He released her and held the slip of paper with two shaking hands. “She’s a witch,” he said.
Miss Baker laughed then, when she saw he wasn’t joking, became sober. “You can’t be serious.” Her gaze went to his hands, which were still trembling. “King. What’s wrong? Sit down.”
She directed him to a chair in the corner and pushed him into it. Then she took a few pieces of coal from the bin and put them in the stove. Still, the warmth didn’t penetrate the ice running through his veins.
“Do you want me to open it?”
He wanted to throw it in the stove and pretend he’d never seen it. And yes, he wanted anyone but himself to open the folded paper. But what if it was cursed? He couldn’t allow Miss Baker to be cursed on his account.
“I have it,” he said. Willing his hands to cease shaking, he unfolded the paper, which had been folded at least eight times. It was badly creased and fragile with age. He carefully smoothed it then moved close to the lamp to read the words scrawled in black.
Procure petal of flower, dash of dust of thefae.
Combine now in this goblet, please if youmay.
Hear me now, great goddess of good andlight.
Take mercy on these children. Ease theirplight.
Lose they may all they holddear,
But open a path to clean thesmear.
The bottom of the paper had been torn and the message ended there.
“What does it say?” Miss Baker asked.
He looked up. “It says I can change the curse.”
Chapter Eleven
Vi was supposedto be in bed. Joshua knew he might wake King when he came in, and he rather hoped that was the case. He wanted to talk more about Lizzie. But when he eased the door open and stepped in from the yard, he found his sister and King standing by the counter staring at him.
King held a piece of parchment, and both of them looked as though they’d just seen a ghost. “What’s the matter?” Joshua asked, forgetting he was supposed to be in bed asleep.
“Nothing,” King said, folding the paper and sticking it in his waistcoat. He was the perfect picture of a guilty man.
“We’ll talk about this tomorrow,” Vi said to him, and then her gaze fell on Joshua. “And where have you been, Joshua Baker?” Her hands went to her hips.
“I just stepped outside to use the privy,” he said, which was the excuse he had practiced in case she woke up and caught him sneaking back in. Perhaps he hadn’t waited long enough to sneak back in.
“No, you didn’t. King and I have been in the back room and would have seen you. I sent you up to bed more than an hour ago.”
“I went to bed, but—”
King shook his head. “A little advice, Master Joshua. Once you’re caught, tell the truth. If you add lies, it just compoundsthe offense.” He leaned a shoulder against the wall. “Besides, I think we all know where you were.”
“Joshua Baker.” His sister spoke through a clenched jaw. “If you were with Lizzie, so help me God—”
“I wasn’t with her, Vi. I just went to see her. I spied on her. No one saw me, not even Lizzie. I just had to make certain she was well.”
Vi gave him an exasperated look, but Joshua didn’t care. He knew he’d put her and Georgie at risk going to see Lizzie, but how was he supposed to stay away? How was he supposed to sleep, worrying that Ferryman might be… Well, he didn’t want to think about that. He just needed to see Lizzie, to reassure himself she was still whole and unharmed.
“How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from her?”
“I can’t. I love her, Vi.”
She rolled her eyes. “Love. You are thirteen! You know nothing about love.”
