The Crags

Chapter 9

Santi spent the night altering two of Murai's dresses for Pen, a feat, since her finger throbbed each time she bumped it. Their brother had sent her home without her clothes. The next morning, Murai packed her sewing machine and all the accessories into a trunk and left it beside Santi's trunk in the drawing room. Since her father had ordered the Muster, she no longer needed it. Mrs. Sphere added a carpetbag full of remedies and cures for flus and her father's arthritis. She had added the tonics she bought from the doctor, but already opened one for Pen. The girl refused to remain with the Spheres another day, so Santi suggested giving her the tonic to help her recuperate faster.

Mrs. Sphere must have relayed the events at the ball to her husband, because after breakfast, he mentioned the neckband.

"I made it for your uncle. So you do not need to talk about anything you do not want to talk about." The last part he said while staring at his wife, who looked more than ready to query Santi about that neckband. "I, however, now have to apologize to you and your uncle. He asked me to make these as well, but I did not get it to him on time. Since he had already paid for it, I should now pass it to you."

He gave her two jewelry boxes. The first contained an enormous diamond ring, and the other, a diamond bracelet.

"He said something I did not quite understand, but I am assuming you can explain it to us. He said they complete the set."

Though he would not allow his wife to question Santi, his curiosity would not remain unsatisfied. Her uncle told her about the ring and bracelet when he had a pair of earrings made. Along with the neckband, it amounted to the inheritance he received from his parents: 500 000 credits.

The butler arrived with the Leigh of Sundial as Santi nodded and moved her pouch onto her lap. She lightly brushed her finger over the material, and the opening on top widened as two more jewelry boxes appeared.

"I have got to get me one of those." The Leigh's cheeks flushed as everyone turned to look at him. "I did not mean to say that out loud, but I do need one. Did you use an extension spell or the one to open an alternate dimension?"

Santi glared at the Leigh as two flaming crosses appeared on her chest.

Through clenched teeth, she said, "Finish it."

"Finish what?" Murai asked. "What is that on her chest?"

To Santi's surprise, Mr. Sphere explained everything about soul-binding vows, while the Leigh crouched beside her.

"I do not know what I said to trigger the vows. Can you give me a hint?"

She held up her pouch and two fingers.

"Two vows about the pouch."

She dropped a finger.

"One is about the pouch. I read they go by two names, but it depends on which spell you used."

Santi nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"Can she not say anything about it?" Murai asked.

"No!" the Leigh said. "It would kill her. Right. The bag. If you used the extension spell..."

Santi nodded.

"Then it is called a bottomless bag."

She grabbed hold of the table as sparks erupted from her chest. After a few breaths to clear her vision, she tapped the other cross and then tapped twice against the table.

"At least it is not a triple..." He fell silent at her glare. "Oh. Sorry. But you know it is impossible to know when someone made a soul-binding vow. No one I know had ever made a triple vow. A single hurts more than cutting off a limb." He wiped his hands over his face and repeated what he had said when he arrived. "The spells?"