Page 7 of Stolen Threadwitch Bride
Like the stories Papa used to tell.
As forhow?It was the fae who’d come to claim the Tithe. Just like Mama had said—they were powerful creatures. This light show was nothing to him. It tasted only faintly of sweet-sharp rhubarb, unlike when he’d puffed in and out of existence in the market square.
Beneath my hood, the hairs on the back of my neck rose.
The lights were beautiful. But they were also a reminder: he could wink any one of us out of existence on a whim.
“They’re sniffing around Albion again,” Rose muttered as she swatted a light away. “Annon wasn’t at market today.” She shot me a dark look. “After the deal with Lady H, I went and checked. The stall was set up, but no sign of her, only her papa.”
It was strange enough that they’d skipped the past two weeks, but now he’d come alone. Still, what did that have to do with fae?
I tilted my head at Rose. “Maybe she’s unwell.” Please, gods, say it wasn’t a resurgence of the creeping death.
“I don’t think so.” Rose’s expression darkened, her jaw flexing. “Her papa refused to talk about it, but…” She shook her head. “There was something in his expression… Something haunted. And the shadows under his eyes…”
I swallowed, chest twitching a little tighter. On market days, I watched out for a glimpse of Annon’s hair, bright like sunlight, because it meant she’d grab lunch with us in the tavern. By the time we finished, my cheeks ached from laughing so much. Maybe it was because she hadn’t grown up in Briarbridge, but she treated me like she did everyone else: with friendly warmth.
Rubbing my chest, I touched Rose’s sleeve. “You think there’s something more sinister going on?”
“I don’t know, I just…” She shot me a frown. “Don’t you think it strange our friend goes missing right at the same time as a fae lord comes here to claim the Tithe?”
Briarbridge wasn’t the only Tithe town, And plenty of stories told of fae whisking humans away, even without any Tithe agreement. It waspossiblethe fae’s return and Annon’s disappearance were connected.
If they’d taken her, we’d never see her again. Chest even tighter, I shook my head. “Shit. I hope you’re wrong.”
Rose squeezed my hand. “Me too.”
There was no sign of the fae when we arrived at the low hill with the standing stones. Most of the town was already there, some within the wide ring, others gathered outside, peering in, quiet conversation rippling through the air.
Rose’s height and sweet smile cut through the crowd as she led the way.
On top of her fears for Annon, her earlier words troubled me:We’ll get you an atelier yet. The atelier had been a naïve little girl’s dream—I didn’t want it anymore, not really. Was that why she’d made the appointment with Lord Hawthorne?
My cottage wasn’t huge and it could’ve been brighter and warmer, but it was home. Familiar. A comforting constant, like the blankets on the bed and the rug on the floor. Working there wasn’t ideal, but it was where I’d always worked. Just the thought of moving all my equipment and changing everything about my daily routine to include travelling to a separate workshop made me shudder.
But ahead of me, Rose entered the stone circle, her straight back and square shoulders carrying no such concern. She ran towards challenge, grabbed change with both hands and kissed it full on the lips.
As I crossed into the circle, a trickle of energy chased across my skin and every other hair on my body joined those at the nape of my neck, standing at full attention. The flavour here was much stronger, like I’d licked the stars overhead and taken a bite of fresh rhubarb crumble baked by Rose’s mama.
My head swam with it and every step was sluggish, like I’d drunk too much at the tavern and was trying to weave my way home. The stones amplified his magic.
Somehow I kept up with Rose as she nudged through the crowd, glancing over her shoulder to check I was still there.
She stopped just behind Lady Hawthorne, close to the centre. Someone must’ve sent Lord Hawthorne a message, because he was here with the rest of their daughters. The girls held each other’s hands, wide eyes on their eldest sister who now wore the bodice I’d made.
The young women offering themselves stood at the centre of the circle. The eldest Hawthorne girl wasn’t the only one who’d altered her appearance—some had pulled their hair down and brushed it, others had changed outfits. One had the back of her skirt caught in her waistband. I couldn’t get past Lady Hawthorne to right it, so I called her name and pointed, and she fixed it, blushing and mouthing athank you.
Amongst perhaps fifty women, the Hawthorne girl stood out. Nineteen and slender, she was by far the most beautiful, with or without the bodice.
My magic wasn’t the strongest, but even I could appreciate its effect—she looked radiant, as though someone shone a light on her, and when I glanced around the square, every pair of eyes kept flicking her way.
I shot Rose a small smile. The bodice was only a sample of what I could do, but it wasgood.
A thrill rippled through me. The faewouldchoose her.
I’d get my contract.
Skeeves stood on the far side of the gathered women, his mouth open as he leered at them.
