“I’ll do my best to take care of you, Auteri,” I whispered. As long as Mayor Taira would let me stay, of course. But nearly every town in the Realm appealed to the Council for help, so Auteri was likely in need, too. As long as they didn’t mind an inexperienced witch.
I went to pick up the plate. It wasn’t where I had left it.
It had moved behind me.
And, somehow, the plate was polished clean.
There was no one in sight. Was there a ghost?
A few grains of rice led into the cottage. I followed the trail, one by one. My heart beat unsteadily. Mother kept me awake with ghost stories on too many a dark night. When she told me tales of the haunted forests of the north, where she’d grown up, I almost sensed the presence of the villagers’ wailings carried on the wind. But she’d never told me stories about ghosts that stole rice.
The trail led straight into the closet, where I had left my knapsack on the floor. The three shelves on the walls were all empty. I leaped back when my knapsack wriggled.
“W-what?” I croaked.
I snatched the Fiery Phoenix and used the stick to prod my knapsack, and it squeaked. I lifted the top flap.
Nestled among the crumbs of my last croissant, the red-gold flamefox from the boat stared up and let out a loud burp. He cocked his head with his huge ears perked up. A grain of rice stuck to the tip of his muzzle, and his tongue flicked out and polished it clean. I wasn’t sure if he was smiling or laughing. Probably both.
My eyes focused on something underneath him. “My scroll!” I dove for my knapsack and grabbed the leather tube containing my Novice Witch application.
The flamefox jumped out and landed gracefully. He padded over and sat docilely at my feet. The black tube had some nibble marks on the corners, so I popped off the top.
REQUIREMENTS TO PASS THE NOVICE QUEST
All those with magic must go on a quest.
To show themselves worthy of passing this test.
ONE: Help your town, do good all around.
TWO: Live there for one moon, don’t leave too soon.
THREE: Fly by broomstick, the easiest trick.
The rules are simple for the valiant, clever, and strong.
But if you cannot continue, you do not belong.
The rules parchment was unscathed. I held my breath when I turned to the application page, and I wanted to let out a sigh of relief because it was all in one piece—but my stomach knotted back up. At the top, a huge blank line waited expectantly—in order to pass, I needed Mayor Taira of Auteri’s signature. I put the tube on the highest shelf, far out of the flamefox’s reach, feeling like I was pulling a rug over a mess I was trying to hide.
Then I sat on the ground, staring back at the fiery little mischief-maker now sitting in the middle of the cottage. His eyes glimmered, and he started trotting toward me.
“What trouble are you up to now?” I asked, but it was too late. He leaped.
Even though he was tiny, his jump knocked me off balance. I waved my arms like a windmill as I toppled backward, falling flat on the ground. His wet, warm muzzle bopped my nose, as if to check whether I was okay. Satisfied, he then let out a loud burp that smelled suspiciously mackerel-like, crawled onto my stomach, and curled up, as if to say, This is my place now.
I’d never had a pet before. My parents traveled too much for them to get a dog, and Mother was allergic to cats, most witches’ and wizards’ favorite companions. The flamefox raised his head and nudged my hand over the star-shaped mark on his forehead, and I started petting him, running my hands down his sleek coat. He was a bundle of heat, and for the first time since my magic had manifested, I was warm, too.
He stretched his jaw open in a yawn and his sharp, tiny teeth glinted in the lantern light.
I lifted him up and put him on the foot of the bed. He plopped down, tucking himself into a cozy, tight curl with his bushy tail wrapped around him, snuggling into the mattress with satisfaction.
I groaned. “What have I gotten myself into?”
CHAPTER 8
THE MAYOR OF AUTERI
The next day, I woke before the sun peeked over the horizon and stretched my arms. Magic usually tickled at my fingertips in the morning, but today I felt only the faintest of sparks. I had used too much magic helping the man on the boat and repairing the cottage.
Mother believed that the more I used new spells, the more magic I would have to draw upon in the future. Right now, I could barely cast a simple charm. I wanted to rest, but I needed to meet the town leader first.
When I checked on my food stores, my smoked mackerel stash looked suspiciously lower than it had yesterday. I chewed on a piece, wandering back over to check on the flamefox, now sleeping on his back. His plump, pink belly and paws stuck up as he snored lightly.
I wafted my mackerel over his nose and he woke with a squeak, rolling onto his legs. I grinned and tore my mackerel in half. He shook his bushy tail so furiously that he toppled over and contentedly lay on the bed to chew on the smoked fish.
I scratched behind his ears. “You probably don’t understand commands, do you?”
The flamefox’s dark eyes twinkled with mischief. If you feed me more, I’ll listen.
“Okay, maybe you do.” I raised another piece of smoked mackerel. “See this, flamefox?”
His ears perked up as he stared hungrily.
“If you promise to stay here and wait for me, you’ll get this now and another snack after I return.” I dangled it in front of him and he nearly turned cross-eyed. “When I see Mayor Taira, I’ll ask if anyone knows where your owner lives. Don’t wander off, though.”
The flamefox wagged his tail, leaped up, and grabbed the fish. He put it on the bed as if to say, This is mine now. This time, though, he didn’t eat it right away.
He followed me into the washroom and watched as I smoothed the loose hairs around my face. My brown eyes were firm and set, even if I felt like melting from nervousness inside. I was as ready as I’d ever be to meet Mayor Taira. I slipped my wand into the pocket of my dress and adjusted the angle of my hat.
I left the front door propped open. The flamefox ran around the cliff, chasing the shrieking seagulls and sniffing at the closed buds of the dusklight flowers. “Stay here, okay?”
He skittered to a stop. Before I turned the corner, I looked back. The flamefox sat in the middle of the clearing, whining softly when I waved. His head turned questioningly, as if saying, Do I really have to stay here all alone? That’s no fun.
“Remember our deal—no trouble,” I called. “I’ll see you later.”
Rin had given me directions to Mayor Taira’s offices. “You’ll see the town hall before you get there,” she had told me, but she’d scribbled down the instructions on the back of an old magicless ticket and pressed the scrap of paper into my hands.
I followed the map into the winding, bustling streets of Auteri, dodging trucks and swarms of workers in billowy trousers and blue or gold tunics, scurrying back and forth between the docks and shops. I walked up a slight hill, until the path opened up to a square lined with merchants, hawking everything from the latest fashions from Okayama to piles of golden corn and sacks of almonds to delicate dusklight flowers.
When I stepped into the middle of the town square, a shadow loomed over me. I looked up and gasped.