people said he was losing his mind from dealing with all of the information. Not long before being executed he hid in his house, refusing to come outside. The shutters were closed and he nearly lived in the dark. Some people swore he only came outside when it was raining.”
“Sounds like you,” Ivy laughed, pointing at me.
“Yeah,” I giggled, “but he had a choice and I never have. I’m so sick of being stuck inside that I can barely stand it.”
“Don’t worry, child.” Johna patted my shoulder. “They’ll give up on you soon enough. No slave was ever worth enough to a master to mount a search for long. He’ll get distracted and forget you ever existed.”
“I hope so,” I said. “I just want to live a normal life.”
A hurried knock at the door interrupted our conversation.
“Open up!” an angry voice demanded. “You’re under arrest.”
Chapter Eight
“You,” Johna pointed to Ivy. “Wig on and stand behind the counter. You,” she pointed to me, “under the counter.”
I grabbed my breakfast bowl and scrambled under the dark wooden counter. There wasn’t much space so I pulled my legs into a ball, resting my head on my knees. My heart pounded and I wondered if it would burst through my chest. I concentrated on slowing down my rapid breaths. Even if I couldn’t be seen, I might be heard. Through a small knot in the wood, I saw Johna square her shoulders and fling the door open.
“What did I do?” she demanded to the guard standing on the doorstep. I could only see his right arm and right boot, but it was easy enough to identify the uniform of one of Kandek’s honor guard.
“I’m searching for an escaped slave and I heard reports about a young girl sneaking into your house last night.”
He pushed his way past Johna, entering the small cottage. His boots rested in front of me, but he stood slightly to the left leaving my limited view clear.
“As you can see, there is a girl in my house,” Johna said, pointing to Ivy. “But she’s my niece, come here to learn the trade of herbology. There’s no sneaking here.”
“Explain the charges, then old woman,” the guard demanded.
“How can I explain charges I know nothing about? She’s my niece.”
Ivy kept silent during the conversation, but I could see her fingers rubbing together. She must be dying to use her gift.
The front door creaked, opening farther, as another soldier entered the cottage. Johna blocked my view of his face, but another soldier couldn’t be good news. I closed my eyes and concentrated on taking metered breaths.
“Anything wrong here Madame Johna?” he asked.
Ivy nudged me with her foot and my eyes flew open. I peeked out the knothole again, seeing that the second guard had moved into my line of view. My breath held in my chest as I looked at this new, stunning guard. Dark hair fell lightly across his face, but not far enough to hide his green eyes, which focused on the first guard as he waited for a response.
“Mark, no, no, everything is fine,” Johna said, taking his arm and maneuvering him back towards the door. “Just go.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I know that you’re okay.”
Mark pealed Johna’s fingers from his arm and faced the other guard.
“Can you identify that woman?” the guard asked him, pointing at Ivy.
Mark’s gaze settled on Ivy. I felt her twitch slightly as I waited for Mark’s ignorance of the situation to give us all away.
“Of course,” he said, “that’s Madame Johna’s niece. She arrived recently to apprentice in herbology. Why? Has she done something wrong?”
“No, apparently not,” the guard murmured. “My apologies, madam.”
He walked to the doorway and then stopped and turned.
“She doesn’t fit the description of the missing slave anyway. Your girl has blue eyes. The one we’re looking for has amber eyes. If you hear anything, send a message to the outpost. Good travels,” he said and left the cottage, closing the door behind
“Sounds like you,” Ivy laughed, pointing at me.
“Yeah,” I giggled, “but he had a choice and I never have. I’m so sick of being stuck inside that I can barely stand it.”
“Don’t worry, child.” Johna patted my shoulder. “They’ll give up on you soon enough. No slave was ever worth enough to a master to mount a search for long. He’ll get distracted and forget you ever existed.”
“I hope so,” I said. “I just want to live a normal life.”
A hurried knock at the door interrupted our conversation.
“Open up!” an angry voice demanded. “You’re under arrest.”
Chapter Eight
“You,” Johna pointed to Ivy. “Wig on and stand behind the counter. You,” she pointed to me, “under the counter.”
I grabbed my breakfast bowl and scrambled under the dark wooden counter. There wasn’t much space so I pulled my legs into a ball, resting my head on my knees. My heart pounded and I wondered if it would burst through my chest. I concentrated on slowing down my rapid breaths. Even if I couldn’t be seen, I might be heard. Through a small knot in the wood, I saw Johna square her shoulders and fling the door open.
“What did I do?” she demanded to the guard standing on the doorstep. I could only see his right arm and right boot, but it was easy enough to identify the uniform of one of Kandek’s honor guard.
“I’m searching for an escaped slave and I heard reports about a young girl sneaking into your house last night.”
He pushed his way past Johna, entering the small cottage. His boots rested in front of me, but he stood slightly to the left leaving my limited view clear.
“As you can see, there is a girl in my house,” Johna said, pointing to Ivy. “But she’s my niece, come here to learn the trade of herbology. There’s no sneaking here.”
“Explain the charges, then old woman,” the guard demanded.
“How can I explain charges I know nothing about? She’s my niece.”
Ivy kept silent during the conversation, but I could see her fingers rubbing together. She must be dying to use her gift.
The front door creaked, opening farther, as another soldier entered the cottage. Johna blocked my view of his face, but another soldier couldn’t be good news. I closed my eyes and concentrated on taking metered breaths.
“Anything wrong here Madame Johna?” he asked.
Ivy nudged me with her foot and my eyes flew open. I peeked out the knothole again, seeing that the second guard had moved into my line of view. My breath held in my chest as I looked at this new, stunning guard. Dark hair fell lightly across his face, but not far enough to hide his green eyes, which focused on the first guard as he waited for a response.
“Mark, no, no, everything is fine,” Johna said, taking his arm and maneuvering him back towards the door. “Just go.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I know that you’re okay.”
Mark pealed Johna’s fingers from his arm and faced the other guard.
“Can you identify that woman?” the guard asked him, pointing at Ivy.
Mark’s gaze settled on Ivy. I felt her twitch slightly as I waited for Mark’s ignorance of the situation to give us all away.
“Of course,” he said, “that’s Madame Johna’s niece. She arrived recently to apprentice in herbology. Why? Has she done something wrong?”
“No, apparently not,” the guard murmured. “My apologies, madam.”
He walked to the doorway and then stopped and turned.
“She doesn’t fit the description of the missing slave anyway. Your girl has blue eyes. The one we’re looking for has amber eyes. If you hear anything, send a message to the outpost. Good travels,” he said and left the cottage, closing the door behind
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