Of Thorn and Thread (Daughters of Eville #4) - Chanda Hahn Page 0,8

their deepest secrets from them, but the stranger’s were eerily silent. Even growing up in a household full of eight women, it was a constant buzz of incoming feelings, thoughts, and bursts of colors from their emotions. But over the years, I learned slowly to filter them out at will. Except for Mother’s. I often would try to read her mind, and for my trouble would end up with a migraine. Lorn always knew when I was reading his thoughts or targeting him. He would grin and purposely think of odd images or thoughts as silent jokes until I stopped trying and avoided him on purpose.

Mother sat down at the table and cleared her throat. “Let us give thanks.”

We bowed our head and prayed over our meal. I kept my eyes open, and Rhea recited our blessing. Mother was staring out the window toward the barn. She swallowed, and I got a flash of blue paired with her expression. Worry.

I took a slice of bread, dropped it on my chipped plate, and picked up the butter knife. “Maybe you wouldn’t worry so much,” I gazed at my mother knowingly, “if you let me near him. You know I could figure out why he’s here.”

“No,” she said sharply. “You will do no such thing.”

“Why not?” Maeve argued. “I think it’s a marvelous idea. Let Aura at him and she’ll crack his mind like a walnut. She’ll figure out where he’s from, his favorite food, and if he has any dastardly plans to kill us.” Her lip curled into a mischievous smile.

I dropped my knife, and it clattered on the plate. Rhea frowned. Her quill stilled, and she looked over at our mother warily. Maeve was always challenging our mother, poking her. Seeing if she could get her to show her teeth, and this morning was the same.

Our mother looked at Maeve and one solemn eyebrow rose as we waited for the repercussion. “There’s no need to trouble Aura. She’s already been through enough. If the stranger poses any threat, I will see to it he is taken care of.” Mother glanced at me and quickly averted her eyes.

In that split second, I caught what she was trying to hide.

I inhaled. “You’re going to erase his memory.”

Mother’s head snapped toward me, and her eyes narrowed for a second.

I was right.

“It doesn’t matter why he’s here. You’re afraid. Afraid of who he is and where he comes from, and because of that you’re willing to erase his memory for no reason.”

Her mouth pinched, and her voice rose with anger. “Rya is the worst of the kingdoms. They deserve whatever is coming to them. In fact, I hope they fall into war, or better yet, a plague.”

“Why?” I asked. “Why do you hate that kingdom so vehemently? Does this have to do with the missing heir to Rya?”

“Where did you hear that?” she said coolly.

“I overheard you and Lorn discussing the missing heir last night. And all this time I thought the king and queen were barren.”

“It’s a rumor. There is no heir.”

I stared at her; my eyes narrowed as I tried to dig for the truth, but I was masterfully blocked by her power.

Mother swallowed, wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin, and pushed the chair away from the table. “I’m feeling unwell. I think I will lie down for a spell.”

My fingers clenched painfully around the butter knife as I watched her retreat across the room.

“You shouldn’t have provoked her,” Rhea spoke up. “Now when she comes back, she’ll make sure our lessons are twice as hard.”

Maeve grinned. “Bring it on.”

“I overheard Lorn and Mother talking about the heir of Rya last night.”

“There’s no heir,” Rhea said.

“Or that’s what they want you to think,” Maeve chimed in. “And the heir, at this very moment, is secretly plotting to overthrow the king and queen. I bet it will end with a beheading.”

“Gross!” Rhea shook her head and went back to her book.

We ate breakfast under a cloud of heavy silence. After I cleared the table, I gathered an apple and some of Clove’s cinnamon bread. I wrapped them in a kerchief, tucked it in my skirt pocket, and headed into the workroom.

The workroom was our drying room for her herbs, and where we worked on our potions and draughts. The scent of cedar, lavender, and bergamot filled my nose, and I smiled as I passed the table. From the rafters were bundles of dried herbs, and along the walls were baskets filled with