The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [133]
‘Hired by?’
Nell shook her head. ‘I’m not certain.’
Jarrod murmured in Rosette’s ear and she nodded. He untied her hair, letting the braids loose, and began brushing through them a few strands at a time. She closed her eyes and smiled. An’ Lawrence and Nell’s conversation disappeared into the background as she focused on the warmth of the fire, and Jarrod’s touch.
She was nodding off when Nell’s voice cut through her private peace.
‘I missed out on raising her too, Rowan! You think it was easy for me to have her come and visit for a summer every few years then disappear again?’
‘At least you had that.’
‘I sent her to you as soon as I could and what did you do? You promptly handed her over to the Lupins of all things.’
‘I didn’t promptly do anything of the kind. The idea was to…’
‘Use her as bait to get your hands on Passillo? Oh that makes it all right then.’
‘Hey, guys.’ Rosette’s voice rose above theirs. ‘You want to start another avalanche? Let it go. It can’t be undone.’
The fire crackled and Drayco stretched. The horses pawed the ground and Jarrod took them a bucket of water that had been set to melt. He refilled it with ice and returned to the fire.
‘She’s right,’ Nell said. ‘We can’t change the past directly, but we can alter the future. We have to work out what to do with Passillo now.’
No-one spoke for some time.
Rosette turned her palms up and studied them as if for the first time. They were glowing red now, finally warmed through.
‘Is that why my spells are so strong, Nell? Walls and mountains cracking when I’m trying to warm the kettle or close the door? Because of Passillo?’
Nell sighed. ‘It’s in your blood. It’s not really the Spell of Passillo any more.’
‘What is it then?’
‘It’s the Spell of Rosette.’
The familiars had stretched out side by side in front of the hearth. An’ Lawrence slept fitfully, his head injury still causing him pain. Jarrod’s eyes were closed, his hand on Rosette’s knee. She wondered if he’d fallen asleep as well.
The wind howled outside the cave. The horses shifted in the gloom beyond the fire.
‘What are we going to do?’ Rosette asked her mother in a low voice. ‘I’ve got something in the vial now, and I don’t even know how that happened, but the spell’s still in me. I can feel it.’
Jarrod’s head snapped up as if suddenly awakened.
‘Where’ve you been?’ Nell asked.
He exhaled forcefully. ‘We have to get the spell, and you, off the continent—beyond everything we know. Past the Isles of Landercan and out to the edge of the world.’ His fierce look gave Rosette chills.
‘Are you certain, Jarrod?’ Nell asked. She lowered her voice: ‘Trackers?’
Rosette barely caught the last word. ‘What do you mean, “trackers”?’
‘It isn’t safe here,’ Jarrod said. ‘The Eastern Range is too high to pass now and Dumarka is no longer a sanctuary. West is the only way.’ He drew a map in the powdery dust with a stick.
‘What are you talking about?’ Rosette asked.
‘The spell has a purpose, Rosette, and we can’t let it fall into the wrong hands.’
‘You mean you can’t let me fall into the wrong hands.’
‘Precisely.’ He looked at Nell. ‘That goes for both of you.’
‘And if they follow?’ Nell directed her question to Jarrod.
‘Eventually they will, but it won’t be easy across the Emerald Sea.’ Jarrod threw his stick on the fire and folded his arms. ‘There are too many islands, too many possibilities. The spell can just disappear out there.’
‘You mean I can just disappear out there?’
‘I meant…’
‘It sounds like the only way, for now,’ Nell said. ‘We can’t risk you either, Jarrod.’
Rosette laced her fingers and put her hands on top of her head. ‘What are you guys talking about? Who’s following? Kreshkali? Are you saying I’ll always be hunted? Always on the run?’
‘Not if we can get you off this world.’ Jarrod turned to face Rosette.
‘Off this world?’ Rosette wrinkled her brow. ‘You mean through the portal?’
Nell hushed them. ‘Before we contemplate that, we have to deal with La Makee. She’d lead them straight to us.