She must have misheard. Or she’d lost her mind. Maybe she’d been injured hunting that doe and the last few days had all been a fever dream as she slowly bled out. Surely her mother hadn’t just suggested she accompany thewitch hunterinto theBlack Woods.
“It makes sense,” her mother said, taking a sip of tea. She looked as calm and composed as she always did. There was no sign of the insanity that had clearly taken hold of her.
“It does not make sense, Mother,” Rowan said, shaking her head. “It doesn’t make any sense at all.Heshouldn’t be going into the woods, and you want me to go with him?”
“Mistress Yahl,” the witch hunter said, clearly appalled. “What you’re suggesting is out of the question.”
“I don’t see why.” Her mother set her empty cup on the table. “You need to find your men and the people of Toam need to be rid of the witch. Rowan is the only one here who knows the way through the woods.”
“She can draw me a map,” the captain said. “She doesn’t need to go into the woods. In fact, everyone should stay out of the woods until the rot is cleared.”
Her mother shook her head with a smile. “I know how my daughter gives directions, Captain. It’s all turn left at the big white tree and right at the rock that looks like a bear. She’s awful at it.”
“Hey,” she said indignantly. “I’ve never had to give you directions. Why would I give you directions? You’re blind.”
Her mother actually laughed at her. “I’veheardyou give directions, and I know I wouldn’t trust them. But I do trust you to find your way.”
Her mother placed a special weight on that statement and Rowan understood what she was saying even though she was shocked that she would mention it even so covertly. Her mother had spent her entire life telling her to deny her abilities. Ignore the trees. Don’t tell anyone what she could do.Hide.Now she was telling her to use magic to save a bunch of witch hunters? They would kill her if they knew what she could do.
“You want me to risk my life to helphim.” She gestured at the witch hunter. “The man’s already ruined our lives once.”
The witch hunter flinched, but he didn’t deny the charge.
“He didn’t ruin our lives,” her mother said calmly. “I’m not ruined and neither are you.”
“I will be ruined if you send me into a witch-cursed woods that’s already swallowed his men and spit him out half-chewed. Are you mad?”
“I’m not mad.” Her mother shook her head. “I don’twantyou to have to go into the woods, Rowan. I don’t want the captain to have to go in there either. But surely this is the right thing to do.”
“The right thing to do…” She slammed her knife into the table and climbed to her feet. “I can’t believe you’re saying this.”
She paced across the room, heading for the back door, but then stopped. She couldn’t run from this conversation. It was nearly impossible to turn her mother from a course once she was set on it. Maybe there was still time to change her mind.
She turned back to watch as the witch hunter crossed the room to her mother. He crouched before her and took her hands. Something twisted in Rowan’s chest at the sight of him cradling her mother’s small hands in his large ones. His expression was gentle, like he actually cared. She hated that he was even in the same room as her mother. He shouldn’t be touching her.
How could her mother allow it?
Her mother did allow it though, her hands tightening on his larger ones like he was a beloved son.
She was going to be sick.
“Mistress Yahl,” the witch hunter said softly. “This is foolishness. I will not take your daughter away from you.”
Her mother smiled. “She doesn’t belong to me. She belongs to God. And she could help you if you allow it. We were brought together again for a reason. What if this is it?”
“Perhaps God brought me here so that I might make amends to you.”
Rowan rolled her eyes. They were ridiculous.
“God didn’t gut you in the woods,” she muttered, annoyed at them both.
They ignored her.
“You can make amends by paying Rowan to act as your guide,” her mother said.
“I’ll pay you for what you’ve done already. There’s no need to do more.”
“I would ask for a promise then. This village is no place for a young woman, and I can’t get her out of here on my own. She deserves a better life than this.”
