With no hesitation, no worry over what practicing magic in front of another might do, I flicked my wrist and sent the candles scattered around my room blazing with light.
At once, the man was revealed.
“Rab?”
The young man glanced around the room with horror.
“’Tis true, then. Ye really are a witch.”
He held the small chest which contained the jewels I wore only on the most special of occasions in his hands.
“And ye are a thief. If ye mean to imply that my crime is worse than yer own, ye will surely find that my father would disagree. Unless ye wish me to call for him, ye will place my chest back where ye found it, and ye will sit on the ground at once.”
Every last detail slipped into place inside my mind as a plan took form.
He was quiet, brave, and foolish. If Rab could so easily sneak into my room without anyone else in the castle seeing him, then surely he could do the same in my father’s bedchamber.
He would either steal Grier’s books for me, or my father would learn of his crime.
The choice was his.
Chapter 5
Three glorious weeks of learning passed in a blur of sleepless nights and hazy days.
As expected, Rab eagerly agreed to steal the books to avoid whatever punishment my father would have cast upon him. Within two days of finding Rab, jewel chest in hand, every last journal was hidden away in my room. I spent every night working my way through the dozens of journals. It would take time—years even—to perfect the various spells found within, but I was willing to spend the time to have such power at my disposal.
In order to avoid suspicion, I only dared open the books once in my bedchamber for the evening. I would stay up long into the night reading and practicing until my eyes would close of their own accord. I was exhausted, happy, and terrified. The missing books wouldn’t go unnoticed forever, and I knew that after having seen the learning available to me within Grier’s books, I would never be able to go back to a life without them.
On the day Alasdair returned from his mysterious journey, as we sat down for our first family dinner in months, the inevitable occurred.
“Mary.” Father’s voice was harsh as he motioned for her to stay in the room after seeing the banquet of food she’d prepared and set before us.
“Aye, sir? Is there anything else ye wish me to bring ye?”
He shook his head and continued.
“No, there is more here than we could eat in a fortnight. Once our meal is finished, I want ye to have every servant within and around the castle brought here to the dining hall. I’ve a matter I wish to discuss with all of ye.”
Mary hid her concern well and nodded obligingly before turning to leave.
The moment we were alone, Alasdair spoke. He looked tired and troubled. I knew something more tugged at him than what Father had just said.
“Ye’ve never gathered everyone together before. What’s happened?”
“We’ve a thief amongst the servants. A great many books have gone missing from my chamber. I intend to find who took them and why. I shall see them freed of their hands.”
I swallowed and glanced down at my lap in a panic as I thought of Rab. Death would be preferable to the loss of one’s hands among the poor. For without hands to work with, a slow and painful death of starvation was bound to follow.
“Books? What need would a servant have of books? Most of them canna read.” Alasdair’s voice was disbelieving. “’Tis possible they’ve been misplaced. When ye sent me to yer chamber before I left, I couldna find the letter ye sent me looking for. Ye keep yer chamber in a dreadful state.”
Anger flashed in Father’s eyes, and his fist rattled against the table.
“I dinna misplace two dozen books. O’course I doona believe the thief stole the books to read them. They are rare and valuable—one could sell them for a high price amongst those of particular interests.”
I sat in rigid silence unsure of which action would make me look more guilty—saying nothing and pretending that I couldn’t hear them, or speaking up and joining in.
I glanced up and caught Alasdair’s eyes and knew. My silence had already piqued his own suspicion of my involvement in this. I couldn’t allow it to raise my father’s.
