Memorybound

Chapter 28

"What did you do to your dress?" Esmerelda looked horrified.

"I needed to get something from the storage room."

"And so you went yourself in one of your nicest dresses?"

Hailey shrugged one shoulder. "It's what I wearing at the time."

Esmerelda rolled her eyes. "It's a good thing that I'm back. Maybe I can keep you looking like a proper mage."

"Your own clothes are covered in mud, and what is that smell? You have nothing to complain about."

Esmerelda smiled ruefully. "I was helping with the goats."

Hailey shook out her skirts and a puff of dust floated into the air. She refused to acknowledge it, though. "I need to head to the kitchen to get some herbs. Do you want to come with me?"

"You shouldn't have to ask," Esmerelda said, turning to head the same direction as Hailey. "I'm your lady's maid, remember?"

A lady's maid that was chastising me a minute ago about getting my dress dirty, Hailey thought.

"How was your visit?"

"Refreshing. Mother wants to teach me to care for animals, which might be fun, even though it is very smelly work. It doesn't matter, though. Spending time with her was wonderful, even if we were walking through sheep dung." She stopped walking for a minute and turned to Hailey, giving her a tight hug. "It's one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Thank you." She let go, and Hailey noticed how content Esmerelda seemed. It was a rare emotion for her friend. Esmerelda had always been scheming, always trying to get a better job, earn more money. That's probably why she jumped at the chance to be Hailey's lady's maid.

"I'm sure you two had a lot to catch up on." Hailey felt a stab of jealousy for the first time. She had never known her own mother, never known what it might be like to have a family. She was happy for her friend, though.

They reached the kitchens and Hailey asked for bay leaves and thyme. The busy cook frowned at her. "You're going to run me right out of bay leaves."

"I might be able to bring it back."

The cook looked horrified. "No. I don't want magic in the soup, thank you." She thrust the herbs at Hailey, looking frustrated and then curtsied, maybe to make up for the glare.

"Beware the angry cook," Esmerelda said.

Hailey chuckled. "I know. I feel bad taking all her herbs, but if I can wake the princess, it's worth wasting every herb she has in her larder."

Esmerelda grinned. "So you figured it out?"

"I think so. I think I was missing a piece." She began to explain to Esmerelda about the foci and the runes.

Before she even explained the herbs, Esmerelda held up a hand. "I am glad I'm not a mage. I didn't realize that it was so boring."

Hailey stopped walking. "It's not boring, it's incredible and complicated."

"Says the girl who has spent the last six months with her nose in a book. I can help you set it up if you want, as long as you don't explain to me how all of it works."

"You know, I could use help setting up the candles."

Esmerelda grinned. "Do you remember the time that we stole candles from Miss Forester? She was so angry. I'm sure she knew we did it."

Hailey laughed. "She was so angry and she knew who had done it, too. She kept checking our room, until Lavina told her that it wasn't us."

Esmerelda chuckled. "Poor Lavina."