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“Fifteen it is.” She watched him pull a sack from under the counter and slam it beside her hands.

Her nimble fingers let the satchel disappear in her jacket before she nodded at him. “Pleasure making business with you.”

Before anyone else could talk to her, she slipped back outside.

Fifteen gulls, for a hawk that was worth ten. Amateur.

She ran all the way back to the orphanage, and slipped through the gate, causing her sleeve to get caught at a pole. She tugged a few times until the material gave away.

Climbing up the wall was harder in the rain than usual, but the thought of Freckles made her arms stronger, the grip of her feet on the wall steadier. She nudged her toes into every empty crevice, groaning when she pulled herself higher.

Dropping into the sleeping chamber, a small puddle grew beneath her feet, but she didn’t waste a second before walking over to her bed. The other girls were currently in the common room, having dinner. She still did not dare putting a light on.

Lifting the sparse mattress she dove for the—where was the bag?

“No.” The word slipped past her lips as she flung the mattress to the floor, even though it was pretty clear the bag was lost. The gold was gone.

“No, no, no.” Her hands found their way into her hair, tugging at the roots until her scalp screamed at her to stop.

“Are you looking for this?”

Her body froze at the voice. Fear laced through her veins quicker than the lightning struck outside.

Noora didn’t need to turn, she knew who was standing behind her, knew who had taken her gold.

She turned anyway and a roll of booming thunder sounded in a dramatic way, setting the matron into shadow and light.

A smug smile sat on her lips, the brown bag dangling from her claws. It was not the fact that she had the bag that tore her apart, it was the person standing right next to her.

“How could you?” Her voice was raw as she looked at Elise. Her fingers were intertwined, her head hung low as she stared at the floorboards, too ashamed to meet Noora’s gaze. Her face was guilt-ridden, turned down in a sad grimace as if that would change a damned thing about what she had done. Noora did not care if she felt bad, it was the consequence that had risen out of her own actions. She should feel guilty.

“Answer me!” she roared at the older girl. Did she not know that this was for Freckles too? How long until Noora could not protect her anymore from the whips and the burns? It did not matter if it would just have an effect on Noora, butto damn a young girl to continue her life at this Hel was a cruel thing to do.

“She is not obliged to answer low filth like you. You have broken the law, Noora, you know what the consequences are.” The matron tilted her head slowly, letting the satchel drop to the ground.

“And you will take every last stroke until you are on the ground, crawling, realising what a mistake it was to betray me.“ She took a step forward, to grip her chin between her hands, nails digging into her skin. Noora wanted to cry out in pain at the sensation, but she knew better. Withholding any type of satisfaction for the matron was the only thing that kept her going.

“You are worth nothing, half-blood whore.” She leaned closer, still staring into the souls of Noora’s eyes. “And I am the one who will remind you of that.”

Chapter 9

Noora

The rain was pelting onto her back, worsening the unbearable pain of the still open flesh. She tasted blood on her tongue from how hard she bit on it but she did not care.

The only thing her feet could do was run. Run until she lost her breath and slipped into unconsciousness to escape the pain.

Blood ran over her back but she wrapped it as carefully as she could.

Elise tried to talk to her afterward but she ignored her, there was nothing left to say. She betrayed her and the gold was gone, she would never be able to leave Oy Frossen without it.

She would have to watch Freckles stay in the orphanage knowing the matron would choose her to torture, once Noora was gone.

And Noora would be unable to do anything about it. A witch was not allowed to take in another child, even when she came of age.

The forest sang, greeting her lightly as she stepped inside, the storm finally abiding and moving on from their small town.

She didn’t know what she was doing here, she just could not face Lulva and tell her the gold was gone.