Emberlight

10. Wilted

Kelsey

"Ester Black is here to see you," Isadora said a week later as Kelsey lined up her cue to strike the white ball into the last stripe. The words didn't only bounce off the common room walls, but clung to them like dirt. Ester Black. Ester Black.

She hit the white ball as hard as she could. It bounced off the table, and hopped into Isadora's palm. Why would her mother want to see her? Hadn't Ester made it clear over the phone that she didn't want to talk to her witch-sympathising daughter?

"She requested to take you home," Isadora added.

Kelsey snorted in disbelief, unable to bring herself to look into Isadora's cracked irises. She hadn't considered leaving—her friends needed her here if they were ever going to survive Emberlight, but she didn't want Isadora Hearth to know that she wanted to be here. Besides, it felt good not to have to argue over whether magic is an abomination over breakfast, dinner, and movie time. "Do I get to say goodbye?"

"Legally, we can keep you here until you show signs of the Aversion, and your blood tests are inconclusive thus far. It's just a visit."

Kelsey placed the cue in its stand. It clattered against the others, alerting the vultures that the table was free. Finn went to grab them, but Odin blocked his path.

"I know your mum might not be your first choice, but its more than some people have," Isadora said as she watched the twins squabble from across the room. "She's waiting by Oliana's office. Want me to escort you?"

"Not particularly."

"Good. And good luck." Isadora smiled, and Kelsey found herself returning it by accident. The sound of her mother's name had already disarmed her. She rubbed the goosebumps from her arms and weaved through the corridors.

Ester waited patiently in Oliana's office, stroking the bare desk and probably admiring how everything in the room was perfunctory. No pictures or trinkets or postcards. A desk sat in the centre, a chair behind it, and a full-length mirror leant against the wall. She watched her mother straighten out her infamous fuchsia blouse and pin striped pencil skirt, an outfit she usually donned when trying to wrangle more money from the council for LOCA funds. Perfunctory, as always.

Kelsey closed the gap between them, walking slowly like an inmate on death row. She kept her footing as light as a cat to avoid premature attention, but of course, Ester heard her.

"My darling daughter," her mother said, the smallest of smiles on her face. She opened her arms, momentarily. The moment did not stretch to a hug.

Kelsey shook her head. "Where's Dad? Where's Nadine?"

Ester puckered her lips. "Not everyone can visit Emberlight." She pulled out a glass vial from her handbag. Purple residue stained the rim. "I had to ingest poison to pass through one of their borders."

"Poison?" Kelsey asked, dubiously.

"Well now, I wasn't going to sit in one of their ghastly vans like a mongrel carted off to the vets. My only alternative was to ingest a drop of magic, and thus I consumed the potion for you," she said. She stashed the vial back in her handbag.

Kelsey's eyes widened in shock. She did that for you.

"There has been an unexpected side effect, as well," Ester added, hesitantly. "For the next few hours I can think as clearly as a child, without hindrance of the Aversion."

No words came to Kelsey. Her mind cleared a mental landing path ready to take in whatever she would hear next. Would her mother realise how her vendetta was no more than ignorant propaganda?