Unwinding the Spiral by Peta Hawker

Author:Peta Hawker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Peta Hawker

28

SHARVEL

In a small, circular room, Jessandra sat at a table grinding herbs in a mortar. Strath stood a few paces away, leaning over a large pot on the wood-fired stove.

‘I think they’re ready,’ Jessandra said, handing the bowl to Strath.

‘Perfect,’ he said, offering her a small smile that made a lump rise in her throat.

She’d never ground herbs before, never made food of any kind. As children, she’d often followed Lenta into the castle kitchens to see what the staff were doing. They would be fed cakes and sweet apple juice before being sent back to their rooms. None of the cooks would ever let them near the food preparations, worried that they’d be punished by Mascerab.

Strath tipped the herbs into the pot, stirring a few more times before joining Jessandra at the table. He sat beside her, and her senses tingled at their closeness.

‘I don’t have any bread for our soup,’ he said. ‘That’s the problem with travelling.’ He shook his head with a sad laugh. ‘Also the problem with having no parents.’

‘I’d have the same problem even with my parents,’ Jessandra muttered, wrapping her hands around the mug of tea she’d poured earlier.

After Kali had given Wave the book, Strath had led them to his domed house. Despite the fact he’d been gone from Sharvel for months, his home felt fresh and alive. Strath had sent them both to rest in a bedroom that held two single beds.

Jessandra hadn’t been able to sleep, and neither had Wave. As soon as they lay down, Wave began to read, flicking through the pages of Kali’s book at a lightning pace. Jessandra was envious of her speed, but pushed her thoughts aside. Wave was her friend, that was all that mattered.

As Wave read, Jessandra let herself relax, getting lost in thoughts about Strath and Sharvel. Now that the stress of escaping the Black Cloaks was gone, Strath was much calmer. She couldn’t deny the flutter in her belly when she was around him. When he smiled at her, she felt seen in a way she’d never experienced with Jai’til.

It felt like mere moments had passed while Jessandra lay back, lost in her thoughts, when she heard Wave sob.

‘I have to see Kali,’ Wave had said through her tears, taking the book and running from the room.

‘Do you think Wave’s okay?’ Strath asked, dragging Jessandra’s attention back to the present.

‘I hope so,’ Jessandra said with a shrug. ‘Do you have any idea what was in the book?’

Strath shook his head. ‘The library is full of ancient texts. I’ve read a lot of them, but I haven’t read The Blood of the Ehta.’

‘I wonder what’s different about Setora’s story,’ Jessandra said, looking into the swirling colours of her tea. ‘Maybe there’s some sort of cure that was lost in the retelling?’

‘I hope so,’ Strath said, staring out of the window.

There was always something about the way Strath looked at Wave, the way he spoke to her that made Jessandra jealous. She couldn’t be sure, but she got the sense that he liked her a little more than a friend should.

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