The Herbwitch's Apprentice Ireen Chau (best life changing books txt) 📖

Amarante,

I hope this letter finds you well. What you’ve found yesterday has been invaluable.  I’ve sent a letter to Bennett and my father about the duchess’s coins and what Erasmus had discovered. My father believes Her Grace might have been framed and advises me not to expose her lest she is wrongly accused. I am to handle this whole affair in a quiet manner.

I regret that Captain Greenwood’s arrest was so rushed. My mother is recovering in bed. I suspect her weakness is equal parts shock and poison. The physicians managed to improve her condition, but I do not know how effective the medication will be when they are treating the wrong poison.

Captain Greenwood will have his trial once my father and Bennett return. In the mean time, my father has put me in charge of this case. I hope by then I can turn the tables and expose the true culprit. Meanwhile, I have something I need your help with. Meet me at the library this afternoon around three. If you cannot, write me and tell me when you are free.

Yours,

Ash

I stuffed the note into my dress pocket before Genevieve looked up from Lydia’s letter. My stomach twisted at the reminder of yesterday’s events. The duchess could very likely get away with her crimes. The silly part of me was embarrassed that he had signed off his letter with “yours” when there were so many other options. I fetched my boots from the doorway and laced them on. It was two-thirty in the afternoon and a walk to the south wing would take half an hour. I’d be able to gather my thoughts then.

“I’m going for a walk!” I called out, already past the threshold.

“Dressed like that?” Genevieve followed me, squinting at the sweltering sun and frowning at my heavy cloak. “You’ve been going on an awful lot of walks lately.”

I unfastened the clasp and thrust it into her arms. “I enjoy the exercise. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

I hated lying to my stepsister, but I couldn’t possibly tell her everything from the lessons with Lana to the duchess’s crimes.

My face was flushed by the time I entered the library. Mr. Northberry was still asleep at his desk when I made it to the east end.

“You called?” I said, panting.

Ash looked up from his seat and smiled. “I have a plan to make the duchess expose herself.”

17

A couple days later, I found myself back at Lana’s, this time burdened with a heavy load.

“Come along.”

My arms were burning. The wooden crate filled with Lana’s general antidote seemed to grow heavier with each step I took. The passageway’s uneven ground did little to help the matter.

Lana had a personal passageway in her garden that led to the Witch Market. I was half-tempted to ask why she couldn’t have made hers with a smooth ground, but I was beginning to realize that magic couldn’t solve everything—and that Lana did not take well to complaints.

“How many passageways are there to the outside?” I asked instead.

“An infinite amount as long as there are witches to conjure them,” Lana said. “There are many that lead to the same destination. The public ones have guardian witches.”

“Like Miriam?” I said.

“Unfortunately,” Lana said.

I wondered what Miriam did to garner so much distaste from Lana and my nannies.

After a minute of walking, the door-shaped light finally appeared before us. Instead of walking straight out, Lana knocked on the door in an elaborate rhythm. On the other side, a key turned and the door swung open. My eyes watered from the sudden flood of brightness.

“Ah, Lana.” A short, stumpy witch with a long white beard stood behind the threshold. I recognized him as the witch from the crop fields.

“Ferdinand,” Lana said in greeting.

“Have you brought more of your extra sticky glue? I had a shelf fall off yesterday and I cannot be bothered to nail it back.”

“I’m afraid not.” Lana pushed her way out, clearly in no mood for small talk. I followed, coughing when I inhaled a lungful of stale air. We were in a dusty basement of some sort, overtaken with crates and barrels. The walls were high and lined with square windows.

“Who is this?” Ferdinand said, peering up at me. He didn’t seem to recognize me.

“My apprentice,” Lana said before I could introduce myself. I made up for her curt response with a smile and a half-curtsy and rushed after her as she climbed the short steps to the exit.

“Apprentice? I never took you as the type to take an appren—” Ferdinand’s words cut off as the door swung shut behind us. I felt bad for being so rude, but thoughts of manners left my head when I took in the sight before me.

We were in a narrow street sandwiched between red-bricked buildings. Wagons and table displays made of ramshackle crates lined the street, leaving barely enough space for a horse-drawn cart to pass through.

The street itself was crowded with people—witches and humans alike—chattering and shouting and bartering. Despite the crispness of the morning, the air was thick with sweat and incense. We were still somewhat underground, as the walls stretched up high and the road was unpaved.

This was the infamous Witch Market.

“Where’s our stand?” I shouted.

“Just around the corner.”

I squinted past the hustle and bustle, trying to see where the corner was. The street seemed to stretch on forever. My arms felt like they would fall off any second.

Lana glanced at me. “Here!” She waved at a passing witch with a cart full of crudely-made wagons. He pushed one down to her and proceeded through the crowd. Lana gave the wagon to me.

“Thank you,” I said, but she was already halfway down the street. I hurried behind her. A few men with scarred faces and wild beards were mixed in the rabble. I wasn’t eager to mingle with the likes of them.

Lana and I walked on for a minute or so before