“Hmm. And you’re not interested in finding out more of your story?”
“Where would I look?”
“There are so many books in that room. Maybe in there?”
“That’s the apothecary. Those are spells, and potions, and dire warnings.”
I try to laugh off the ‘dire warnings’ part, but I’m not sure I entirely succeed. So I just change the subject. “Doesn’t this place have a library?”
“Somewhere, I’m sure. Up in those moving hallways.”
“They move?”
“You could literally get lost here at Saint Mark’s.”
“Like, never find your way back lost?”
“Back where? You won’t leave, not really. But those rooms up there, they’re… how do I explain this? They’re like memories.”
“I don’t get it. Memories?”
“Yeah. Like… days gone by. Somewhere up there are rooms that contain everything that’s happened over the many thousands of years it’s existed. This place is always growing. You’ll see. Eventually there will be a room up there for this day. I don’t know what the lag time is, so don’t go looking for it or anything. But one day, this will be history.” Tomas pans his hands wide at my new tiny cottage and then sighs. Like he’s tired.
“Well, that’s kind of amazing. So if you wanted to figure out your past, you could theoretically find the room from your first day here, and what? Go relive it?”
He shrugs. “Maybe. I don’t know. Never tried.”
“We should try, Tomas. I’ll help you. This memory stuff might be the best thing about this place.”
He doesn’t agree or disagree, so I know he’s not really interested. This is my cue to drop it and change the subject. The meal is over now and he’ll be leaving. Then it will just be me in here and I’m not used to that. I’m used to always having my friend on my shoulder. I miss Pia terribly. And I want her here with me so bad, it makes my heart hurt.
I need to figure out what’s happened to her. But until then, I’ll have to settle for Tomas’s company.
And as soon as I think that thought, he stands up and wipes his mouth with his napkin. A clear signal he’s ready to leave.
“You know what would help?” Tomas says.
“With what?”
“Making Pell agree to the job in Granite Springs.”
“Should I even ask?”
Tomas grins. “Hey, I’m not saying he’s not an asshole. He is. But I was serious about the debt payoffs. He’s not gonna make you do anything you don’t agree to. He gives no fucks if you have debt, Pie.”
“That’s not helpful. What were you gonna say?”
“Come up with a spell.”
I crinkle my face up at this. “I’m not a witch.”
“You don’t need to be a witch. It’s not magic. Not really. It’s just the laws of the universe, Pie. Learn to live within them. Learn how to ask for favors. That’s all magic is. And you can do that. Hell, maybe even I could do that. And anyway, Grant left a shitload of spells, and potions, and instructions in that apothecary. Just like all the caretakers before him. There are literally thousands of years of knowledge in that room. Use it. Come up with a spell, or a potion, or a glamour that will make Pell happy. That will tell him that you’re on his side and you will work hard to break his curse. That’s all he wants. Just give him what he wants and he’ll do the same for you.”
“I hope he appreciates you. Because you’re a good friend, Tomas.”
He smiles at me. “Thanks.” Then he looks over his shoulder. “I’m gonna go back to the cathedral.”
“Wait, where do you stay up there? How do I find you if you’re not around?”
“I’ll find you.” He winks at me. “Don’t worry about that.”
The next morning, I wake early. Or, I should say, I get up early. I’m not sure I actually slept. The first night here everything was overwhelming. I was exhausted and confused and sleep was necessary. But last night all this new stuff was swirling around in my head like a freaking whirlwind.
It’s not even light out yet when I leave the cottage. I don’t know what time breakfast is served and Tomas didn’t show up to direct me—obviously, Pell didn’t either. So I decide I’m going up to the cathedral to check out the apothecary myself.
Tomas’s suggestion makes a lot of sense. Everything in this world runs on give and take so if I want Pell to be reasonable and give me something I want, I need to do that in return.
And how hard could it be, really? To mix up a potion? I mean, if there really are thousands of years of spells, and potions, then that’s like having a recipe book. I’m not a great cook, but I can follow direction and that’s mostly what cooking is. I might not be a master chef but I can scramble eggs.