Circe smiled but it was all mouth and no creases at the corner of her eyes. I ran back over what I抎 said and realized it was the auntie part that seemed to have struck her. Of course it did. Circe was my auntie, too, but I didn抰 know if I was ready to say that yet.
I opened my mouth to speak but she beat me to it.
揧ou don抰 owe me anything, Briseis. Not a title, not your time, not a conversation. Nothing. I抣l take whatever you抮e willing to give.?
I covered her hand with mine. 揑 just need a little time to adjust.?
She nodded. 揂nd we have a lot of work to do in the meantime, so don抰 feel like you have to rush.?
The vines that had tangled themselves around my leg climbed to my waist.
Circe eyed them carefully. 揟his kind of thing抯 been happening to you forever, hasn抰 it? The plants sort of wake up when you抮e around??
I nodded. 揑 used to try and ignore it but I can抰 do that anymore.?
揑t抯 like telling your body not to breathe. It抯 just not possible.?She stared down at the vines. 揂nd when you抮e angry or scared or sad, they抣l come to you just like this. And they抣l do what you ask of them. You must be cautious of that. Don抰 underestimate what you抮e capable of with them as your allies.?She turned back to her case and began taking an inventory of what she had, jotting down notes on a piece of paper.
Marie抯 voice, and then Persephone抯， carried in from somewhere outside and cut through my thoughts. The window was cracked, and I figured they must have circled around the back of the house. As I approached the window their muffled voices became clearer.
揑抦 not telling you what to do,?Persephone said, her voice tight, angry.
揑抎 never do anything to hurt her,?Marie said.
揑 know. I can see you抮e attached. But don抰 you get it? That抯 what is going to hurt her the most.?
揑 can抰 just turn off how I feel,?Marie shot back. 揑 know you抮e weary, Seph. I can see it in your face. But don抰 act like I抦 supposed to be okay with this. It抯 killing me.?
I leaned closer to the open window.
揇idn抰 you guess??Persephone asked. 揑f the pieces have to be reunited棓 She sighed. 揧ou have to tell her,?Persephone said sternly. 揂nd sooner is better than later.?
揧ou know what she抯 been through??Marie asked. 揌er mom died right in front of her.?
My stomach twisted into a knot at the bluntness of her words. I gripped the sill to steady myself.
It must have been Persephone who sighed so heavily it carried up to where I was. 揂nd how do you think she抯 going to feel when the same thing happens to you??
揧ou don抰 know that,?Marie said angrily. 揥hat happened to you? You used to be棓
揑 know what I used to be!?Persephone shouted. 揑 don抰 need a lecture from you.?
I glanced at Circe, who simply shook her head and busied herself with the miniature apothecary bottles.
揑抦 not going to make a guess about what抯 going to happen,?Marie said. 揂nd I don抰 give a shit about what some dusty old hag in the bowels of a museum has to say either.?
揔eep on with that attitude, Marie, but let抯 be clear,?Persephone said. 揧ou don抰 have to guess at what抯 going to happen. We抮e all going to die.?
CHAPTER 10
My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. I disentangled myself from the Devil抯 Pet that had encircled my ankles and went to the apothecary door. 揑抣l be right back.?
揧ou good??Circe asked, peering at me over the top of her glasses.
I nodded and went to the hallway, pulled on my sneakers, and rushed out the front door. I ran directly into Marie. She didn抰 budge, but I bounced off her and almost crashed back through the doorway. She caught me by the wrist and pulled me back up to standing.
For a minute I forgot what I was angry about. All I cared about were her big brown eyes and her toothy smile. She ran her fingertips up the side of my neck.
I shook myself out of my own thoughts. 揥e need to talk.?
揧eah,?Marie said. 揑 think we do.?
I took her hand and pulled her down the front steps as Persephone brushed past us. She threw a pointed glance at Marie before disappearing inside.
I led Marie around the side of the house where the overgrown trellis groaned under the weight of thousands of tendrils of ivy. They reached out for me, and I let them curl around my arms and legs. Marie leaned in to kiss me, but I gently pressed my hands into her chest.
揑 heard you talking to Persephone.?
Marie抯 face twisted into a mask of shock. 揥hen??
揓ust now. I was in the apothecary, and y抋ll were outside. She made it seem like something bad was gonna happen to us. What are you not telling me??
Marie stepped closer. I had to focus on the center of her forehead as she spoke. Looking into her eyes or at the curve of her lips was gonna make me forget that I was extremely concerned about the secrets she was keeping from me.