Ballad for Jasmine Town by Molly Ringle

Author:Molly Ringle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Central Avenue Publishing

It was a tumultuous town Rafi returned to, people simultaneously relieved that Brogyo was gone and worried what the next korred haunt leader would do. Rafi’s own disquiet went unnoticed. He played the gig, crashed into sleep that night, and slogged about the next day with his head, throat, and joints aching. A cold, he recognized: he’d caught a cold. It was the kind of thing easily treated with magic, especially for an endo-witch, but he abstained. He accepted the pain as his punishment. It made him feel the tiniest bit better to view it like that.

His cottage had been growing colder as the season turned, but he didn’t seek any way to change that either. While he was used to warm conditions in Kepelo’s territory, he had spent plenty of chilly nights in the ancient grove or elsewhere. Not having to be near the korreds was good enough for him, whatever the temperature.

On the last night of Lord Festival, he drank a cup of licorice tea to soothe his cough while the wind howled outside and slithered through the crack under his door. His phone buzzed. The sight of Roxana’s name on the text made his beleaguered lungs squeeze tight.

I just heard about Brogyo from my mom. Oh my gods. Maybe a good thing though?

He considered his answer before typing it in.

I hope it is. I haven’t heard from anyone in the korred haunt yet.

A few minutes went by. Then she answered:

Can I call you? There’s something I have to ask. I’m not sure I should write it.

Yes, he typed. Though he dreaded her inevitable question, he grabbed at the chance to hear her voice again, even if only in the role of stern confessor.

She called. “Hey, how are you?”

The living tones of her voice walloped him with sweet poignancy. He shut his eyes. Sitting on his loveseat, he curled his knees up to his chest. “Hey,” he said. “Fine. You?”

“Things are all right. So…you probably know what I want to ask. With Brogyo. The cuff. Was that…what happened?”

He hesitated. “I used it. I didn’t think it would make him do that. Not just without a word like that. I’ve…kind of been freaking out about it.”

“Oh. Gods. Does anyone else know?”

“Tash. Because she had to talk me down from freaking out. No one else, I don’t think. If they knew, someone would have come after me by now.”

Her voice was soft and scared. “Just instantly, he…gave up?”

“Not instantly. It was on him awhile. I mean, you and I, we both wore it awhile, so I thought…for him, he should at least…it doesn’t matter, I’m a horrible person. I feel like a torturer. An executioner. Tash tells me it’s not like that with fae, and I know it’s not, I grew up with them, but how can I not think it?”

“Oh, Rafi.” Now she sounded warm, compassionate. He frowned, not sure he was interpreting her voice right. “Sweetheart. You’re not a horrible person. I’m the one who made it, who layered in all those spells.

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