The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [11]
‘Look at this,’ he said, fishing into his pocket. He dangled a silver chain. ‘I got your travelling charm.’
He leaned forward and clasped the turquoise stone around her neck. ‘And…’ He reached into his other pocket. ‘Your hairbrush. Can I?’
Kalindi nodded, undoing the knot of hair at the top of her head and letting her tangles fall to her waist.
His gentle brushing soothed her and she sighed. ‘What am I going to do now?’
‘The whole town thinks you’re dead,’ he said.
‘How’s that?’
‘They couldn’t find any bodies.’
Her eyes went wide and he snapped his mouth shut.
‘Just tell me,’ she said.
‘Kalindi, it looks like they fed the bodies to the pigs. No telling if anyone was missed out. But the assassins—if that’s who really did it—probably knew you weren’t there.’
‘Unless they didn’t know how many of us there were. My sisters are married off. They might have thought I was too.’
‘You’re sixteen, sweetheart.’
‘It’s old enough.’
Kalindi took a deep breath and stood up. She went down to the water and waited for the white foam to whoosh in towards her. She washed her hands and face and Jarrod stooped beside her, doing the same. Together, they walked back to the fire, wet hands entwined.
‘I think you’d best stay hidden.’
‘Me too. I could go north, to Dumarka. My mother’s friend lives there. She’s a Treeon witch. I’ve wanted to visit her for ages.’ She sucked in her breath. ‘I’d be safe there, don’t you think?’
Jarrod laughed. ‘I don’t know who you’re talking about, but if she’s a Treeon witch, you’ll be safe. Nothing can get to them.’
‘But Mamá had powers, and they got to her.’
‘She never practised.’
‘She did! She went to Treeon Temple too when she was younger. That’s where she met the Dumarkian witch, Nell. They trained together for a while. Mamá knew when things were going to happen. She had premonitions.’
‘So do you, but…’
Kalindi’s eyes welled up again as she stared into the fire. ‘But not this time.’
Jarrod rubbed her back. ‘Dumarka then?’
‘I’ve got more than enough money to get there. I’ll go in the morning. Not from Lister Bay, though.’
‘Not from the hub of Lividica,’ Jarrod agreed, letting his hand rest on her shoulder. ‘You can’t risk being seen.’
‘I’ll hike south to Flureon. I can get a clipper from there. Then it’s only a week’s sail to Dumarka.’
‘I’m coming with you.’
She faced him. ‘You can’t.’
‘I can and I will.’
‘Jarrod, listen. I have to go alone. If you disappear with me, it’s like sending out a message: Kalindi Matosh is still alive!’
‘I’m not letting you go alone.’
Her eyebrows went up. ‘Letting?’
‘I just meant…’
‘I know what you meant, but I have to slip away and you can never say where I’ve gone. You can never even say my name again. We can’t even think my name again. I have to change it. Kalindi Rose has to disappear, forever.’
Jarrod turned her hand in his and lifted it up to kiss her knuckles. ‘What name will you take? I need to know that at least, so I can find you.’
She shrugged her shoulders.
‘Rose?’ he suggested. ‘Your middle name is unknown to any outside your family and mine.’
‘Rose sounds like an old auntie.’
He laughed. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘What about Rosette?’
‘Ro-sette.’ He said the name slowly, turning it into two distinct syllables. ‘That’s beautiful.’
‘It’s done then. I’m Rosette. Rosette…de Santo. That’s a common enough family name in these parts. And, Jarrod, we’ve never met. You don’t know me, and Kalindi Matosh is dead. If you think of me, even in your dreams, you must call me Rosette.’
Jarrod buried his face in his hands. ‘I don’t want to be without you, Kalindi.’
She stared at him, eyes narrowing until he looked up.
‘I mean—Rosette. I don’t want to be without you, Rosette.’
‘You have to. If they find me—if they think you know where I am—both of us are in danger. Can you see that?’
‘I can.’
He kissed her, long, slow and deep. He reached under her wool sweater and cupped her breast.
She stopped his hand. ‘Jarrod, there isn’t time. You’ve been out all day and, if you aren’t home soon, Liam will come looking for you with