A Question of Magic (3 page)

The innkeeper, a smiling, friendly-seeming man, nodded from where he waited behind Viktor. “That's
very true,” he said, although Serafina had the feeling that he would have agreed with anything Viktor said.

They ate their supper in silence. Viktor devoured all his portion of the pork pie, crusty herb bread, and soft cheese as if he were starving, then scraped the rest of Serafina's onto his own plate. She was about to protest but decided that it wasn't worth an argument.

Serafina jumped when Viktor slapped his tankard on the table. “Where is that serving girl?” he demanded, looking around. Spotting her in the far corner talking to another patron, he waved to catch her eye. When she didn't acknowledge him, he stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled. The girl gave him a horrified look and started across the room.

“If Widow Zloto were here, she'd tell you that it's bad luck to whistle inside,” said Serafina.

“Oh, really?” said Viktor. “This is how much I care about Widow Zloto and her superstitions!” He snapped his fingers inches from Serafina's face and smirked when she jerked away from him. Sticking his fingers in his mouth again, he whistled even louder.

“Please don't do that, sir,” the serving girl said, bobbing a curtsy. “Don't you know it's bad luck to whistle inside a building?”

Viktor smiled at the girl and shook his head. “No, I didn't know that. In that case, I won't do it again!”

The innkeeper appeared behind the girl. Seeing Viktor's empty tankard, he gestured to it, saying, “Fill this for our guest, Mila.” As the girl hurried off to fetch a pitcher, the innkeeper pulled another chair to the table and sat down. “So,” the man said to Serafina, “your brother-in-law tells me that you've come to see your great-aunt.”

Serafina glanced at Viktor, annoyed that he'd told the man her personal business.

“You may know the woman,” said Viktor. “Her name is Sylanna.”

The man looked puzzled. “I can't say that I'm familiar with the name, and I thought I knew everyone. Maybe she goes by another name here.”

Serafina glanced out the window. It was already dark and she could see the first star in the sky. “Shouldn't we go soon?”

“Not yet,” Viktor said as he watched the serving girl approach with a pitcher. “We have plenty of time.”

“How far are we from a tavern called the Bialy Jelen?” Serafina asked the innkeeper.

“Not far,” he said as the girl refilled Viktor's tankard. “Just turn left, then left again at the corner. The Bialy
Jelen is at the edge of the forest. If you're worried about the time, listen for the church bells. The last one rang at 8:30.”

“We need to go, Viktor,” Serafina said, reaching for her bag.

“He said it wasn't far. I'm going to finish this first,” Viktor said, and took a long, noisy gulp of mead.

“Fine, then you can stay here and I'll find it myself. I'm not going to be late for something this important just because you want to drink.”

“I'm coming!” Viktor grumbled, reluctantly setting the tankard back on the table. “But I've heard it's bad luck if you don't finish all of your drink!”

When they left the inn, the lights spilling from the cottage windows made it easy to see, but as the homes gave way to shops that were closed for the night, the street became darker and the shadows more ominous. The moon was just the smallest sliver in the sky, giving them little additional light. Serafina glanced at Viktor, who was walking in the middle of the street, turning his head from side to side as if he expected something to jump out at him. “Don't you think it's odd that the innkeeper didn't know Sylanna?” Serafina asked him. “This town isn't that big; I should think everyone would know everyone else.”

Viktor began to hurry when a well-lit tavern at the end of the row of shops came into view. “She's probably an eccentric old woman who keeps to herself,” he said. “Or maybe he knows her, but the townspeople don't like talking about one another to strangers.”

They were passing the Bialy Jelen when Viktor peered ahead and came to a sudden stop. “This is the last building. I don't see any houses here. We must have turned the wrong way. We have to go back.”

Serafina shook her head. “We turned left, like the innkeeper said. It has to be here somewhere. The letter said it was just past the tavern called the Bialy Jelen. Wait, there's a house set back from the road. I think I see a candle in a window.”

“It's too dark …,” Viktor said, lingering near the tavern and the last pool of light. He was still there when Serafina left the road. “You probably made us come on the wrong day,” he called after her. “It doesn't look as if anyone is expecting us. I doubt that's even a house.”

“This is the right day,” said Serafina. “And this is a house. See, there's a fence around it.” It was lumpy and uneven, but it was white, so at least she could see it. Serafina had scarcely set her hand on the gate when it swung open with a loud creak.

“What was that?” Viktor demanded.

Serafina glanced back to see that he was still standing in the road.

“Just the gate,” she told him, and turned toward the house. From what she could see, it was a small building with an overhanging roof, but it was set so close to the forest that the starlight didn't reach it and she couldn't make out any details.

Viktor had yet to approach the gate when Serafina knocked on the door. “Aunt Sylanna?” she called, stepping inside. “It's me, Serafina.”

Sparkling light shimmered in the corner by the bed. It was so bright that Serafina had to close her eyes and rub them. When she opened them again, a single candle flickered on a table by the window. Aside from the fire in the tile stove in the corner, it was the only source of light in the one-room cottage, but it was enough to show her that no one else was there.
I must be imagining things
, Serafina thought.

Suddenly Viktor, who was still standing outside, shouted with surprise. Serafina turned to see why and saw that the gate had slammed shut on its own. She was about to call to her brother-in-law when a cat ran over the threshold.

“Chicken hut, chicken hut, take us away!” shouted a voice inside the cottage. Then the door to the cottage
closed with a bang as the floor tilted beneath Serafina's feet. She staggered and fell to her hands and knees, sliding backward until she bumped into a chair. When the cottage began to rise, Serafina grabbed hold of a chair leg.

Serafina's stomach plummeted as the cottage rose, stopped with a lurch, and leveled off. She was struggling to her feet when the door slammed open. A mass of white objects flew into the cottage. The breeze created when they whipped past made the candle gutter and go out.

Serafina stepped into the middle of the cottage, hoping to get to the door. “Oof!” she cried when one last object flew through the opening and hit her in the stomach. Enough light was coming through the window now that she could make out the object's shape. Round and white, it fell to the floor and began to roll away. Curious, Serafina bent down and picked it up. She couldn't tell what it was until she brought it close to her face. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized that it was a skull.

“What are you looking at?” the skull asked her, its jaw moving in her hands.

For the first time in her life, Serafina fainted.

Serafina woke with her head lolling from side to side on the hard wood floor. The cottage was swaying back and forth in a rhythmic way and felt as if it was moving forward. Bracing herself, Serafina sat up and looked around. The fire crackling in the stove and the meager amount of light coming through the windows allowed her to see vague outlines but little more. Hoping to find the candle, she stood and gingerly worked her way to a table in front of one of the windows. The candle was there, along with a flint to light it.

Serafina exhaled in relief when the wick caught. Holding the candle high, she peered into the dim corners of the cottage. It was a simple room with a narrow bed on one side and a tile-covered stove on the other.
Logs burned in the stove, snapping and crackling each time the cottage lurched. Water sloshed in a bucket in the corner but didn't quite spill over the edge. The table standing against a side wall and the two wooden chairs facing the table didn't budge, no matter how much the cottage moved. The only windows in the cottage were on either side of the door, and both held panes of wavy glass. Now that she could see more clearly, she noticed that what she had thought were tables under the windows were actually storage trunks.

Something stirred on the bed, startling Serafina. When she turned in that direction, two red eyes reflected the light of the candle. Her heart began to race as she remembered the skull, but when she heard a catlike “
Mrowr!
” she almost laughed with relief. A large black cat with a small patch of white on his chest was reclining on the bed, watching her.

“If only you could talk,” Serafina told him. “I bet you could tell me what's going on.”

The cat's eyes were still on her when he stood up and stretched. He was at least twice the size of the cats that begged for scraps at the kitchen door at home. When he jumped off the bed and started toward her, she wasn't sure if he was being friendly or aggressive. The cat strolled right past her, however, crossing the length of
the room to hop up onto the table. Using one paw, he poked at something and began to purr so loudly that Serafina could hear him from where she stood.

Curious, Serafina walked toward the table, trying to see what interested the cat. It was a book, its leather cover scarred and discolored from age. The cat moved aside at Serafina's approach and turned to sit facing her. Placing the candle on the table, Serafina lifted the book's cover. The page inside was blank, but even as she reached to turn the page, letters began to form on the pure white sheet.

Welcome! You are the new Baba Yaga and the mistress of this house. As Baba Yaga, you will have certain duties to perform. Your first duty is to take care of this house and the cat. Treat them well and they will treat you well. Your other duties will become clear to you in time
.

Serafina read the words over again. When it didn't look as if any more writing was going to appear, she turned the page and waited. Nothing happened. She turned the next page and the next, until she reached the back of the book. Every page but the first one was blank.

Her mind was racing when she returned to the front of the book. Was this some kind of joke? If it was, it wasn't the least bit funny. She looked around the cottage, hoping to see the person behind it all, but she was still alone with a cat and a book that didn't make any sense.

Serafina turned back to the book, frowning. Baba Yaga? Everyone knew that was just a character in a fairy tale and not a real person. Was she supposed to stay in this house? And what were these mysterious duties? Was this her inheritance? If it was, she didn't want it! She would go home and forget all about Great-Aunt Sylanna and her promises. Nothing was going to keep her here now! She doubted that Viktor was still waiting for her, but she really didn't need him. She'd go back to the inn, and if Viktor wasn't there, she'd have the innkeeper find her a coach to hire. Her mother would gladly pay for it once she returned home safe and sound.

Serafina glanced at the closest window. It was still night, but she didn't care. She was determined to go home immediately. Clutching the candle in her hand, she strode across the swaying floor to the door, but when she tried to wrench it open, it refused to budge. She tried again, but the door was firmly closed, as if it were one piece with the wall. Squeezing her hand into a
fist, she banged on the door. Aside from hurting her hand, nothing happened.

Serafina turned to the window next, but it was sealed shut and apparently not meant to open. She could break the glass if she had to, although—A soft sound behind her made her whirl around. It was just the cat, jumping back onto the bed. The first hint of despair touched Serafina's heart, but she wasn't ready to give in. There must be something she could use here, something that would help her get out.

Holding the candle high, Serafina bent down and opened the wax-splattered trunk lid. When the light fell on fabric, she reached in and pulled out a gown. There was another gown under the first, and below that were more gowns and a shawl so soft that she couldn't resist setting it to the side. On closer inspection, she discovered that the gowns were all different sizes and styles. Some of the gowns would surely fit her, but others would be much too large or far too long. There were undergarments there as well as clothes to wear to bed. It was a large trunk, but Serafina was amazed by how much it held.

After returning everything to the trunk except the shawl, she closed the lid and crossed to the other trunk. She opened it expecting to find something as innocuous
as clothing, but she gasped and nearly dropped the candle when she saw what was inside. The second trunk was just as large as the first and was filled with human bones. Leg bones, arm bones, and finger bones were heaped inside, with skulls piled high on top.