Page 3 of The Dark Hiss of Magic
I stayed where I was, watching Thane with undisguised amusement. ‘Yeah, yeah,’ he grunted. ‘Laugh it up.’
‘It’s pretty straightforward. Just tire her out before bedtime. She’s a kid – play with her. Get her to chase something – a balled-up piece of paper or a piece of string. And give her ahigh-protein meal right before bedtime. It’s not rocket science. Don’t give in if she tries to wake you up during the night, train her to wait until you’re ready to get up.’
‘You make it sound easy.’ He sniffed. ‘What sort of high-protein meal?’
‘Cooked fish. Salmon, perhaps, or mackerel. You can also get some herbal remedies to keep her calm.’
Thane watched me for a long moment. ‘I’ll buy you a coffee if you come with me to the market and help me buy what she needs.’
I tilted my head. ‘A coffee from Black’s?’
‘Of course.’
It sounded like a fair deal to me. ‘Alright, then. Give me a minute to grab my coat.’
Although the skywas a nondescript grey and there was a deep chill in the air, it was the first dry day we’d enjoyed since the New Year so I expected the riverside market to be busy. After the excesses of Christmas, which was celebrated in Coldstream as much as it was in the rest of the country, many families would need to penny-pinch until the end of the month; however, this was one of the cheaper places in Coldstream to shop, and plenty of the regular stalls were still holding seasonal sales.
To my surprise, there were very few shoppers and most of the stallholders seemed to have vanished, too. My feet slowed to a halt and Thane also paused. We glanced at each other. ‘Something’s not right,’ I muttered.
Thane nodded. Even when the weather was at its worst the market was busier than this. I frowned at Natasha’s empty stall; the troll butcher never normally left it during market hours but she wasn’t there now. The row of stalls opposite also lay empty;even Trilby, the black-market seller who held plenty of secrets, was conspicuous by their absence.
As an elderly witch shuffled towards us, Thane pulled back his shoulders and started marching towards her. If she was in any way alarmed by his approach, she didn’t show it. ‘Out of my way, wolf!’ she shouted.
‘My apologies, ma’am.’ He doffed an imaginary cap; no longer the grumpy, sleep-deprived man who’d appeared at my door, he was now the epitome of gentleman-like behaviour. ‘I’m sorry to bother you but…’
The witch tutted loudly. ‘They think someone’s in the river,’ she said, clearly understanding why Thane had stopped her. ‘Everyone’s gone down to help get them out.’ She shook her head. ‘Stupid, if you ask me. Whoever fell in will already be dead.’ She stepped around us and continued on her way without a backward glance. ‘It’s not the first time someone has died in that damned river,’ I heard her mutter. ‘And it won’t be the last.’
The old woman was right: if somebody had fallen into the River Tweed, there was little chance they’d make it out alive. Forget hypothermia or drowning; there were so many river monsters in its fast-flowing depths that anyone who went for a dip would quickly find they’d become supper.
‘We should go down and see if we can help,’ I said to Thane.
‘I doubt there’s anything we can do.’ His expression was grim. ‘Another couple of rubber-neckers won’t be any use.’
I knew what he meant but I stood firm. ‘This is my community, Thane. I have to try. These are my people.’
He pulled a face but he didn’t disagree further. ‘Come on then. We’d better run.’
It didn’t take long to locate the large crowd of people. Some were shouting suggestions but most were watching theproceedings quietly, their faces dark and their shoulders hunched.
Thane sucked in a breath. ‘Look at those witches,’ he said. ‘They’re casting some sort of spell.’
I could feel the thrum of their magic in the air, and I saw their strained faces when I stood on my tiptoes and gazed over the assembled heads. Maybe there was still hope for whoever had fallen into the river.
Trilby was standing on the riverbank, their eponymous hat perched upon their head. If anyone knew exactly what had happened, it would be them. I marched quickly through the crowd with Thane hot on my heels.
‘Good afternoon, Kit,’ they said without turning around. ‘And wolf.’
How did they do that? How did Trilby know who was behind them? ‘Afternoon,’ I said. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Someone is in the water. Those witches are deploying every magic spell in their arsenal to keep the river creatures back until the victim is recovered.’
‘Alive?’ It seemed unlikely.
Trilby shrugged. ‘Stranger things have happened.’
I lifted my head and scrutinised the straining witches. Sweat was pouring down their faces. Two of them were on their knees in the thick mud on the edge of the river bank.
I stared harder. I didn’t recognise any of them but their clothes – particularly their cloaks embroidered with the golden insignia of their coven – looked expensive. There were three people nearby, none of whom appeared to be witches, who were tying ropes around their waists; they were clearly preparing to plunge into the river in a bid to find the poor bastard who’d gone in. Even with the witches’ intervention, it was a bold move. Few people messed with this section of the River Tweed.
