It’s #BookQW and Fern doesn’t like the options ‘presented’.
More from Chapter 6:
Fern startled, and her eyes flashed open. Outside, it was raining. Which meant she couldn’t do something. But what? Was it important? She hurt, hurt, hurt, in a way that dulled thought and had her holding her stomach. The steady rain hissed down, and the tree swayed.
“This will take a bit,” Willow said. “Why don’t you lie back?”
Fern blinked at the assortment of enamel bowls sitting around her foot basin, red magic in one, orange in another, blue in a third. Willow was working brown ribbons on two fingers while Raven held another empty bowl. She was dying to do as Willow suggested, lie down and escape into sleep—but wasn’t she supposed to be doing something?
Oh, yeah. “How much longer? I have work to do.”
“Don’t we all,” Raven deadpanned, and she caught the start of an eye roll, but Willow had also looked his direction, and Fern was sure something passed between them, for Raven frowned harder at Fern. “Welcome to what the rest of the wizards on the Isle of Giuthas deal with every day—faulty energy.”
“Nae every day,” Beri countered.
“Every week, then.”
Fern waited, but Beri didn’t contradict that. So, Gran, did you think if you presented the icky side of Giuthas life, I’d leave?
“Can’t this be done…like tonight?” No one answered. “You—” She pointed at Beri. “You’re her apprentice. You understand. I can’t be contaminated. I have to help Gr—Lady Lark,” she corrected. Oh crap, what would happen to Gran if she couldn’t finish? “I have to finish…projects by…” When was it?
Shifting, the three shot side-glances at each other. What was wrong? Pressing her fingers to her head again, Fern struggled to collect her thoughts.
The only sound was the rain pattering on the branches. Had Beri no sense of loyalty? Maybe he’d just better move on and let her be the only one to work with Gran. Unless Beri was behind this? He’d admitted he was looking for a habitat. Was he trying to sabotage Lady Lark’s plans to get the Meadows for himself?
She’d opened her mouth to ask just that when Beri spoke. “Aw, lass, we understand this all too well. Trust me, we’ll do all we can to help Lady Lark and you, her cousin. You’ll be safe with us, safer than in your world.”
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Buy The Witch of the Meadows!
All 4 Windborne novels now in paperback!
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A personal update: It’s been quiet for #StayHome. We missed our usual celebrations for Easter week, and only pulled out a few decorations.
During #StayHome, I’ve been writing each day with a goal of 1K, and this week completed a 20K draft of a giveaway novel for my newsletter subscribers. I’ve also been making masks for family members, and we’ve taken to wearing one each time we go out.
It was a bit unnerving to go to the Post Office to mail them, but we did it after hours with two of us, one wearing gloves to do the touching and one staying touch-free to open the car so the other could store the reusable gloves and bag in the back of the car for their quarantine.
My, it’s complicated…but safer.
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