The Witch's Patron

Chapter 19

The following day was struggle. Exhausted from what wound up being a much longer stay at the studio than usual, Noori found herself dragging all morning long. She trudged around the docks on her morning rounds but smiled because it had been worth it.

When she came upon Captain Denali's slip, Noori paused and stared up at the ship. Her mind swirled with questions. How long had the Captain known about Keizsa? What kind of spell did she need from her, especially one that demanded such a seemingly valuable exchange? Noori wondered if she could get the Captain to talk without giving up too much information herself.

She was still mulling over the hypothetical conversation she would have with the Captain as she walked to the market later that day, swinging her shopping basket absentmindedly at her side. The shopping list her father had given her was long, but she made quick work of it so that she could stop by the Fairbanks fish stall. Toddrick was still out at sea and Noori liked to visit with his mother when she could spare the time, just to see how she was doing.

"Hello, sweet girl!" Mrs. Fairbanks smiled when she arrived. "Are you keeping busy?"

"You know me," Noori laughed. "I couldn't tell you what the opposite of busy is. Are you managing alright?"

"Of course," Mrs. Fairbanks waved off the question. "I'm a tough old dame. Besides, you and I both know this business would fall apart without me here to run the show." Noori nodded with a grin. Everyone in Fernweh knew that the Fairbanks matriarch was a force to be reckoned with.

"That painting you made for Toddrick's birthday was lovely, Noori," his mother said, dragging an ice-filled barrel into position with a strength uncanny for a woman of her age and size. "I didn't know you had an interest in art."

Noori averted her gaze and tagged bashfully on one of her curls. "Thanks. I'm not sure if I have much talent for it but it was nice to try something new."

Mrs. Fairbanks tutted and insisted her work was better than she was giving herself credit for. Noori danced vaguely around her questions of where she got the inspiration and who had taught her. Shifting with increasing discomfort, Noori looked for a way to change the subject.

"How much longer do you think they'll be out?" she asked. It was an honest question; she was having a difficult time keeping track of the days. She could hardly remember how long Toddrick had been gone.

Mrs. Fairbanks laughed. "All you girls seem awfully interested in when my son will be back. I can just imagine the look on his face if he knew. He's so naive sometimes."

Noori cocked her head questioningly. "Who else has been asking?"

Toddrick's mother nodded in the direction of Minty's stall. "I swear to you, Minty has been positively pining since the day he left," there was a mischievous glint in her eye. "Those two have been spending an awful lot of time together."

There was something chiding in her inflection that made Noori bristle involuntarily. Surely Mrs. Fairbanks didn't think she was jealous of Minty? Why did everyone in this harbour seem to think that she and Toddrick were anything other than friends?

"You know," Mrs. Fairbanks continued, leaning closer. "If you're not careful that young lady might just scoop him up. I wouldn't wait much longer if I were you."

There is was. Nausea swept over Noori, blood draining from her face. She was mortified by Mrs. Fairbanks' less-than-subtle insinuation that she had simply been biding her time with Toddrick.

"I want Toddrick to be happy," Noori said, the pitch of her voice rising and she babbled. "If Minty makes him happy, then I'm happy for him too." How many times could she say 'happy' in one breath? Mrs. Fairbanks raised an eyebrow and Noori could tell that she didn't believe her. She wondered what it would take for anyone to finally accept that she didn't see Toddrick that way — that she never had and never would.