The Whimsy Witch Who Wasn't - Donna Augustine Page 0,86

his face had softened. “Her magic is fading. She won’t be able to survive much longer.”

What? I had to replay his words a few times as I put them together with what Rabbit had told me my first night there, about how Whimsy witches didn’t last long in the factory. But she was out of the factory.

“Are you saying she’s going to die? Surely that’s not what you mean.”

He walked over and sat on the opposite couch. “You can’t live in Xest without magic. It’s the equivalent of a human living somewhere without oxygen. Some people are born with regenerating magic, but most aren’t. Rabbit was born with a low supply to begin with, and then working at the factory, it was bound to shorten her life span.”

“But she’s not in the factory anymore. She’s barely using her magic. I mean, she’s lighting a candle here and there, but that’s it. How draining could that be?” I asked, feeling there had to be an error in his assessment.

“Even if she never used another drop, she’s got maybe another couple months at best. She’s fallen too low to be able to survive.”

“Months? That’s it?” For once in my life, I should’ve stuck with the secrets and mystery. Why did I have to know everything? Ever since I was a little kid, I’d had this problem. I could never leave well enough alone. Always had to get to the bottom of everything because I trusted no one. Had to know every nitty-gritty detail and find out who was lying. And where did it get me? I was sitting in some messed-up land, with a hot jerk across from me, telling me my only friend was going to kick it soon.

No. That wasn’t going to be Rabbit’s end. Work her entire life in a factory to finally get out and die? Not if I could stop it.

“What if she goes somewhere else? What happens if she gets out of the Xest? What happens if someone is born without it? It must happen once in a while.”

“If they’re lucky, they’re abandoned outside one of your hospitals within an hour of being born or they die. She could live a normal life span as a human in Rest.” He shrugged, as if this was an unorthodox suggestion.

“It’s only here that she’ll die?” I leaned forward, my gut telling me I was right. This time I listened.

“Yes.”

“Then she’s got to go.”

He shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Most people would rather live what time they have here than go somewhere with no family, no friends, a completely different way of life.”

“A completely different life where she’ll actually have one? That doesn’t sound so bad to me.”

“But this isn’t you. It’s her life and her choice.”

No, it wasn’t. Not anymore. Not if she made the wrong one.

“You said you were paying the rent on my apartment in Salem, right?”

“Yes.”

“She could go there. She could take my apartment until she gets settled. Loris probably needs a replacement for me anyway. She has a hard time holding on to employees, but Rabbit would be a perfect fit.” Loris was so outside the box, she wouldn’t think anything if Rabbit seemed odd as well. And Loris could certainly use Rabbit’s skills with organizing. “I could give her a crash course on normal. She’s smart. She’ll figure out everything else as she goes. Could you get her there?”

“If she wants me to, yes. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

I didn’t need to ask what he meant. In a sense, Rabbit would be stepping into my life, the one I’d been dying to get back to. I’d be handing it to her on a silver platter, all warm and toasty. It already hurt to think of her going back there without me, but there wasn’t one part of me that didn’t want to help her. The pain of her death would be a million times worse. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. And she will go. I’ll make sure of it.”

I got up, knowing I had to make her leave somehow.

“Where are you going? Time to practice.” A book thudded loudly on the table.

Shit.

31

Rabbit walked over, grabbed the chair by mine and practically fell into it as she leaned her chin on her palm. “I know I said I’d go with you for cocoa after lunch, but I’m going to head upstairs early if you don’t mind?”

Zab’s attention shifted from the client in front of him to Rabbit, and then the clock