“And the kite does the laundry?”
I thought I understood now, but I couldn’t resist teasing her.
Renata caught the twinkle in my eye and smiled.
“A kite that does laundry. That would be useful indeed.”
I grinned at her.
“It is difficult to control the motion,” Renata said. “So I will control it for you at first. This means I will have to link our souls. You will see a flash of my memory as I do, and I will see one of yours.”
She held her hand out. I took it before I could process what she meant.
The laundry room went dark. My vision cleared, and I saw a much younger Renata sitting at a table with a group of apprentices. Her dress was far too tight. Apparently, she hadn’t learned how to stretch fabric yet.
A group of girls in similar dresses sat at the other end of the table. They whispered and giggled together.
“It’s a shame they didn’t have a uniform in your size,” one finally said to Renata.
She shrugged and took another bite.
“They have dresses to fit full blooms, but they didn’t plan on someone the size of the whole rosebush!”
The girls dissolved into giggles. Some laughed so hard they had to wipe tears from their eyes. Renata stared down at her food with gritted teeth.
When the laughter didn’t stop, she looked to the head of the table where Beatrice sat watching. The Laundry Mistress shrugged and turned away.
This made the girls giggle even harder, but they fell silent and fluttered their eyelashes when a boy approached. He nodded to them, but walked past and sat next to Renata.
“Hey, I have some ideas for that charm we’ve been working on.”
The scene faded, and I stood back in the laundry room. My stomach felt unsettled. Energy swirled around my body, from my head to my feet and back again.
I recognized some of the women in the laundry as the ones who had bullied Renata. I glared at them. Renata raised an eyebrow.
“I saw them teasing you,” I said. “They had no right.”
Renata shrugged.
“You’d have to be more specific for me to know which memory you saw.”
She waved her hands over the tub. Beams of light shot up each time she worked the charms.
I studied the other workers. Most of the men and women Renata’s age already had their guild badges. Most of the apprentices were younger.
I turned back to her. She seemed a competent magician. I wanted to ask her why she hadn’t passed her apprenticeship yet, but that seemed rude.
“What did you see?” I asked instead. “You said you would see one of my memories.”
“I saw you with your mother.”
“Oh.”
She must have seen a very early memory then.
“She died when I was five,” I said. “I barely remember her.”
Renata shook her head.
“The memory was strong and clear. She brushed your hair and sang you a song. You remember more than you think.”
Tears filled my eyes.
“Thank you.”
Renata turned her attention back to the laundry. She chose a few vials from a nearby shelf and poured them into the water.
“She fell ill,” I said. “She was traveling with my father to make a trade, and she fell ill. They were in a small town in the Garden District, and there was no doctor. I was here with Tía Teresa. I never got to say goodbye.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks now. Renata snapped her fingers, and the churning in my stomach stopped. She left the laundry and hugged me.
“I know,” she said. “I started my apprenticeship here a year before she died. We were all very sad. She was a good woman.”
“I haven’t- I mean-”
“Working soul magic churns your emotions,” Renata said. “It stirs up memories and intensifies feelings. That’s one reason it can be dangerous. If you lose control of your emotions, your soul slips into the spell. You must be very careful, Alma.”
“Renata, you don’t have time to chat!” Beatrice called from her platform across the room.
“Everyone else is chatting,” I said.
Renata gestured for me to be quiet.
“I’m sorry, Laundry Mistress,” she said. “I’ll work harder.”
“See that you do. The Salarians will be here for dinner!”
Renata hurried back to her tub, pulled the sheets out one by one with a flick of her wrist, and dried them with a silver light. She did not link our souls again, and my stomach gradually settled.
“The Salarians?” I said. “Why are the Salarians coming here?”
Renata glanced around, afraid to be caught gossiping. I came over to the tub.
“Can you show me how to move my soul again?” I said loudly, for Beatrice’s benefit.
Renata winked at me.
“Prince Lorenzo asked if the Salarians could stay here. He thought it might ease tensions if they weren’t in the castle. And after what happened at the ball, he’s probably right.”
Had this been part of Lorenzo’s plan all along? Having the Salarians in my home would make it much easier for me to spy on them.
If the prince was still interested in my help. He was probably trying to forget I existed.
“Everyone is nervous,” Renata said. “No one wants to make them angry, so we’re doing everything we can to make their stay pleasant.”
“The Salarians are friendly enough. I danced with one of them at the ball.”
“And then your corset exploded. The Salarians use a different type of magic, and they’re hoping to trade their charms with us. They brought a whole chest of them, and no one knows what they do.”
I bit my lip. Had the Salarians caused my corset mishap? Had Ethan given me a cursed rose? Surely attacking random girls at a ball would not help them negotiate a peace treaty.
“Do you think it will be safe?” I whispered.
“Your father would not have agreed to host them if he thought it was dangerous. I hope he isn’t wrong.”
“Renata, are your sheets done yet?” Laundry Mistress called from across the room.
“Almost, Mistress Beatrice!”
Renata held out her hand.
“I can tell you all the latest servant’s gossip about the Salarians once I finish this tub. It will go faster if I link our souls, but I understand if you don’t want to try again today.”
I took her hand. I needed any information about the Salarians that I could get.
Chapter 11
By the time we finished drying the linens, the Salarians had arrived. The latest gossip would have to wait. Royal carriages lined our driveway. Royal guards watched footmen unload trunks and crates and carry them into the house.
Donna Senona stood at the front door and greeted everyone. I glared at her from behind a rose bush.
“Are you going to join her?” Renata asked.
She had ducked under the bush with me to watch the procession.
“Not dressed like this. Will you help me get ready for dinner?”
“One of the tailor’s apprentices would be more qualified.”
“The tailor works for Donna Senona.”
Renata made a face.
“That’s true. I’m sorry about your seamstress.”
We sneaked through the house. Everyone was too busy helping the Salarians to notice us, and we made it to my room without incident.
I stared out my window, missing Tía Teresa. She would know what to do.
“Why so many carriages?” I said as much to myself as to Renata. “Why so many guards?”
“They must have packed a lot of things. They probably all need washed.”
She grimaced, and I turned away from the window.
“Do you think the guards will stay to protect them, Renata?”
“Or to protect us.”
“Do you really think they’re dangerous?”
Renata shrugged.
“The Salarians were our enemies no
t that long ago. That history is not so easily forgotten, and people don’t like change. The guilds value tradition above all else.”
I picked the loosest gown from my wardrobe so I wouldn’t have to wear a corset. Renata snapped me into it and helped me brush my hair.
“Are you afraid of change, Renata? Are you afraid the treaty will ruin your guild?”
She laughed.
“I don’t care what sort of treaty they create, people will always need their laundry done. I know I’ll be able to find work once I pass my apprenticeship.”
“Why haven’t you passed it yet? You seem competent.”
“Oh, Laundry Mistress always finds some fault with my technique. Laundry is more complicated than you might think.”
She snapped her fingers, and a wrinkle in my skirt disappeared. I smoothed my hand over it.
“So you study fabric?”
“Fabric, water, soap, dirt. Even fire to heat the water. We are one of the most versatile guilds.”
“Do you ever make clothes? Can you repair them?”
Renata shook her head.
“I know how to do basic repairs and tailoring, but only because I have to alter my clothes to make them the right size. We summon a tailor or seamstress if something is damaged in the wash.”
Renata’s uniform fit her fully bloomed figure nicely. She had stretched the fabric to accommodate her curves and create a flattering silhouette.
“Your tailoring is quite good,” I said.
She blushed at the compliment and turned her attention back to preparing me for dinner.
Renata’s fabric magic did not work on my shoes. I tried to pull them on, but my hand was still bruised from the balcony incident, and I couldn’t get a good grip. Renata knelt and helped me put them on. Then she smoothed my hair once more and declared me ready.
“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow, miss. Good luck with the Salarians.”
She curtsied and hurried away.
I stayed in my room, mentally preparing myself for the dinner. This would be my first chance to get information from the Salarians. I was determined to do it well.
I felt calm now that my soul wasn’t spinning in a loop. Working magic was not as terrible as I thought it would be. In a strange way, it had been fun. Everyone in the laundry had seemed to enjoy their craft even though they were just washing dirty sheets.
With Tía Teresa gone, it would be useful to know a few things. The dressing spell, for example. I could go find my father if I was able to dress in proper clothes in the morning. I could escape Donna Senona.
I stared at myself in the mirror and bit my lip. This was dangerous territory. No nobleman would risk marrying me if I knew magic.
But they didn’t have to know about it. I wouldn’t need to use what I learned once I brought Tía Teresa back.
I closed my eyes and tried to create a soul loop. I had watched Tía Teresa work the dressing charm hundreds of times. Surely I could mimic it.
My stomach fluttered a little, but no magical energy surged through my body. I made the motion Tía Teresa always did before dressing me and snapped my fingers.
Nothing happened.
I tried again and again until the bell rang for dinner. I didn’t move a single ribbon.
I walked to the family dining room, but a footman redirected me to the large formal dining room instead.
Only three places had been set. I claimed the head of the table, eager to see Donna Senona’s face when she realized I had survived a day in the laundry.
But she didn’t come. Rosa entered and sat to my left, her attention completely absorbed by the black book she had propped against her plate. Just as the silence grew awkward, Ethan ran into the room.
“So sorry I’m late!” he said as he bowed.
I nodded at him. Rosa glanced up from her book long enough to offer Ethan a small smile.
He looked much the same as he had at the ball. Golden hair. Sparkling green eyes. Mischievous grin.
Was he responsible for the corset incident?
Footmen place the first course on the table. Rosa shifted her book to the side to make room for the plate, but she didn’t stop reading.
“Where are the others?” I asked.
I searched Ethan’s face for any hint of malice, but he looked as friendly as ever. Either he was genuine, or he was an excellent actor.
“They’re dining at the castle with the prince,” he said.
Rosa looked up at me for a moment.
“Mother thought you would want to remain here, given what happened.”
Her voice trailed off, and she stabbed her asparagus with her fork.
I glared at my plate. How long did Donna Senona think she could keep me from my father? I was properly dressed now. If I sneaked into the palace and told Father what she was doing-
Then what?
“I volunteered to keep you all company,” Ethan said. “I’m not familiar with Castanian formal dining. Or Salarian formal dining. I’d probably end up proposing to someone by accident.”
“Are you not a member of the Salarian court?” I asked.
Ethan shook his head.
“Princess Ingrid wouldn’t enjoy my company much, and I travel a lot for the navy. I’ve served on my grandfather’s ship since I came of age. I’m one of the youngest ensigns in Salarian history.”
“So your grandfather isn’t a member of court either?” Rosa asked. “Why did Princess Ingrid choose him as ambassador?”
Ethan’s face turned red, making the freckles on his nose stand out. I leaned forward. This could be good information for the prince.
“He, um, well- He’s one of the only people in Salaria who knows anything about Castana.”
Rosa and I waited for him to explain further.
“He was a cabin boy. On a ship. In the war.”
“Oh.”
I developed a sudden interest in my food, but Rosa nodded.
“A wise choice then. I expect he also has experience with trade, which will be an important part of the treaty.”
Some of the red left Ethan’s face, and he nodded.
“He’s excited about the possibilities for trade. Salaria has a lot to offer! I brought a few salt charms if you’d like to see them.”
“You specialize in salt?” I asked. “Are you also a chef? I suppose someone on the ship has to cook.”
Ethan laughed.
“No, we use salt charms to power our enchantments.”
He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the table. I reached for my corset and remembered that I wasn’t wearing one. He wouldn’t be able to attack me with it.
The charm was a flat, silver disk covered in white crystals. Swirling dark lines had been etched in the metal. Rosa closed her book, picked it up without hesitation, and examined it.
“What does it do?” she asked.
“This is a healing charm,” Ethan explained. “For small injuries. Scrapes and bruises, minor cuts.”
I rubbed my hand. Ethan noticed the motion and my swollen knuckles.
“I could heal that if you want.”
I did not want, but Rosa nodded enthusiastically.
“Can I do it? How does it work?”
Ethan grinned at her.
“Healing is easy as long as the skin isn’t broken. Just place the charm on the injury.”
“Don’t,” I said. “It’s not worth the scar.”
“You’re too old to scar,” Rosa said.
“I’m not! Father had a wound healed last year, and-”
Rosa grabbed my wrist and pressed the charm into my palm. Swirls of white light spread from the salt and wrapped around my hand. My knuckles felt cool, then warm, then nothing. The white light faded.
I dropped the charm and stared at my hand. The bruises and swelling were gone. My skin was perfectly smooth. No scars. I sighed in relief.
Rosa’s eyes widened.
“This is amazing!” she said. “Normally it would take a member of the Medic
al Guild to create such an enchantment! How does it work?”
She pushed her book aside and leaned forward. Her sleeve dipped into the food on her plate, but she didn’t notice.
Ethan reclaimed the charm.
“A trained magician etches the spell into the silver,” he explained. “The fairy salt is mined in the Weeping Mountains in Salaria. It provides the charm’s magical power.”
“So it doesn’t use soul magic at all?” Rosa asked. “Can anyone use it? Without training?”
Ethan nodded.
“The salt will run out of magic eventually. Then the charm is useless unless you add more.”
I examined my hand.
“It didn’t leave a scar.”
“Of course not,” Ethan said. “That was just a bruise. A deep cut might scar, but not something like that.”
“Just think of the possibilities!” Rosa said. “We don’t have a doctor at my estate. But with this, it wouldn’t matter!”
Footmen cleared our plates and presented the second course. I picked at my soup while Rosa and Ethan discussed the finer points of salt charms. It didn’t seem like information that would be useful for the prince, and I had already had my fill of magic lessons for the day. My mind wandered.
The salt charm could heal anyone, anywhere.
Could it have saved Mother? A doctor hadn’t been available, but what if she had carried one of these charms with her?
“Tell me about the Medical Guild,” Ethan said. “How do they heal?”
Rosa wrinkled her nose.
“I wish I knew. Soul magic is complicated, but using soul magic to heal is the most difficult task of all. Even when it works, it leaves scars. Especially if the patient is young.”
She pulled her right sleeve up, revealing a patch of angry red marks circling her forearm. They looked like a burn or a scrape, but the skin wasn’t raw.
“Does it hurt?” Ethan asked, leaning forward until his sleeves trailed in his food.
Rosa shook her head.
“I broke my arm when I was young. The healing left these.”
“Fascinating!”
Ethan couldn’t tear his eyes away from Rosa’s scars.
Neither could I. They looked so painful. I had seen small healing scars before, but nothing like this. Rosa’s covered her arm from elbow to wrist. No wonder she always wore long sleeves.
Lady Alma Page 9
