Mutante: Chapter 16
Copyright 2023 Elizabeth Frerichs
“Shall we?” Robert said, gesturing towards the tunnel that led to the outside.
Rosie gave him a small smile. “We shall.”
When they returned to Thomas, Rosie showed him the corked vials. “They seem like they worked.”
“They do appear to be working just fine,” Thomas confirmed. “Madam Essie’s personality has changed a great deal these past years, but her magic remains as strong as ever. I would not hesitate to trust the seals.”
Yet another reason to work towards reversing the curse. The Witches’ Council had only ever been able to fix the problems Grandma Essie and Aunt Rina caused, not prevent them. After all, there was a reason Grandma Essie had been the head of the council before—few witches could match her in power and, other than Aunt Rina, none were alive right now.
“That means we’ve got five ingredients—only two to go!” Robert said cheerfully, as Rosie stowed her two vials in the magic trunk. Robert put his in an inner compartment of his saddlebag.
Rosie straightened her shoulders. “That’s right. We can do this.”
“Indeed,” Thomas said. “Now, I have been considering the—rhyme needed to find the fireworm. I think you should modify it to ensure it leads us to the closest fireworm. There are so many of them in the ocean, and so few in the forest. In fact, I would be surprised if there’s even one in the forest. Taking us to the closest one should ensure that we have sufficient time to make the potion and get it back to Madam Essie in time.”
Rosie nodded. If the path didn’t have to evade extra dangers, from the cave it was only three or four hours to Grandma’s house, but . . . they only had until tomorrow at noon to collect the rest of the ingredients, make the potion, and administer it to Grandma Essie. She frowned. “Thomas, how are we supposed to get the potion to Grandma?”
Thomas grimaced. “I had hoped to wait until later to have that conversation. Unfortunately, I believe you will have to remove her from the monster’s belly before you can give it to her.”
“Remove her from the monster’s belly?” Rosie repeated incredulously, her eyebrows nearing her hairline. “How do you propose we do that?”
“Well, there are a number of ways to do so.” His image turned towards Robert. “You, young sir, might be best suited to simply cut her out. Although, that ought to be a last resort. Madame Essie would not appreciate Ranulf’s destruction.”
Robert made a face of disgust. “I could do it, as long as we can keep its tentacles occupied in some fashion, but it wouldn’t be easy and I can’t guarantee Madam Essie’s safety.”
“And that is why I thought it best to complete the potion before beginning a discussion of how to remove Madam Essie from her current predicament. No need to worry yet. Something may turn up.”
Rosie stared at him, her mind beginning to run in tighter circles than one of the tiny waterspouts that plagued the canyon by her house. Something might turn up? What in heaven’s name did he think would turn up? When had anything ever simply “turned up”? They had been forced to claw their way through every step of the way. Why should this one be any different?
Robert put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey. Thomas is right—it’s no good worrying about how we’re going to manage it right now. Our task this morning is to find a fireworm, not to free your grandmother. And—” His jaw suddenly went slack. “Thomas, did Madam Essie ever experiment with one of those other varieties of kelp?”
“Yes,” the mirror answered cautiously.
He tapped a finger on Rosie’s shoulder. “And is there one that induces nausea and vomiting in those who ingest it?”
Rosie’s stomach roiled, and she made a face. “You want the thing to throw up my Grandma?”
He shrugged apologetically. “Well, it would be easier than fighting it off. We’d just have to get it to swallow the kelp and then—” He smacked a fist on his open palm. “Grandma would be free.”
“Ugh. I don’t want to think about it.”
“Well,” Thomas said, tilting his head to look up, “I do not know how that particular variety of kelp will interact with any non-human specimen, but it cannot hurt to try.”
Robert grinned at her. “I’m telling you—those other kelp varieties are worth their weight in pearls and shouldn’t be wasted.”
She shook her head in mock disapproval. “Always the profiteer.”
Robert’s grin only widened.
Rosie, however, only barely held onto her own smile. The banter had been genuine, but now she understood where his drive for both wealth and experimental new medicines came from. No wonder he had pushed so hard to collect some of the new kelp. If someone who studied magical kelp could use the new varieties to help people, maybe they could help his father. All this time, he hadn’t been selfish at all.
He raised an eyebrow questioningly, presumably because her own smile had grown a bit forced.
“Well—” She clapped her hands together. “Shall we find the closest fireworm?”
Robert and Thomas nodded.
Rosie shut her eyes, trying to think of a good rhyme to bring them where they wanted to be. She tried out several combinations in her head, finally coming to one that felt right. Opening her eyes, she said the rhyme.
“Grant us passage that is safe
through this dark and gloomy place
To the nearest fireworm go
through all the currents, high or low.
Take us on the way that’s true
through the realm that’s deep and blue;
allow no dangers, vast or small,
to reach us on this path at all.”
Rosie smiled as the water around them warped, swirling away into the distance. If you discounted where the path was taking them and why they were going there, it was really beautiful.
Would the path work anywhere? What if she used it to get around town? Maybe it would keep her from running into some of the less-than-kind townspeople. She chuckled.
“What?” Robert asked.
“Just wondering about whether the path would fling some of the real busybodies out of my way if I used it in town.”
He mimed hitting something with a stick and watching it sail away. “Wouldn’t that be a sight?”
“It would certainly be something.” She sighed. “Oh well. It would have been fun. Besides, what are the odds that the path would work in town?”
“You could always try it,” he suggested.
She shrugged. “I suppose. But then it might not be here for whomever is trying to get supplies to Grandma Essie.”
Robert gestured to Waterdancer’s saddle, and she obediently took hold. They had decided yesterday morning that for speed’s sake, they would use Waterdancer at least half the time. They still gave him plenty of breaks just so that he wouldn’t be too tired by the end.
“Does anyone else bring Madam Essie supplies, Thomas?” Robert asked.
Thomas’s gaze shifted to one side, and he looked uneasy. “Some witches will sell anything to anyone for the right price. Once a year, Madam Essie gets a delivery of magical ingredients from one such person. Otherwise, it is only Miss Rose. Her mother used to accompany her until a few years ago when she stopped.”
“I remember that. Mother was too busy working on some big society event—a tea, I think—and she didn’t have time to bring the supplies herself, but she didn’t want to seem like an inattentive daughter.” Rosie rolled her eyes. “No one in town wants Grandma Essie to move back, but they want to know what’s going on with her all the time. I can’t even go to the marketplace without people asking if I’ve seen her recently, if I know if she’s performed any ‘unexpected’ magic, if she’ll be returning anytime soon, and on and on.”
“I suppose if I knew a wicked witch might show up anytime, I’d want to keep track of her too,” Robert said lightly.
Rosie scowled at him. “I might as well have the town crier put out a daily announcement with the number of times people stop to ask me. Why can’t they just trust that the king will tell them if there’s an issue?”
Robert shrugged. “It’s not as though the king knew or could have predicted the curse. They probably just figure you know more than anyone else what’s going on.”
“And that my mother is too busy to answer anyone’s questions,” Rosie said sourly. “Unless they happen to be someone whose support she’s trying to gain.”
“Probably that too,” Robert agreed. “You’re friendly, approachable, easy to talk to, kind—” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’m sure people just feel like they can safely talk to you.”
Rosie grimaced. “Probably.” Or more likely they felt like she didn’t have the social standing to refuse anyone her time. Or the ability to stand up for herself.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think 🙂
See you Thursday!
