Fear the Drowning Deep(65)

We moved farther up the beach, trailed by Fynn. “I always thought Morag was a horrible old woman,” Cat said softly. “Yet it seems she’s smarter than anyone else in these parts.” Cat gave a weak chuckle. “Now I wish I wasn’t so fond of sweets. Maybe then my mam would have apprenticed me to a witch instead of a cake maker.”

I squeezed her hand and smiled.

It was over. The disappearances would finally end. It was over. Against the vast, uncaring sea, we had won.





CHAPTER NINETEEN



A fist pounded on our front door, jarring me from the memory of watching Mally and Artur’s ship departing the harbor at dawn. I turned away from the hearth where I’d been feeding the flames a bundle of herbs, and Da peeled himself out of his chair. Mam hurried after him, her hands still wet from washing dishes, followed by Grayse.

Mr. Gill stood on our step, his face brighter than a spring radish. “Found—bodies—harbor,” he wheezed, chest heaving.

A thorn of cold jabbed my gut as names and faces flashed to mind: Cat, Lugh, Martyn, even Thomase. But I’d killed the fossegrim. This couldn’t be happening. Unless the serpent somehow …

“Who?” I choked out.

But Da was already speaking. “What are you going on about, Danell? There were murders at the harbor, is that what you mean?”

Mr. Gill brushed aside the gray curls plastered to his brow. “I’ve called a meeting,” he panted. “My house. In an hour. I’ll explain there.” He turned without another word and jogged toward the next house down the row.

“Wait! Whose bodies did you find?” Da shouted after him, but Mr. Gill didn’t glance back. “We have to go to that meeting,” Da said, resting his eyes on each of us in turn.

I nodded, lost for words as I tried to imagine any explanation other than another monster.

Mam’s face turned ashen. “But Peddyr, I don’t know that I want Grayse hearing—”

“I want to go.” Grayse stomped her foot, nearly knocking over the paraffin lamp that sat near the door.

Sighing, Mam leaned against the wall. If the shadows beneath her eyes were any indication, she hadn’t slept well despite draining a mug of Morag’s healing draught. In fact, she hadn’t looked at ease since she examined my arm last night.

Fynn cleared his throat and turned to Mam. “I’ll stay with Grayse so you can attend the meeting, ma’am.”

“You will?” Mam’s eyes brightened. Since learning that Fynn had been the one to bring Cat back to shore, Mam and Da had been treating him like a hero, forcing extra helpings on him at breakfast and shooting him looks of admiration.

“Of course.” Fynn grinned at Grayse. “You can teach me a new game, if you’d like.” Grayse reached for his hand, her pout vanishing. Fynn’s eyes met mine for the briefest moment before he disappeared into the main room, and I mouthed my thanks.

“And you girls?” Mam asked, looking between Liss and me.

Liss started toward our bedroom at once. “I’m going to change. I’ll be ready soon.”

Mam’s gaze shifted to me. “How’s your arm, bird?” She lightly touched just above the salve-stained bandages covering me from elbow to wrist.

“Mally’s salve burns worse than the cuts themselves,” I muttered, “so I think everything’s healing as it should.” I didn’t quite trust that Mam believed the story we’d given her about Cat scratching me in her confusion during the rescue. Still, there were more pressing concerns at hand.

Mam smoothed my hair, frowning. “Do you want to come with us? You can stay here if your arm’s hurting more than you’re letting on.”

“No. I’ll come.” As Mam narrowed her eyes, I hurried to add, “It hurts a bit. But I want to go.” I had to find out who had been lost this time. And I didn’t mind the pain, as I’d told Fynn the night before as he carefully bandaged my arm. Each time it throbbed, the wounds reminded me of what I’d won.

That the creatures from my nightmares could be slain. Of course, I didn’t want to face another so soon, but I had sisters to protect. And now, Fynn.

“Don’t leave without me.”

I breezed into the bedroom and found the four remaining Bollan Crosses on the dresser where I’d left them. I shoved them into my pockets. The meeting would be a good time to offer the crosses to anyone willing to listen to a witch’s apprentice.

Near the bed, Liss stared at two skirts with shimmering eyes, as though the mention of more bodies had bothered her more than she cared to show in front of Mam.

I paused, wanting to offer words of comfort, but found I had none.


The Gills’ house was stuffier than usual, packed with more than half the town. In the crowd, I spotted faces I hadn’t seen since the start of summer, and many who hadn’t deigned to attend Mally’s wedding. People crammed themselves into every available corner, glancing around and conversing in terse mutters. I followed Mam and Da to the back of the room. The Gills themselves were nowhere to be seen.

Mam, Da, Liss, and I squeezed in beside Lugh and his da by the hearth. I caught Lugh’s eye, and he gave a strained smile. His da nodded curtly.

Perhaps he thought I was mad, too, but the stares and whispers bothered me less now. Maybe, in time, my skin would grow tough and leathery like Morag’s, an impenetrable armor against the nonbelievers.