“Of course not,”Imanaged to get out at last.“But…but thePriestess-Sisterswill know.Youreyes?—”
“Oh, that’s easily fixed.”
She reached into the pocket of her robe again and pulled out a small golden vial.Openingit, she held it above her right eye and squeezed.Adrop of shimmering clear liquid fell into her eye and she blinked and hissed.
“Damn, that stings!”
But though it seemed to hurt her, she put a second drop in her left eye.Thenshe blinked and looked at me, a triumphant smirk on her pretty face.
“There now—no one will ever know.”
I stared at her in amazement—her eyes were no longer poison green.Theyhad gone the pure, sky blue again of a trueFaevirgin.
“How…but how…?”Icouldn’t even finish the question.
“Magic, of course.”Shesniffed at me.“PureHighFaemagic—something a little half-breed like you wouldn’t know anything about.”Shepointed a finger at me.“Andyou’renotgoing to say anything about it—or tell anyone what that awfulMinotaurdid to me, either.Ifyou do,IswearI’llmake you sorry!”
I wanted to refuse to keep her secret.Afterall, she was defiling the temple of theGoddesswith her lies!ButifIwent to one of theSisters, what couldIsay?ThatIhad seenMirabellafucking aMinotaurand that she had magic to change the color of her eyes?Itwas a grave accusation and how couldIprove it?Allshe had to do was hide the golden vial with the magical eye drops in it and look innocent—which she was very good at doing.
Feeling that my hands were tied,Inodded reluctantly.
“I won’t say anything,”Itold her.
“No, you won’t.”Sheglared at me.“Spyinglittle bitch.I’llmake you sorry if you breathe so much as a single word!”
And that was that…or soIthought.
3
ELOWEN
Unfortunately, ever sinceIsaw what happened with theMinotaur,Mirabellahas been making my life hell—even thoughIhaven’t told anyone whatIsaw.Shecan’t seem to leave me alone.She’salways sniping at me and making jokes to the other girls in the dorm about how chubbyIam and howI’ma half-breed who doesn’t even belong at the temple of theNatureGoddess.
“TheGoddessshould be served only by those withpureblood,” she sneers, nodding at me.“Elowenis obviously at least half human.Ormaybe she’s half cow!”
The other girls go along with her, giggling and pointing and generally making me wishIwas anywhere else at all.Theydon’t do it around theSisters, of course, soIcan’t say anything without sounding likeI’mlying or exaggerating or just whining for attention.
I think things can’t get any worse, but thenMirabellafinds a way to make me even more miserable.Shestarts a rumor that she caught me touching myself whileIwas in the shower with the other girls.Andshe’s been telling this to everyone and making a scene in the communal showers.
“Watch out!”she shrieks, pointing at me asIlather myself with the honey soap we make from the bees we keep on the temple grounds.“Becareful—don’t show your naughty bits toElowen!She’sgoing to make a grab for you like she’s grabbing herself!”
And even thoughI’mclearly doing nothing of the kind, the other girls all shriek and scatter, running to the other end of the large, echoing shower room where they bunch up and stare at me, giggling and making faces.
I just don’t know how much longerIcan stand this.Theshame and ridicule are getting to be too much.Whichwas whyIgo to bed early on the fateful night it happens…the night of the curse.
“You’re coming with us,”Mirabellasays flatly, pointing at me asIcower in bed, hunched over my book.
“What?Why?”Iprotest.“Idon’t want to go—Idon’t have any wishes to make.”
I’ve heard them planning this “raid” for some time.Apparently, deep in theOldForestlives a wicked witch by the name ofGrizalyn.Supposedlyshe’s the same one who built a house made of candy to lure in children.ButMirabellaisn’t interested in that.She’sheard thatGrizalynhas a magic wishing bush in her back yard—a bush that grows flowers that, when you pluck them and blow away their petals—grant any wish you ask.
Well, within reason.Thewishing flowers won’t make you the richest or the most powerful person in the world—that’s beyond their power.Butthey will grant small things.Forinstance, if you have curly hair and wish it was straight.Orif you have a hump on your nose or crooked teeth, it can straighten those out as well.Small, personal wishes that only affect you—that’s what the wishing flowers specialize in.
AndMirabellahas decided to steal some.
“No way—I’mnot going,”Isay, when she demandsIcome again.Ihave no interest in stealing from a witch ofGrizalyn’scaliber.Shecould probably turn the lot of us into toadstools if she wanted to.Idon’t care to court that kind of danger.
ButMirabellanarrows her eyes and glares at me.