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She sniffs. “That garbage they serve at Nesse’s? I’d rather eat sawdust.”
“Delightful as always.” I back out of the room. “Stay sour, Mrs. Smith.”
She waves a frail hand at me to go away before eagerly picking up another slice of bacon.
I close her door and head back to the front, Aspen trailing behind.
Once we’re out on the street and the doors are closed behind us, I say, “She stepped between me and a huntsman. She got stabbed multiple times with a silver knife and would have died if Tris and I hadn’t shared our blood with her.”
Aspen’s lip curls with disgust. “You injected her with your blood?”
“Not me personally, but yes.” I lead him farther down the street, where signs of construction show in the form of boarded-up windows and tarps stapled to siding. “I don’t know any healing spells, but the magic in my blood suppressed her wolf temporarily, so the silver didn’t poison her before she could be stitched back together.”
I point across the street to a large, rectangular building with half the side missing. “That was the community center. We’re working to rebuild it, but until then, all town meetings happen at the Library.”
Aspen studies the destruction. “I didn’t realize the huntsmen used explosives.”
“They didn’t.” I walk diagonally across the street. “We set booby traps for the invaders who weren’t deterred by the misdirection spells we cast in the woods.”
“Explosive spells?” He frowns, an expression that’s becoming a permanent fixture on his face. “You and Tris?”
“We all set them up. We had very little time, so we split into teams.” I point toward the woods visible at the end of the street. “Tris and I had this sector. After the barrier was put back up, we reattached the misdirection spells to the barrier so it can power them and warn us of future threats.”
Aspen’s gaze lifts to the sky, making me wonder if he can see the spell that surrounds the town. A question for the future if he sticks around. Curiosity can wait; today, I’m on a mission.
Turning, I gaze back toward the destroyed statue of Nesse at the town center. “This town bled and died to protect what they’ve built here. They protected me and the other witches at great cost to themselves. So, no, Aspen, your lessons do not come first. These people come first, and you can work around that, or you can leave.”
His gaze sweeps over the town, taking in the damage, and he remains silent.
I turn back around, walk a little farther down the street, and stop in front of Books & Blots, pushing open the door. “This is Barron’s bookstore and the current hub of our translation project.”
“He just leaves the door unlocked?” Aspen asks as he steps inside. “What if someone robs him?”
I follow him inside and take a deep breath, loving the smell of ink and aging paper that curls around me in welcome.
“This is a small community. If someone robs this place, the entire town will know and shame them.” I walk to the puzzle books and grab one Mrs. Smith hasn’t done yet, tucking it under my arm. “They could even get kicked out. No one’s going to risk that for some stationery and romance novels.”
I gesture for Aspen to follow me through the rows of bookcases to the back, where one of the display tables was cleared for use as our project table.
The pile of grimoires my grandma collected sits in the center of the table, many with colored flags poking out of them.
I pick one up. “Most of them are written in German, which I don’t speak, but a lot of people here do. It’s taught in school as part of their heritage or something.”
I hold the grimoire out to Aspen. “As you can see, we’re not destroying the books. But these are from generations of Wendall women, learning old spells and creating new ones. They’re repetitive, and much of them are diary entries, too. A lot of history of women who never left this place because they were the Wendall witch.”
Aspen traces his fingers over the aged spine. “You have no idea how rare it is to have such a concentration of spell craft all from one family. So much has been lost.”
“And wouldn’t it be nice if that history was shared?” I grab one of the spiral notebooks from the table. “Only evil, small-minded people who want to spread ignorance hoard knowledge.”
Aspen’s blue eyes snap up to meet mine. “There’s a difference between making education free and handing grenades to children.”
“So be part of the change before there’s a revolution and someone cuts off your head for being a pompous, elitist ass.” I hold out the notebook to him and gesture for him to take a seat at the table. “Help us identify what’s too dangerous for novice witches. And share knowledge of spells that have changed and no longer require you to dance naked in the middle of town.”
He settles onto a chair. “And what are you going to do?”
I hold up the puzzle book. “I’m going to sneak this to Mrs. Smith without her knowing I dropped it off, then I’m going to eat my pie and drink my milkshake before I go on a blood delivery for our new vampire residents. After that, I’m going to rub a preggy woman’s belly, because it makes her feel better. When all that is done, I’ll see where else I’m needed for today.”
“You’re going to be a gofer,” he murmurs.
