My gift came full circle when my death vision brought me to a young boy who had fallen into the lake and couldn’t swim.
I was paralyzed in the vision, unable to move, but then I broke through the magic barrier and instead of watching, I was able to jump in and pull the little boy out. Drenched and shivering, I carried him out of the river and passed him to his crying mother. I couldn’t help but think of young Renard and Magda. I couldn’t save them in the past, but I could help those in the future. The mother turned to thank me, but I was gone, pulled back from the death vision and into my bed, my mattress soaked in water and covered in weeds. It didn’t matter. I went to sleep with a smile on my face.
But when it became too hard to travel, I chose to settle in Celia—maybe because I wanted to be near a place where we had shared a few happy memories together.
It wasn’t so bad being a hedge witch. I moved into the same cottage Xander had taken me when I was injured by the arrow. I used all of my power to keep it protected, and the more I dug deep into the land searching for magic, the more it came. First it was like a little seedling, but the more I used it, the more it grew until it became a fountain. I wasn’t sure, but I believed I was witnessing the birth of a new ley line, right through the land of Baist and under my cottage.
This was exciting, because it meant I could use magic and not be plagued with headaches or have to take to using stored magic from sacrifices like Allemar.
A few days a week, I would travel into town with my charms and sell them at my stall, earning enough to make a decent living. The people of Baist were hungry for the basic necessities that were readily available in other kingdoms: matches that would never get wet, stones that would always stay warm and could be used as bed warmers, candles with enchanted wicks that wouldn’t blow out with a strong wind, jugs that could keep milk cold for hours. All of them were simple spells that I had easily mastered as a child and took very little energy to conjure into an item.
When the magic would fade, the villagers would return the item, and I would recharge it for them for free. The scar across my face had lightened, no longer an angry red but a silvery white like a spiderweb. It still made people uncomfortable to look directly at me, however, so I took to wearing my dark hair over one side of my face.
At first the villagers were frightened of me, and I could feel myself getting angry, hardening my heart toward them, but then something miraculous happened and they accepted me as one of them.
The time was drawing near. I had heard the rumors in town about the new princess’s sudden disappearance. How I left as suddenly as I appeared. Prince Xander has had plenty of time to declare me officially dead. I found myself making more trips into the village to hear news, waiting on pins and needles for the new marriage banns to go out where he would announce his engagement to Yasmin. Of course, with each passing day I had darker thoughts, a shorter temper and was very irritable. I was even barking at Lucinda, one of my best customers, who was having issues with one of my lighting charms.
“Well, have you tried turning it off and on again?” I snapped, rubbing my knuckles into the small of my back.
“Rosa,” she said calmly, using the name I had adopted with my new lifestyle. “Maybe you should head home early and put your feet up.”
“I don’t have time to put my feet up. I have to work hard to prepare for the coming months when I can’t make it into town as often.”
“Well, you know you can always send me a message through the mirror and someone will get it to me,” Lucinda said, pointing over to the newly installed mirror vendor two stalls down from me.
“How? When?”
“Just yesterday. I’m surprised you didn’t notice the hammering and construction. The prince has ordered one in every town in Baist and Florin. I’m not sure if I trust it yet, but I’m excited to receive my first message. The prince