Page 21 of A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison

21

B isma’s stomach lurched. ‘Nori!’

‘Baji,’ the five-year-old cried, face wet with tears.

The veins of her hands were dark blue, the poison spreading up past her wrist.

Bisma and Xander turned to one another at the same time, the same thought crossing their minds.

‘We have to try,’ she said.

Xander didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the potion they had just concocted, and Bisma gathered Nori into her arms. Nori clung tightly to Bisma, both arms wrapped around her neck.

Hot tears fell onto Bisma’s shoulder, and her heart twisted painfully. ‘Shh, you’re going to be fine,’ Bisma said, voice soothing as she sat down, Nori in her lap. ‘Nori, look at me.’ But Nori wouldn’t let go of Bisma’s head. Over Nori’s shoulder, Bisma exchanged a glance with Luna and Mei.

‘Nori, come on,’ Luna coaxed. ‘You have to take some medicine, okay?’

‘I don’t want to!’ Nori cried, clutching Bisma tighter. Bisma stroked her back.

‘Nori, please,’ Mei said. ‘Otherwise you won’t feel better.’

‘Don’t you trust your baji?’ Bisma asked. Nori nodded slightly. ‘Now, come, be a good girl.’ With a sniffle, Nori pulled back, and Bisma brushed aside Nori’s messy hair. ‘That’s it.’

Bisma turned Nori so she was facing forward, still sitting in her lap. She nodded at Xander, who was ready with a small vial of the cure.

‘It’s going to be okay,’ Bisma said, addressing this to Mei and Luna as well. ‘We made a cure; she’ll be fine now.’

‘Hello, brave girl, can you open your mouth, pretty please?’ Xander asked Nori, crouching down in front of her.

Nori looked at the vial, then shook her head, whimpering.

‘It’s medicine, sweet,’ Bisma said, giving the five-year-old a squeeze. ‘Just a sip and you’ll feel better, OK? Pinkie promise.’

Tears rolled down Nori’s face as she shook her head again.

‘Nori, please?’ Bisma asked, her voice breaking. The poison was spreading up Nori’s arms. ‘Just a little bit, I promise.’

Finally, Nori opened her mouth. Without delay, Xander emptied the liquid into her mouth, and she swallowed it, quickly dissolving into tears once more.

‘No taste good,’ she cried, turning to bury her face against her sister.

‘I’m sorry,’ Bisma said, stroking Nori’s hair as she blubbered against Bisma’s chest. ‘But you did so well!’

They waited, holding their breath.

Mei hugged Luna, while Xander stayed crouched in front of Bisma.

She looked at him. Without thinking, she reached for his hand only to find he was already reaching for her. They clutched each other, holding on.

A few long moments passed before Nori stopped crying.

Bisma watched Nori’s arm. ‘Xander, look,’ she said, gasping. The poison was receding. Bisma stood Nori up so they could all see.

‘It’s working,’ he whispered.

But the relief lasted only a second.

Nori threw up, vomiting out the cure, and the poison immediately began spreading once more. Nori wailed, breaking Bisma’s heart.

Xander swore, rushing to grab the freeze potion as Bisma gathered her little sister into her arms. She held onto Nori tight, the crash from hope to despair too much for her to bear. Xander fed it to Nori, who froze and fell asleep just like the rest, then he scooped her up and set her beside Deeba and Azalea.

Bisma could almost convince herself that Nori was just asleep—except she couldn’t because Nori was quiet. There were none of her usual loud snores to be heard.

Suddenly, Bisma rose to her feet, rage taking over. She let out a screech, kicking a table. The contents went crashing, but she did not notice. Blood roared in her ears, and she wanted to scream, to drown it all out.

‘Hey.’ Xander was suddenly in front of her. She couldn’t see straight; she couldn’t see anything.

He cupped her face in his hands, saying her name once, twice, rubbing his thumbs over her cheekbones, and finally, she saw him. She looked up into his green eyes.

‘Get some fresh air,’ he said quietly.

Over his shoulder, she saw Mei and Luna, both startled. Tears sprang to her eyes. Bisma was horrified with herself for succumbing to her despair in front of them.

She ran outside, gulping in cool air. She fell to her knees, sticking her hands into the soil, letting her magic flow through her. A thorny bush sprouted, and she felt her breathing grow more even, some of the more potent emotions leaving her.

With a sigh, Bisma walked and went to town, hoping to clear her head. She still felt Nori’s little body in her arms, the way Nori had clung to her. The front of Bisma’s dress was still wet with her tears.

It broke her heart.

In town, she spotted Haru leaving the butcher’s shop, presumably on his way home. When he saw Bisma, he came over.

‘Everything alright?’ he asked, looking concerned.

‘Yes, it’s nothing.’ She attempted a smile.

‘How’s Luna doing?’ he asked. He always asked.

‘She’s doing a bit better,’ Bisma said, her heart breaking for him now, as well. Why was everything so horrible and sad?

‘Tell her I’m thinking of her,’ Haru said, then paused. That warmed her, this thread of hope persisting among all the awfulness. ‘No, tell her I miss her. She hasn’t replied to any of my letters.’

‘I’ll tell her,’ she reassured him.

He went on his way, and Bisma went back to the greenhouse.

When she returned, she saw Xander excitedly showing Luna and Mei around different plants, the three of them sucking on toffees. The sight was a balm to her heart.

Xander was good at that, distracting them away from their sorrow. He was a bright light, the glimmer of a rainbow shining through the rain.

Bisma walked over to Luna and Mei, pulling both of them into a hug. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. They both held her tight, and when they separated, both Mei and Luna gave Bisma a reassuring smile.

She turned to Xander, who held up a toffee. ‘A sweet for my sweet?’ he asked, giving her an inane smile.

Bisma gave him an incredulous look as Luna and Mei giggled behind her.

‘Thank you,’ she said through gritted teeth, approaching him to take it and discreetly kick his shin in the process. He yelped, which finally made her smile.

‘I should have known it would be torturing me, and not sweets, that would bring you joy,’ Xander grumbled, rubbing his leg.

Bisma smiled sweetly, popping the toffee into her mouth. ‘It can be a combination of both.’

He shook his head, amused.

‘Let’s go home,’ Bisma said, turning to the girls.

‘Wait,’ Xander said, touching her wrist. ‘Before you go—what was Nori’s story?’

‘You want to know?’ Mei asked, intrigued.

Xander nodded.

‘Why?’ Luna asked. She arched a suspicious brow. ‘Morbid fascination?’

‘No, just curious to know your stories,’ he said with a shrug.

‘He’s asked after everyone’s,’ Bisma explained to the girls. Nori was the only one left. She obliged Xander, just as she had with the others. ‘Nori was the youngest of eight children; she came to the Forest when she was three. She was lost and just wound up there one night, and the Forest accepted her after trying its best to scare her home.’

‘Didn’t her family wonder where she’d gone?’ Xander asked.

‘We met them in town once,’ Bisma said. ‘Nori said, “Oh, I used to live with them,” and pointed them out. They saw her, too, but weren’t interested. One of the older kids came over and said Nori was better off wherever she was, for their mother had recently run away, and most of the kids were scattering the first chance they got.’

Xander blinked. ‘That’s … something.’

‘That it is,’ Bisma said. She sighed. ‘Well, I’d better get these girls home.’

‘I’ll go with you,’ Xander said. He walked them to the Forest, then she, Luna, and Mei went the rest of the way home.

When they entered the treehouse, it was quiet … empty. Bisma hated it.

She went to her room, feeling restless. She drifted to her table, pulling out a piece of paper to write to her friend.

I’m sorry I haven’t written much lately, I’ve been so terribly busy. The hours in the day fly by and I don’t know where they go. It feels like trying to capture light in my hands, but I cannot get a grasp no matter how I try.

I don’t know if I can do this, be what my sisters need. I feel as though I am failing constantly, and every time I pick myself up and think, yes, perhaps now I can stand, I last but a moment before I lose my footing and fall again.

After writing, Bisma went down for dinner, which the three of them ate in a strained silence, unsure of what to say. Everything felt strange. There was an uncanny energy in the air, coming from the Forest itself.

It would not leave even after they finished eating. Since Mei had done most of the cooking, she went up to her room while Bisma and Luna cleaned up.

‘I saw Haru,’ Bisma said. ‘He said he misses you.’

Luna stopped washing the dishes, catching her breath.

‘Lu, just talk to him,’ Bisma said gently.

‘I can’t.’ Luna’s voice broke.

‘Why?’

‘I told you,’ Luna whispered. ‘I’m afraid.’

‘You can’t live your life in fear, darling,’ Bisma said.

Luna just shook her head, sighing. She finished washing the dishes in silence, then left, leaving Bisma alone.

Bisma released a long breath, listening to it fill the empty house. She checked on the girls, then got ready to head back to Xander’s greenhouse. It had been two weeks since they’d put Deeba to sleep, and they were so close now.

They just needed to keep at it.

At the greenhouse, Xander was already at work. He was as dedicated as she was—even more so. She didn’t understand it.

‘Why are you working so hard?’ she asked, coming to stand beside him as he ground ginger into a paste. ‘They’re my sisters, but why would it matter to you?’

He looked at her as if she was daft. She didn’t understand what she was missing that seemed so obvious to him.

‘Because it’s important,’ he finally said.

‘Why?’

‘Why?’ he repeated. He looked ready to tell her something. Her heartbeat quickened. ‘Look at my notes.’

‘What?’ She didn’t understand what that would prove. ‘I asked why , not if .’

He ran a hand through his hair, seemingly agitated. ‘Because—’ But then he broke off, shaking his head. ‘Don’t worry about it, Bis. We have more important things to focus on. I added chives to the last attempt, but we’re out of test trees. Can you grow me another?’

‘Yes, just a moment,’ she said, going over to where her sisters were sleeping. She wanted to check on them first, hoping it might give her heart some ease.

They were lying side-by-side: Azalea, Nori, Deeba. She hated to see them so frozen and still, quiet. They almost looked—

She touched each of their hearts to reassure herself, but the faint pulses weren’t much consolation.

She was stroking Deeba’s hair when she noticed Deeba’s expression was … different. It was hardly perceptible, but Bisma could tell. There was a slight crease between Deeba’s brows.

‘Xander,’ she called.

He walked over just as she lifted Deeba’s sleeves, and her suspicion was confirmed. The poison had spread further.

‘No,’ she whispered. Panic seized her with its icy claws. She turned to Xander, her eyes wide.

He swore to himself.

‘Bis, it’s going to be okay,’ he said, his voice sure. ‘Don’t worry. It’s only moved a little bit.’

‘What if it moves more?!’ she cried.

‘It won’t, not that fast. Give me—give me a second.’

He rolled up both Deeba’s sleeves, then ran back to grab one of his notebooks. He seemed to be tracking the spread of the poison since they had fed Deeba the freeze potion, calculating the speed. She saw him doing complicated math in his head, until he released a breath.

‘We have two more weeks before it spreads to her heart,’ he said. ‘That’s just a few days after the harvest festival.’

‘Two weeks?’ Her anxiety spiked. ‘Can’t we give her more of the freeze potion?’

‘No,’ he said. ‘Giving her too much will stop her heart; each dose is a precise amount to keep the body still so the poison won’t spread, as well as just alive enough so the heart can beat. Of course, it won’t last forever, and will start to wear off. I should have thought of that, but I thought …’

They had two more weeks to find a cure.

Two more weeks, or Deeba would die.