Born Wicked

Page 43

 

  He’s got brown eyes and spectacles and messy hair that refuses to lie flat. He’s got a map of freckles over arms that are surprisingly strong. He’s

  got a smile that makes my heart pound when he stops and looks over at me midsentence.

  “If you’re capable of mind-magic—” Elena’s breath catches. “You could help other girls like you, Cate. There are other young witches out there,

  alone and frightened. And girls who aren’t witches, too, for that matter—who are just odd and unlucky. They’re all at the mercy of the Brothers. ” She

  slaps her hand against the curved wooden arm of her chair. “It’s not fair that girls have to grow up in fear, forced into making decisions about their

  future before they’re ready. If you’re the most powerful, you could help us change that. You could help the women of New England regain their

  independence. That’s a marvelous thing, Cate. You can’t ignore that. ”

  Elena’s dark eyes are flashing, her serene face animated with the promise of this new future: a future where witches and women reclaim their

  power. I fall silent. She’s right. But this new responsibility is much bigger than anything Mother asked of me. The Sisters’ expectations, this

  prophecy, the notion of being responsible for the welfare of dozens of girls—it’s all very daunting.

  Elena watches me. “Do you swear to me you’ve never tried mind-magic?”

  “Yes. ” Perhaps I can use Maura’s talkativeness to my advantage. Elena already thinks I’m conflicted about my magic—and that’s not entirely

  untrue. “I’ve always been frightened of it. The Brothers say such awful things. ”

  “It can be dangerous, in the wrong hands,” she admits. “If you can’t do it, there’s no harm done. You can join the Sisterhood or not, as you wish.

  But if you can—better for everyone that we know it now. We’ll make sure you’re safe, and you won’t make any promises you can’t keep. Perhaps

  we ought to have a lesson tomorrow. All three of you can try. Then we’ll know the truth, won’t we?”

  No! I’m not ready. I need more time to weigh Elena’s words and Mother’s warnings.

  “Tomorrow?” I jump to my feet. “No. That’s too soon! Tess is only twelve, for heaven’s sake; you can’t have her trying magic that powerful yet.

  What if it went all wrong?”

  Elena tilts her head. She’s lovely in that high-backed chair, regal as a queen. “Her magic seems quite stable to me. I’ve been here two weeks,

  and I haven’t seen her lose control once. ”

  Tess rarely does—even last year, when she was first learning. That’s not the point. I set my jaw. “I don’t want you teaching her mind-magic. Or

  Maura either. If I find out you are, I’ll have you dismissed. ”

  “I don’t think Maura would like that. ” Elena smiles. “She’s grown rather attached to me. ”

  I head for the door. “I’ll do what’s best for us whether Maura likes it or not. ”

  Elena leans back in her chair. “Even if she hates you for it?”

  My smile feels like it could crack in half. “It wouldn’t be the first time. ”

  “This might be different. If you send me away, she’ll only come to resent you more and more. I hardly think that’s what you want. Especially if you

  are the three sisters. ”

  I pause, my hand on the doorknob. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

  “The last part of the prophecy. You don’t want to take any chances, do you? Tempting fate and all. ” Elena shivers, and her eyes—I know that look. It’s the way people looked at us at Mother’s funeral. Pitying. “I don’t blame you for being upset about this, Cate. It’s quite distressing. I promise you,

  we will do everything we can to keep you safe. Allof you. ”

  She knows about the last part of the prophecy.

  I can’t bring myself to admit that I don’t.

  Even if I don’t understand it, her pity could be useful. I turn to her, letting my eyes fill with tears. It’s not difficult. “We just need more time. Please.

  Give me a few more days to tell Maura and Tess, and let them get used to the idea. It’s all very sudden. ”

  Elena frowns. “All right. I suppose a few days won’t hurt. But I expect you to keep your word, Cate. There will be consequences if you don’t. ”

  Chapter 13

  I FIND TESS IN HER BEDROOM, nestled in her canopy bed, reading a book twice as thick as my arm. When I slam the door behind me, she sits up, throwing the blankets off. Her curls are mussed into a frizzy halo around her head.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks.

  “Nothing,” I snap. “Everything’s just grand. Would you like to learn a new spell?”

  “From whom?”

  “From me, silly. ”

  Tess stares at me, gray eyes searching as though she’s trying to puzzle out the joke. “You hate us using magic. ”

  I sit next to her, ducking beneath the gauzy green canopy. “I don’t hate it. I’ve been worried it would hurt us. But I’ve been thinking, and I wonder if we ought to practice more and learn some new spells. We’ll still need to be careful, but—”

  I’m cut off by a mouthful of hair. Tess flings herself at me, squealing, puppylike in her excitement. “Will you teach me now? Where’s Maura?”

  I take a deep breath. Tess’s room smells delicious, like cinnamon and nutmeg. I glance over at her bureau and, sure enough, there’s a plate with freshly baked pumpkin bread. Her own handiwork, no doubt. “Elena is going to teach her, I think. ”

  “Elena? Our governess Elena?” Tess gapes at me. “How—why—how?”

  By the time I’m finished explaining about Elena and the Sisterhood, Tess’s eyes are round as saucers. “You know, she hinted at it the other day, during our French lesson—but I thought perhaps I was imagining it. I didn’t say anything about the magic, I swear. ”

  “I’m not angry—not with you, at any rate. I’m not certain we can trust her. ”

  “You don’t trust anybody,” Tess points out, the dimple in her cheek showing.

  “What do you think? Do you like her?”

  Tess taps a finger against her mouth, thoughtful. “I don’tdislike her,” she says finally. “But I’m not certain she has our best interests at heart, if she’s been sent here to find out if we’re witches and report back to someone. ”

  I throw up both hands, thrilled to have my suspicions seconded. “Try telling Maura that!”

  Tess gives me a look, and for a moment it’s as though our roles have been reversed and she’s the older, wiser one. “Cate,” she sighs, as though I’m frightfully dim-witted. “We can’t tell Maura that. She’ll think we’re jealous. ”

  “Yes!” I groan, falling backward onto the bed. “She thinks I’m upset because they’ve become so close. ”

  Tess rolls her eyes. “Well, it is annoying. Maura’s so besotted with her—she hangs on Elena’s every word like she’s the most brilliant girl in the world. ”