”
Considering what? I must have missed an earlier conversation.
“It is,” she said, returning to the iron pot. “I like my privacy. I’ve also set up other items to deter trespassers.”
“Like what?” Miles asked, curious. “The monster I heard earlier? What is it?”
“They call it the Snallygaster,” she answered, flipping an egg. “It’s half-dragon, half-duck.”
“That doesn’t sound very scary…” Miles began.
“Appearances can be deceiving. It’s an undefeatable creature—a manifestation of a wish that came to me in dream. It cannot be defeated without first breaking the spell.” She shot me a quick look and grabbed her skirt. She used the bunched fabric to grab the pan and bring the food to the table. “Are you going to be okay eating this?”
It took a moment to realize she’d been directing her question to me, and—face flushing at having been caught eavesdropping—I sat up and held the blanket against my chest.
She was watching me expectantly. “I cooked with copper last night, but this was made in iron,” she said, nodding to the food. “Do you need me to use the other pot?”
“Um…” I touched the blanket to my nose. “It should be okay… Why?”
“Interesting.” She pursed her lips but added another plate to the table.
“You’re okay with iron?” Miles perked.
“Yeah…” Was this something else from a past life, or… “I have a contact allergy, but it’s not all that severe.”
“Really?” Miles frowned, and his forehead furrowed. “Do you still hate sardines?”
Sardineswere the vilest food known to mankind. Why would anyone think it was a good idea to season tiny fishes and shove them in a can?
To make matters worse, my adoptive mother would make sardine sandwiches. If it weren’t for Finn ready to trade his lunch with me, I would have starved. She eventually stopped… but only after Dr. Kohler—known as Dr. Reed in those days—mentioned something about them being too salty.
Well, she wasn’t wrong.
“I guess that’s a ‘yes,’ ” Miles said, mouth lifting in the corner. “They say that Mu hated sardines. He once started a petition to ban them from human consumption.”
Good. Finally, there was something my alter ego and I could agree on.
“Fae don’t usually like salty foods,” Kathleen said as she limped to me and handed me a plate. “Gregory hates it. What about bacon?”
I stared at her. Mu didn’t like bacon? Well, that was too bad. I would die before they took my bacon away.
“We don’talwaysshareexactlythe characteristics between lives.” Miles shrugged, sipping at his drink—a drink that I hoped to God was coffee because I had a caffeine headache that would soon become a problem. “Our genetics and experiences play a role in refining our likes and dislikes. Like Julian being a vegetarian.”
“He wasn’t always?” I asked, nibbling at the fried bacon.
Miles shrugged. “Shui has never really cared before.”
“We have other past lives, right?” I asked as Kathleen moved back to the hearth. “Why do you only use the names of our first lives?”
