Tobin was dancing between the driftwood and seaweed. “The fountain! It’s running again! You have to come see! It’s a miracle!”
Larran shook his head. “Not possible.” He smiled at her. “Looks like it’s a day of miracles. We have to see this.” He took Kiela’s hand again and led her back down the stone jetty. She glanced at Sian, who bobbed in the waves, watching them.
He’s not going to finish that sentence.
She knew she was going to spend the next day, week, lifetime wondering what was going to come afterYes, but you . . .But what? What did he think of her? Did he think of her? Or was he merely grateful? She’d saved his beloved merhorse twice.
Her father would have said it was a sign. He’d liked to see signs and portents in the random occurrences in the world. When they’d chosen their new home in Alyssium, the flowers above the window were pink roses. He’d said that was a sign. She hadn’t realized at the time that those roses were the same pink as the ones on the wild rosebushes that edged the cliff. She also remembered the time she’d lost a scarf in the canals—her father had said it was a sign that she should live at the Great Library, shielded from any wind or sea breeze. At that point, she’d already taken the library assignment and was full of doubt about leaving her parents’ home. He’d been trying to say, in his own way, that it was okay for her to go.
They reached the beach and followed a very excited Tobin as he leapt like a goat over the beach and into town. Kiela heard the crowd long before she saw it, squawking like a flock of gulls, with words piling onto one another so fast that they became meaningless. If Larran wasn’t still holding her hand, she’d have pivoted and fled up the cliff stairs . . . But he was still holding her hand, even though she wasn’t sure he realized he was. All his attention was on Tobin.
As they approached the fountain, he slowed.
The crowd was thick, clustered in a ring around the fountain. She couldn’t even see the mermaid statue, but then Larran pushed forward, and a gap opened up.
Sparkling in the sun, water arched around the stone mermaid. Kids were dancing in the fountain, splashing and laughing. Islanders—more than she’d seen at one time—were marveling at it, repeating the same amazed phrases over and over, asking how this could happen, wondering what it meant . . .
A woman’s voice rang out, harsh as a gull. “What it means is that someone on Caltrey has access to illegal magic.”
Kiela felt her heart sink.
Radane stepped onto the edge of the fountain. She’d pitched her voice loud so that it carried over all the wondering and murmuring and explaining and reminiscing over the last time the fountain had run, as well as the weddings that were held by it, the proposals that had happened near it, and the festivals that occurred around it. As soon as she spoke, the murmurs shifted. “Illegal magic? But who . . .”
Kiela wanted to melt away, but Larran was still holding her hand. It was harder to breathe, as if a storm were sitting in a ring around her head. She tried to look as shocked as the people around her. She felt the bodies around her, penning her in.
“You have a rogue sorcerer on Caltrey,” Radane shouted, “and it is imperative that he or she comes forward! If you do so voluntarily, I promise that the imperial guard will be lenient. If you do not . . . then you will be considered a traitor to the empire.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Larran scowl.
Don’t say anything,she thought at him.Don’t draw her attention.
But it was Bryn, not Larran, who shouted, “Who are you to come here and make threats? You were saved from the sea by one of us—quite a display of gratitude to now turn your suspicion on us.”
“I am an imperial inspector,” Radane said, “authorized to enforce the laws. And it will go more smoothly for your island if you do not hide this criminal from me.”
She doesn’t know it’s me.
Kiela hadn’t been here when the fountain began to gush. She’d been with Larran, outside of the town. Larran could vouch for her. Tobin had seen her.I can’t be a suspect. Can I?
“I am authorized to search each of your premises, if I must, and confiscate anything contraband and levy fines as appropriate for any infractions,” Radane said. “But I do not wish to disrupt the lives of innocent people. Bring me the rogue sorcerer, and no searches will occur, no fines will be levied, and I will leave your island with no reports against the people here. You will avoid the imperial eye—for it does continue to see all, even without the emperor himself. The Crescent Islands Empire will not be denied. Who is your sorcerer?”
Don’t run,Kiela told herself.
She wormed her hand out of Larran’s and began to inch backward through the crowd. He shot her a look, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from Radane.
“I want to speak to all older villagers with knowledge of ‘herbal remedies,’ ” Radane said, “as well as any healers known to mumble to their patients or anyone who’s witnessed any unusual or unexpected activities.”
Fenerer called out, “Never had any trouble until the new citygirl came.”
As eyes turned on her, Kiela froze in place.
“Nonsense,” Ulina said. “She’s one of ours.”
“You just want her cove and her woods,” Bryn snapped at Fenerer. “You’ve wanted that land since her parents left. You should be ashamed, stooping this low out of greed.”
Everyone murmured. Most of the voices agreed with Bryn. As nice as that was, Kiela wished she had the power to disappear. Or to turn herself into an apple-blossom bird and fly away. She would have given up several books to not be here right now, obviously depending on which book—perhaps the virtually incomprehensibleThoughts On the Ineffable Behavior of Half-Moon Caterpillarsby scholars Mimay and Liy or the insufferableArguments for Mossby that puffed-up half-scholar Wilgafort or . . .
Radane scowled at her through the crowd, and Kiela thought,This is it.
