The Orphan and the Thief

Chapter 20: To Seek, To Find

Melena rushed up the stairs, Hazel at her heels. She couldn't believe they had done it. They had found the five ingredients to the Seeking Solution. A buggy ride would put them back in Hickory with time to spare. Mr. Owl would pay them their due (or better yet, give Melena a cupful of the potion) and she'd begin her search for Milo. She would never have to work for the Bells again! Tonight was truly the start of a new life.

Her elation made her dizzy and she flopped down on one of the beds, knees quivering.

"We're going to find him, Hazel!" Melena cried. "We'll finally find him!"

In a haze of ecstasy (created mostly by the heavy perfume of the moonflower, still clamped in her hand), she fantasized buying a shop on a sunny street in Hickory. She and Milo would live together and work together. They'd laugh about their long separation as if it was nothing more than a distant, silly memory.

She and Hazel would never be alone again.

As Melena's elation began to settle into contented joy, she rose from the bed and safely tucked the moonflower into her bag. She recounted all the ingredients, making sure they were still there. Then, realizing Toad was still at the bar, she trotted back down the stairs to see what he was up to. If they were going to get on the road quickly in the morning, they needed to get at least a few hours sleep.

As she descended the dark stairwell, she heard Toad talking to someone, and a sudden string of words made her jerk to a stop.

"— I tricked that girl into tagging along. She worked in an apothecary, see — she knows everything. And she thinks she's gettin' something out of it, 'cuz I pulled her strings just right. She thinks she's gettin' dibs on Owl's money, but she ain't gettin' a druet and she doesn't have a clue!"

Melena swayed on the step, the rest of the words muted by crashing waves of horror. Toad was going to take all the money? He was going to go to Mr. Owl by himself? It was true that Mr. Owl didn't know anything about her. Nothing at all.

And Toad was a thief. He knew how to hide from people. It seemed very unlikely that she would be able to track him down if he decided to run for it.

Quickly, Melena hurried back up the stairs. Her breath came in short odd gasps. How could Toad do something like that? To her, of all people? After everything that she'd done for him! After everything that they had been through! She had been stupid to think they were friends. You could never trust a thief — never!

Melena heard Toad's feet on the stairs.

She spun around, ready to accost him for his treachery. But wait — that wouldn't do. He'd deny it. Pretend that he had just said those things to impress a fellow thief. And then, the moment her back was turned, he'd steal the ingredients and flee.

She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let him know that she was on to him. Melena knew what the potion did. What was stopping her from making it herself? Nothing! She didn't need money to find Milo. She didn't need to hire Mr. York. Not when the Seeking Solution was at her fingertips!

The door opened and Toad stepped inside. His face was oddly drawn, but then his eyes found her and he smiled.

"How far do you think Hickory is from here?" he asked.

"Not far," said Melena, taking herself by surprise at how calm she sounded. "There's a buggy station down the road. We should try to get a few hours of sleep, before we head out."

Toad nodded, yawning, and settled onto his bed. Melena went about the room, extinguishing lamps, partly to hurry sleep along, partly to keep her back to him.