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I drew in a slow breath of air to pull myself together and hoisted Mallory’s dug bag over my shoulder, holding my chin high as I turned on my heel and began leading them toward my cabin. I wouldn’t let my emotions get the best of me and root me to a place I had no desire to wilt away in. “Next stop, Carli’s grandma.”
* * *
Granny pulled back,cupping Carli’s face, and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she shook her head. “I know what you girls are up to,” she stated, raspy.
I bit my tongue to keep the groan from leaving my lips. What was with these women knowing everything? Did they have a fourth eye or something? It was bad enough they saw things as mothers themselves, but as witches, it was tenfold. Couldn’t we just do anything without being reminded we were being watched around every single corner? No? Oh, okay, that was fine.
Carli pulled away, shifting her eyes anywhere but at the milkiness of the old witches. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Granny.”
The old witch chuckled and tapped the middle of her forehead. “My third eye is a lot stronger than most other witches’ third eyes, you know that child.”
Carli nodded and looked over her shoulder, catching my eye. I pressed my lips together to keep my face as smooth as possible. Giving away any emotion now would disrupt everything. I knew this was on a sudden whim, and we were moving fast, but we wouldn’t do this if we didn't. Even waiting three days just to get things into order would make Carli and Mallory hesitant, and I knew that. I also knew that I was going with and without both of them. I wouldn’t stick around now that I knew I could have a chance at wedging myself into the war and playing my part.
Granny released Carli and hobbled to me, stopping right in front. I had my dad’s height, and therefore, I was taller than both her and Carli, but the woman could make me shrink with a simple look. She cupped my face and squeezed my cheeks.
“You need to understand something, Azula. You are a strong witch, powerful, just like your mother. Just like your father and brother. You have to remember that, even when times seem bleak.”
I blinked, taken aback by her words. The vagueness of them told me that it was some sort of premonition on her part, those of which she tended to have a lot. But Granny was a woman who didn’t give direct words because that would mean giving away the lessons people needed to learn independently. Just like now. I was supposed to learn something about staying strong all on my own, for whatever reason.
The old witch always amazed me with how she knew things yet kept it all at arm’s length. I squirmed out of her hold, ducking my head when she went in to kiss my forehead. I hated the kisses the most. Some claimed it was because I didn’t grow up with a mother, but Carli didn’t either; she was all for love and affection. Maybe the only difference was that she got to live with a woman.
She chuckled and shook her head before reaching out with long fingernails and tapping the middle of my forehead. “You’re meant for more than what this little village can possibly give you.” She sighed and looked around, her shoulders drooping. “All three of you are. All meant for so much more. You must be careful, though.”
I shifted my feet again, not wanting to discuss this with her. I was afraid I would say or do the wrong thing if I opened my mouth. I could feel the tears ready to explode and run down my cheeks. I didn’t cry in front of people. That just wasn’t my thing.
I stepped back, drawing nearer to the door, wanting to get out as quickly as possible now. The goodbyes were done; I had nobody to hug and leave behind myself. As soon as we left the cabin, we went back to my place and waited until the dead of night when no one could stop us besides the few roaming out and about to protect our village from attacks. However, as long as we posed no threat to them, we wouldn’t even be glanced at twice. Before motherhood, we were allowed to leave and explore. We could do all the things now and not be questioned.
My stomach churned at that thought. I wasn’t ready to give up my life for a guy or any laws that stated I had to do so. I wasn’t prepared to step aside and let someone else dictate how I should live to make them happy. That wasn’t what I wanted, not at all. But even Timothy couldn’t understand that. He expected to be married and have a family, which was that in his mind anyway. It was how he had been raised and saw the world, so I couldn’t blame him for any of it. Was it right? No, not really, but I couldn’t be mad at him for it.
The steps of the little porch that Carli’s father had made long before we’d been born creaked as we stepped down them, its old wooden age showing, desperate for repairs to yet be done. I grimaced, making a mental note to make my brother fix them when we all returned home, alive and in one piece. Because it was the least I could do for the woman who had treated me like a daughter for so many years.
“We’re doing the right thing, aren’t we?” Mallory questioned with sadness in her words.
I didn’t answer her as I turned the corner, eyes forward and refusing to look back. Doing so would only make me crumble. I didn’t know why, but leaving the little village I’d always been desperate to leave behind was taking more of an emotional toll on me than I expected it to.
“Azula.” Mallory tugged my arm, pulling me to a stop. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I blinked and looked up at the bright red sky, the sun beginning to dip behind the horizon. “I have to.” I turned to face. “You don’t get it, do you? You don’t understand the need to make something happen as badly as I do. You want things, you want to become something, but you can still make it happen here. You can make it happen at any time. I can’t, though. I can’t just wake up and make what I want to happen right here.”
Carli stopped next to Mallory, both facing me, and crossed her arms. “Don’t do this, Zu. We’re going with you, alright? Mall is just scared and nervous, just like us. You don’t have to turn into a real witch about it to get her to back out. None of us is backing out of this, do you get it?”
I puffed out my cheeks, squared my shoulders, and exhaled slowly. I knew she was right. I was lashing out for no reason whatsoever. Just because Mallory was expressing her feelings didn’t mean I needed to go off on her.
“Now,” Carli stepped forward, staring me down. “Let’s go.”
“Yes ma’am,” I muttered and turned, Mallory falling into step as Carli took the lead.
ChapterFourteen
The path between the trees was eerily silent. Normally, they bustled with life. The cooing of owls readying themselves for bed at the brink of dawn and the scuttle of little feet hurrying off to their homes after spending the night romping about. However, as the sun broke above the horizon this morning, it was quiet. It had been too quiet all night long, and that unnerved me. The forest usually bristled with life. On my right side, Carli was fidgeting, perplexed by the silence that engulfed us. I could feel the worry radiating from her like volcano heat, trying to stifle me.
Even Mallory was a little on edge, but she was naturally a healer. She didn’t feel the roots of the forest the way Carli did, the way she’d once tried to explain to me that was. Even to this day, I still couldn’t wrap my head around that explanation.
“Something is here,” she finally breathed, her voice shaky. “Something that doesn’t belong.”
We’d been riding since midnight. The two of them had slept in the wagon for a few hours, Carli’s dreams making restless, tossing and turning. I had yet to shut my eyes, but I knew that if we didn’t stop, we would reach our destination a little sooner than planned. That was the plan. We had to keep going before anyone could stop us.
“What?” I asked but clamped my mouth shut when she hissed at me, slamming a hand over my mouth.
