Marie

  Month 1, Day 8, 5:00 a.m.

  Marie shocked herself awake in her dark room. Poe had stayed out till very late, and she’d given up on waiting for him to return when she’d finally decided to return to her room for bed. Sleeping had not reduced her anxiety. Her dreams were filled with raven wings and questions for Frig. Questions that woke her up and compelled answers.

  Marie had to confront her own feelings concerning Poe’s the spell array. It disturbed her. He’d repeatedly told her that Frig needed to be consulted when making decisions, but oddly, this decision seemed exempt.

  She could avoid this problem—Poe was her teacher and he’d decided—or she could do something. She could consult Frig.

  Marie lit her table lamp, and in its bluish flow, she dressed in one of her practical dresses, then gathered the components for the the raven calling spell array. She didn’t know if Poe had woken, or not, but she tried to keep sound down to a minimum.

  She carefully snuck up to the roof, trying to keep her steps soft on the metal surface, where shr found the iron bowl. She drew out the array, and carefully placed the components.

  The still air carried the sounds of the city preparing for the day, the calls of street vendors trying for the early customers, and the smells of breakfasts cooking in the residences nearby. The sky showed the grey-blue color of dawn as the few brightest stars faded. If she’d bothered to look, she would have seen the spies take up their posts, Jemnie and Cory on opposite street corners.

  Marie focused on the sound she wanted to make. She’d learned that this spell array could only really make a single sound. The glyphs included the one for Ravens. She wondered if she changed it whether she’d be able to get other sounds out. Best not experiment, however, because as it was Poe would be angry if he found out she cast magic without him. He’d be furious if she experimented without his permission.

  Despite the risk that he’d find out, Marie continued. She had to know if Poe was making a mistake, even if he wouldn’t check himself.

  The hardest part had been looking for something symbolic in her rooms that could represent Poe. Or maybe to represent what Poe hoped to do. Among all the alchemical supplies there was a little bottle, no bigger than her pinky. The day before she’d stopped by the canal when she picked up lunch, filled the vial with water, and capped it with a tiny cork.

  Marie remembered a poem from when she was a child, which felt like a long time ago, but had probably only been a few years:

  Plant in the bright spring;

  sow the fecund ground with seed.

  The land, while sleeping,

  dreams of golden reed.

  The cloudy silversmith

  hammers a spray of water that carried

  the memories of fish,

  iridescent arch in the radiant-hammered sky.

  Water was the only thing she could think of that had memories in it. And, the canal had fish in it. Probably. So, Marie concluded that the little bottle would serve, and she placed it in the iron bowl. If Poe wanted to restore his memory, Marie would bring the memory of fish to ask Frigg if he should. She hoped the raven understood.

  Marie activated the array, and was rewarded with a firm “Kraa” that resonated over the city. An owl fluttered from a nearby roof over looking the street. Marie sat patently, almost willing Frigg to arrive, but not casting any magic. While she waited, Marie considered Poe’s behavior for the prior week.

  He’d been distracted, certainly. He barely spent any time looking for or watching Silverling or the Raven Queen. He also moved his desk into her space on the side of the partition near the door, then spent the whole week drawing on the floor of his office, reference books at hand and a big square of white paper covered in intricate diagrams.

  Yesterday, when he finished the huge spell array, Marie thought his mania would be subdued, but he then made a complex spell array to cast a complex illusion with smoke. He’d burned herbs in a brasier and cast and complex multipurpose array. Then he left, promising that he would return before midnight. He took the fighting stick.

  Marie couldn’t fully express her concern to him, because he would just dismiss them. Marie knew that Poe treated her more like an adult than any of the people she knew, but since the apprenticeship started, Marie realized that Poe often treated her like she knew very little at all. This past week had been particularly stressful, because he cancelled lessons and the exercise. Marie couldn’t get him up to eat properly or go out, and he worked through the day and most of the night, barely eating or sleeping. His eyes had become sunken and dark from fatigue, and he’d become more irritable while seemingly putting on a mask of positivity.

  She feared that array.

  Marie did not need to wait very long before she saw the familiar raven flying over the rooftops. Hooked in her talons, Frig carried a black thing of the rooftops. When Frigg landed in front of Marie, Marie recognized the stiff black oval as a mask that was about the size that if she wore it, it would cover her whole face. The interior of the mask had silvery traceries that might have been enchantments.

  Frigg hopped back as Marie retrieved it from the roof, then gave a little bow. Marie bowed back. Marie prepared her question, just as she’d dreamed it.

  “Frigg, Oracle of Ravens, What will happen if Master Poe casts his spell?”

  ‘I hope I’ve brought the right tribute for you.’ Marie thought in a long pause.

  At first, Marie wasn’t sure that the Raven understood. She seemed to hop around Marie, and flapped her wings irritably, coming surprisingly close. Marie tried to stay completely still.

  Eventually, Frigg hopped to the bowl and the little glass vial, then lifted it from the bowl with her beak and dropped it in some of the unmelted snow. Marie thought Frigg looked at her accusingly, then she pecked at the tiny cork, until the vial came open. The spoonful of canal water dribbled out and flowed away on the slightly slanted roof.

  “Kraa.” Frigg said. She snatched the empty vial in her beak and flew away with it.

  ‘What did that mean?’ Marie wondered. ‘How does Poeever tell what it means? Now what do I do?’

  As she watched, the dark shape of Frig grew smaller until Marie lost sight of her winging her way over the Mires. The sun was rising and filling the sky with a reddish light. She felt lightheaded, and her heart was thudding a little too hard.

  Marie scurried back through the roof hatch and down to Poe’s room. She knocked, but he didn’t answer. It was still very early, so he could be sleeping soundly, but that felt wrong. Marie then hurried to the office, and the door was open.

  “Poe?” Marie called.

  “In here.” Poe responded from beyond the partition.

  Marie stepped around the partition and found Poe standing in the spell array. There were strange components in carefully marked circles all around the room. A tattered ribbon, an animal skull, divination stones, an iridescent pearl, and beast cores.

  “Just give me a movement, the spell is just settling.” Poe turned, snd Marie thought that Poe had a glyph painted on his forehead. Frank smiled. “We need to test it!”

  “Poe, have you cast the spell? Because … there’s something …”

  “Of course. Later though? I just cast the spell. It seems to be working perfectly.”

  Marie looked at Poe, and she certainly didn’t think he looked any different. Other than the glyph. And something else, but she couldn’t say what it was.

  “Um, what is on your face?”

  “This is part of making it work. Come along, I’ve worked out the perfect test.” Poe stepped out of the array, and picked up his dark coat on the way out. As he shrugged it on, careful not to drop his small conduit, Marie realized the difference.

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  “Poe, your suit?”

  “Yes, isn’t it glorious? A clean grey suit of clothes. It’s not this season’s style, but then the suit I normally wear are obscene. The bright colors helps people recall me. But, for this test I am hoping to prove that even in less garish clothes, people will remember me.”

  “You’ll wear the koi coat though, right?”

  “No. I don’t think I will. This should have fixed my curse. At least, for a short while. The spell array can’t last more than several hours. Let’s order a lunch.”

  “A lunch? But, it’s breakfast.”

  “Come along.” Poe strode out, without even putting on a hood or cloak. Marie threw her new cloak, pinned it with the garnet cloak pin, on and hurried after him.

  Poe, seemingly oblivious to Jemnie and a very tired-looking Cory headed down the street to one of the street carts that sold greasy food throughout the day. Poe patiently waited his turn as customers wearily ordered chunks of a goat meat wrapped in flatbread for their breakfasts. Subdued by the early hour, the customers murmured their orders and the vendor passed the food to them with the sleepy reverence of all people who wake before sunrise.

  “Hello there!” Poe said brightly and with a touch of enthusiasm people usually reserved for festival days.

  The food-vendor looked at Poe with slight surprise. Poe smiled a remarkably manic smile. Marie noted this was an unusual amount of exuberance from him at seven in the morning.

  “Uh, good morning?” The vendor asked.

  “Yes, very, very good, I think. So. Can I order something now for later?”

  “Well … I normally just give people their food out right away …”

  “But, you could just, say hold it for later?”

  “I mean, are you going to pay me?” The vendor furrowed his brow.

  “Of course.”

  “I mean, like now? Are you going to pay me now to hold a breakfast kebab for you to pick up later?”

  “Yes, yes. That’s exactly what I’d like you to do, and when I come back, you can say ‘this is the food I kept hot for you Mr. Poe.’ So, then, you could hand me the hot kebab or whatever like completely normal people do.”

  “Uh, completely normal people just take the food when they buy it.” The vendor muttered. “I suppose I could do that for you Mr. Poe. But, why?”

  “No reason. I’m paying extra here,” Poe drew an entire gold from his pocket, “so I expect the food hot when I come for it later, say around noon, and don’t forget to use my name when you hand it to me, ok?”

  Marie choked a little. ‘An entire GOLD? He’s gone crazy.’ She thought.

  The vendor looked at the gold suspiciously. “This isn’t a scam is it?”

  “No, no, of course not! Just take my money.”

  “Uh, okay.” The vendor reluctantly took the gold coin.

  “Now remember, later today, at lunchtime, hand me two kebabs, and say my name somehow. Don’t forget, my name is Mr. Poe.”

  Poe turned and strode away. Marie just gaped for a moment, before she followed him back to the office, with the spies trailing along behind. They came back to the office and Poe sat down at his desk, still grinning.

  “Master, what was that?”

  “Do you know, I’ve been buying kebabs off that vendor for over two years and not once has he recognized me or said my name? Not once. He forgets meeting me, you see, so he can’t even recall my name. I’ve asked. But today will be different!”

  “Listen, Master Poe, I … consulted with Frigg and …”

  “What? Did you cast magic without me there?”

  “Just the raven calling spell, Master, and not very loudly.”

  “Now Marie, I’ve said before, you should only cast spells under my supervision. You’ve shown good progress, but you still aren’t experienced enough to cast on your own.”

  Marie nodded. She’d take whatever scolding Poe had in mind, but she needed to tell him what happened.

  “Master, I’m sorry. I just want you to be safe. I don’t think Frigg likes this spell. She poured out the water I gave her.”

  “I am sorry but you do not have sufficient experience. You have to pick an appropriate symbol and it has to resonate with your question. Frigg is still a bird. Without me there to help you interpret, any conclusion you might reach is bound to be caught up in your own fears or concerns. It’s not your fault, you’re just not old enough or experienced enough to really understand.”

  Marie bristled. She knew that she was right. Poe was the one that had made the mistake. But, when she looked at his expression, getting more condescension was the only likely outcome, and she’d just have to hope he didn’t get too badly hurt.

  “Fine.” Marie spat. “Are we going to have a lesson?”

  “No, not today. Just focus on your reading today. I think I’ll start in on the enchantment diagrams. I’ll show you how to use all the equipment I stored up on the third floor after I’ve gotten this ready.”

  Marie rolled her eyes. Poe was supposed to teach her alchemy too, but he’d barely started. She sat at her table and began reading, while Poe sat at his desk next to her muttering and fussing over his own diagrams of an amulet set with a large pearl. After several hours, Poe checked a watch in his pocket and announced it was lunchtime.

  “But, it’s only 10:30?”

  “Close enough! Close enough. Let’s go pick up our kebabs!”

  Marie dutifully followed the excited Poe out of the Agency and into the street. Marie noticed that Jemnie and Cory waited at the corner together. They seemed to be quietly discussing something, but when Poe emerged they focused on him and followed Marie and Poe at a modest distance.

  Poe practically skipped to the kebab vendor, and Marie had to hurry to keep up. Her heart didn’t much like it, and it still pounded when they arrived. It was too late for breakfast, and honestly, too early for lunch, so Poe strode straight to the vendor.

  “Do you have anything for me?” Poe asked.

  The vendor cocked his head to the side.

  “Mr. Poe, it’s awfully early for lunch.”

  Poe seemed delighted. “Yes. Yes. It’s too early. But, how much did I pay you?”

  “A gold.”

  “So?”

  “I’ve got some hot kebabs here for you Mr. Poe. If you’ll give me a moment, you can have them right away.”

  Poe laughed. The kebab vendor shrank back a little.

  “You hear that Marie? He has Mr. Poe’s kebabs. Right here!” Poe laughed in relief and a kind of manic joy.

  Marie furrowed her brow. The man remembered Poe. Then she got it: the man hadn’t just remembered Poe, he’d remembered meeting Poe. The curse had no effect.

  “Poe?” Marie nudged him. Poe picked Marie up and spun around, then he put her down and whooped.

  “It worked! It worked!”

  The kebab vendor held out the two kebabs as if Poe was a wild animal that might bite. Marie took them gently.

  “Let’s go back to the office and eat these and I’ll let the …” Poe stopped midway through his sentence and saw the two spies waiting down the street. Like match flaring to life, Poe fixed them with a glare and stormed toward them. Marie had to run after him to keep up.

  In just a few strides, he loomed over the pair and drew his pipe from a coat pocket and flourished it.

  “Now then, you gutter-born trash. You’ll remember this for once, and by the plane of darkness you’ll listen. I have had enough of this spying. You tell your bosses that if this doesn’t end soon, I’ll end it. Thieves and whores the lot of you.”

  Cory pushed the smaller boy behind her as Poe brandished the pipe.

  “It does not matter to me,” Poe continued, “if your bosses ordered you here, or how young you are, or your justification, the next time I see you following me I’ll be sure it will be the very last time.”

  Cory backed away slowly. Marie knew her look, the fear in her eyes. She’d seen it. Jemnie cowered behind her; trying to make himself look smaller. Marie couldn’t see Poe’s face, but she knew what he must have looked like in her bones. She’d seen the look at the Parlor often enough: all anger and threats of violence. The look he’d given the Morrow’s enforcer.

  “Go!” Poe barked. Cory and Jemnie turned and ran.

  Marie felt hot, and angry, furious, at Poe. Her eyes grew wide and she grabbed the arm holding his pipe and wrenched at him.

  “What was that? What right do you have to do that?”

  “I am sorcerer! I have every right to be free of …”

  “Is that what you think of me, Frank Poe?!” Marie screamed at him. “That I am gutter trash? That I’m a whore or a thief? Marie felt her face was hot. “That if you don’t get your way you’ll hit me? threaten me?”

  “No.” Frank replied angrily. “You’re different. You’re talented … You’re ..”

  “And how do you know they aren’t?” Marie’s blood pumped in her ears, thudding heavily. “Frank Poe, today you’ve finally shown it; you are the sort of cruel man my mother worried about.” Marie yelled and she didn’t care.

  People on the street stopped. The kebab vendor and his customers stared.

  “But they …” Frank started, but Marie screamed back.

  “They haven’t done a thing to you, have they? They done the same thing you do all day long to other people. Followed you. And not once do they catch you, do they?” Maries breath was coming in great gasps. “You throw stones at glass houses! When will you start in on me?”

  “But, you’re my friend.” Frank said. His eyes showed hurt, and a sort of pain that Marie didn’t know she could even inflict.

  “Is that so? Then ... you … you … had better …” Marie couldn’t breathe. ‘Be a better person,’ her thoughts continued without speaking. Her irregular heartbeat spiked and she felt sudden overwhelming chest pain between her breasts. Despite trying to resist it, she collapsed forward into Frank’s arms. He dropped hid pipe with a clatter and caught her, still holding his conduit in his other hand.

  Marie thought he smelled of old books and the sea.

  “Marie? Marie!” Poe exclaimed. Her lowered her to the pavement. “Help!” He called. “Help!”

  The enchantment on Marie’s chest kicked in, and the nausea hit first, so she dry heaved. They hadn’t eaten breakfast after all, so there wasn’t anything in her stomach. Her vision was black around the edges, but she could have sworn Poe appeared to be crying? The kebab vendor and his customer, a lady, ran toward him.

  “I’m sorry, she has a heart condition.” Poe was saying, but Marie barely heard him. She closed her eyes against the pain, and squeezed Poe’s hand. This was a bad one. The kebab vendor said something and Poe answered. Then the woman said something angry. It wasn’t an argument exactly, but Marie thought it sounded like there might have been accusation. She felt the forced the sense of calm come over her, then her body decided that she’d be better off unconscious.