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She glanced at Ash for help, but he was staring into the forest, which made my skin prickle. I sensed it too—we didn’t have long.
“When I seek to control the tree,” she continued, “I harness my magic—which is a bit like inhaling deeply—and pour it all toward the magic controlling that single tree. I feel it when the magics have connected, and I imagine what I want the tree to do, or rather not do. Keeping something still takes less energy than making something move. Until my control breaks, the tree is unable to move.”
My lips pursed and turned down. About ten things in that statement made no sense. But one thing rang a bell. My mind flashed to the woman who’d thrown me in here. She’d appeared to be exhausting herself by forcing me to move as she desired.
“At my wedding—would be wedding—I was taken by a woman who worked for the king. She used her magic to force my entire body to move.”
Edith nodded. “She probably spent the next day recovering. Those kinds of enchantments take extreme control and use up a lot of energy. As much as he claims to hate us, the king likes to employ a few of us—the most powerful ones—to act like puppeteers, forcing others to do anything the king desires. Comes in handy for a monarch.”
Ash grunted. “He likely blackmails them to work for him in the first place.”
Edith blinked as if surprised he was listening. “I’m no good at teaching. Ash, you say something.”
He snapped out of his thoughts and looked first at Edith, then at me. His chest expanded but no words came out as he held his breath for a moment. Finally, he looked back at Edith and spoke quietly. “If I teach her, we’ll have less time.”
Edith crossed her arms again. Then a moment later flung them both out at her sides. “Fine.” She stomped toward me. “The Labyrinth responds to him more than the rest of us. He can find what we need faster than I ever can, but he draws out the worst monsters. It’s like this place hates him the most, because it tries really hard to push him over the edge. You don’t ever want to be near him when the Labyrinth decides it’s time for his next test.”
I nearly choked on my next breath. An owl hooted in the distance.
Edith’s gaze lingered on Ash, with a hint of fear. Perhaps his extended presence here endangered her and her sister more than usual? She closed her eyes and remained silent for so long that I wondered if she would be teaching me anything at all. The only sounds were Ferrier’s soft steps and the breeze that howled gently in the trees above. The mist continued to whorl and eddy in its own little labyrinthine patterns.
“I was able to resist my captor when I was under her control,” I offered, eager to prove myself capable of magic.
Ash’s eyes narrowed as he studied me. “She could try to resist your control,” he suggested.
Edith pursed her lips, as if that were a pointless suggestion.
A flush entered my cheeks. “Is that not easy to do?”
Edith sat beside me. “No, it’s not. And it’s not comfortable for the one you’re resisting. But, okay, let’s try it. I’m going to enter your mind and make you raise your arm. Try to stop me.”
Faster than I’d anticipated, my arm shot up. I gasped and Edith clapped a hand over her sudden laughter. I chuckled, too, even though a slice of anger carved through my ribcage. But watching her laugh infected me with mirth. Soon, both of us were bent over with laughter that felt better than any healing ointment in the world.
Ash ruined it when he said, “This could save your life, Vera. You should take it seriously.”
Years of living with brothers caused me to make a face up at him before I’d realized it might not be the best thing to do in the moment. His brows lifted, but he looked more amused than angry.
“Okay, try again,” I said to Edith.
This time, I felt the magic stitching itself into my thoughts. I yanked my arm back and away, but the magic poked harder and soon my arm was above my head again.
“I felt something that time.”
Edith clapped. “That’s good!”
She let my arm fall back down.
Ash grunted and crossed his arms.
“I’m trying, okay?” I barked at him.
He said nothing.
Edith and I tried several more times. Each time, I could detect when her magic slithered into my own mind, but I still always failed to prevent her from moving my arm. After the sixth time, I shouted in anger and clenched my fists. Instantly, the cuts on my feet burned, and I could no longer sit here and ignore the pain.
I pulled one of my feet up to look at the battered skin. The ointment was helping, but not fast enough. If we had to run again, I’d be hobbling instead.
“That looks bad,” Edith admitted, making a face at my uplifted foot. “Ash, can’t you do something?”
