The Witches of Merribay (The Seaforth Chronicles) by B.J. Smash Page A

plants, a few miles away from Nicoli and Jina, I asked, “Why were you in a hurry to get away from them?”
    He bit his bottom lip and squinted his eyes before he said, “It's not good for you to be around them for long.”
    “Why not?”
    He shrugged his shoulders and gave me a hand flap, as though he were dismissing the subject.
    He picked two stalks from a rhubarb plant and handed one to me . My mouth watered before I took a bite. I could already taste the tartness of the plant. After taking a bite, my face puckered up. “Sour. I love it.”
    He ate it as though it were watermelon . Not even a twitch touched his face.
    “We better head back now , but we must stop at Izadora's first. She will want to speak with you.”

Chapter Eleven
     
    When we walked in to Izadora's, she was in the living room where the big tree grew up through the floor, with all of its hanging bottles and various items displayed on the limbs. She sat by the fireplace, using an end table to write a letter on.
    “I'll be with you in a moment.” She stuck the letter in an envelope and sealed it with wax from a candle . Then she stamped it with the foot of a dead animal—it looked as though it were a bird’s foot—and put it in the pocket of her blue robe-dress.
    “Would you like me to mail that for you, Izadora?” I asked , thinking I was being helpful.
    She just looked at me . She pushed herself up after a few tries, using the arms of the chair, and walked to the fireplace. She held her hands over a small pile of kindling and recited some words, and a fire blazed. She retrieved the letter from her pocket and tossed it into the fire, mumbling a few words under her breath. It slowly burned to nothing.
    She certainly had a way with fire ; I almost couldn't believe my eyes. Then again, it was Izadora. If I had my doubts before, they were banished from mind, and at this point I was certain she was some sort of witch. It made me feel almost nervous, but in a way it exhilarated me. She'd be the one to get my father back.
    Confused, I asked, “Why would you do that?”
    She sighed. “I am sending a letter to my brother, Izaill. I've threatened his very existence. He should not bother you during the day, when I am…awake. However, you are more or less on your own at night. There is only so much I can do during sundown and sunup. Be extra careful when you enter Magella's houseboat tonight. ”
    “Your brother? H —he is your brother?” I stammered.
    “Of course . The old fool,” was all she said.
    Al l right, things had just gotten too weird for me. What the hell kind of family was this? I set the thoughts aside, and tried to stay calm. It wouldn't do for me to have a breakdown in front of everyone.
    “How , um…you just sent him a letter by burning it in the fire?” I asked.
    Drumm snickered . “Ivy, that's how they do it.”
    “You have a lot to learn . That much I am certain of,” Izadora said as she waddled to the kitchen, leaning heavily on her cane. She appeared much older than she had yesterday. Perhaps she hadn't slept well the night before.
    “You can't stay here long . It will be sundown soon. But I will tell you what I have learned about Izaill and why he had your father,” Izadora said.
    My mouth dropped . “Izaill took him? But why?”
    “He's opened a can of worms, he has . He could never leave anything alone. Always has to be prying in others’ affairs…just like Magella. Two peas in a pod, they are,” she said.
    “How so?” I asked .
    She stood at the stove, over a pot of water . She didn't turn the stove on; she just held her hand above the pot and, voilà, the water was brought to a boil. Several opened glass bottles sat upon the counter. She took a pinch from each one and added them to the water. An earthy smell filled the kitchen.
    Drumm leaned back on the front door, his arms crossed. I sat in a single wooden chair and waited for her to tell me about Izaill.
    “Izaill has one interest.” She stopped