“The Blackbringer?” said Poppy. “That old bogey? My mum used to scare me with tales about him so I wouldn’t stay out past dark.”
“Aye, that’s just an old nursery story. But look, see on the recipe here, the initialB? Now look at the bigBonBlackbringer.”
Poppy looked back and forth between them. “It’s the same,” she said. “Sure! And look at thehonhalfandhome. These were written by the same hand!” She glanced up at Magpie.
But Magpie was chewing her lip and shaking her head, bewildered. “Sure looks like, but skive, it’s impossible!” Her voice had an edge of suspicion to it as she said, “Poppy, this parchment? I found it in the ruins of Shaith Ev, the temple of the Ithuriel. It’s part of a letter from the age of the devil wars.”
Poppy’s mouth dropped open. “For true? That’s old...”
“Twenty-five thousand years. And that’s not all.” Magpie traced theBonBlackbringerwith her fingertip. “It was written by Bellatrix!”
The two lasses fell silent and stood looking at each other in disbelief.
“Ach, there y’are, ye treacherous twitch!”
Magpie and Poppy both swung toward the door to see Maniac in his lady wig, glowering in at them. “Feather...” Magpie said sheepishly. “I’m sorry—”
He jerked his head so the wig sailed off and landed in a hairy heap at her feet. “Where ye been? Sure ye come back once it’s all over, neh? Sneaky as an imp!”
“Glad to hear she’s not all crow,” said a growly little voice out of sight.
Maniac turned his head. “Good-imp,” he croaked, “ye mistake me. She’s crow straight through. ’Tis only when she’s wicked that she’s imp.”
“Then may she always be wicked!”
“Snoshti?” Magpie leapt over the prop trunks to get to the door and peered around for the imp marm. She saw her there, so small and quizzical, surrounded by beetles, and her heart swelled. She dropped to her knees before her and flung her arms round the little creature. “Snoshti!” she cried. Her whiskers tickled just the same after all these years.
“How wild ye look!” Snoshti declared, holding Magpie at arm’s length to examine her. “Brown as an acorn and skinny—”
“As a twig,” Magpie finished. “I know! And you look just the same as always. I missed you fierce, Snoshti! You should have come away with us when we went. We needed you!”
“Blessings!” Snoshti cried. “The world’s too big for the likes of me, and flying gives me a flutter. Where can ye hide in the sky? Neh, sky’s no place for an imp.” She eyed Magpie’s featherskirt. “Ach, but look at ye, lass! Ye’ll have a beak on next and be squawking like a crow!”
“She squawks as good as any of us!” said Maniac gruffly. “And curses, too.”
“Mags!” cried Pigeon, landing with a flutter beside her. “Where’d ye go? I was fierce shivered that queen would get ye!”
“Piff!” Magpie said. “I’d like to see her try!”
“She will,” said Snoshti.
“What?” asked Magpie, surprised.
“She will try, make no mistake. Better ye lot come away now, caravans and all, than stay right under her nose.” Snoshti jerked her head toward the palace. They all looked up and saw a figure silhouetted in the tower window, standing perfectly still. They shifted uneasily, feeling themselves watched.
“That lady’s one mean twist,” said Pigeon in a low voice. “Sure she’s no match for ye, Mags, but maybe the imp’s right. We en’t come to tangle with faeries. We got any reason to stay in Never Nigh?”
“Neh, none,” Magpie said. “I already found what we’re looking for.”
“What?” croaked Maniac. “When?”
“Whilenoton the stage, as a matter of fact!” she said. “So thank you!” She planted a smooch on his beak.
“Ach,” he grunted. “Don’t be thinking that gets ye off the hook!”
The rest of the crows gathered round, tossing their crowns and capes into the caravan. Magpie introduced them all to Poppy and quickly whispered what they’d learned from theancient tree. They were suitably impressed, with the news and with Poppy both.
“Gorm,” said Pup, still wearing a pair of devil horns. “Ye can talk to trees? How fine!”
