CHICORY

Angelica, Guy, and Suzuki agreed to stay downstairs. Following Hress alone, every step towards reaching the top of the tower felt hard on my feet. We passed floor after floor; the storage room, the dining room, the bathing room, and with a small feeling of relief the topmost floor doorway eased into view.

Right away I could see some of the huge room which, like all the others, was lined from wall to floor to ceiling with black stone, and had no windows, and was brightly lit by many lantern lights dotted at intervals along the walls.

I spotted several large beds draped with red quilts, but before I could take in anymore Hress stopped and turned to face me, blocking my view.

“Look, mate,” he said, “Before we go in I need you to understand something.”

I remembered Red and the way she had squatted in front of me and had said something similar.

He placed his heavy hands on my shoulders.

“Whilst you’ve been here you’ve met the others,” he said, “Guy, Angelica, Suzuki, Albie, Bailey-”

“-I haven’t met Bailey yet,” I said.

“Oh, well that’s alright,” said Hress.

He gave a quick nod back to the room behind him, “She’s in there too. She’s nice, just-”

“-don’t talk to her unless she talks to me first?” I said.

“Right!” said Hress, “How did you…?”

“Red told me,” I said.

“The thing is,” said Hress, “Whilst you’ve been here with us you’ve seen what the others are like; Angelica looks scary but she’s alright, isn’t she?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding, “She’s very nice.”

“She can be pretty mean when she wants to be,” said Hress, “But you get my point.”

He stood to his full height.

“Ready?”

He offered me his hand and together we entered the top floor of the tower.

There were twelve beds in all inside the large ring-shaped room.

Only one of the beds was occupied. Albie was sat in a small chair to the left of the bed. His face was hidden behind one of the medical books I had found in the sack.

“Hewwo,” he said.

“Hi,” I said in a whisper.

On the other side of the bed my eyes were drawn to a young woman perched on a chair like a cat. Somehow she was even more beautiful than Red and so pale I wondered if she had any blood in her body. Her skin, catching the lantern light, seemed to give off an unusual glow like the silvery light of the moon. Her eyes and long hair were black as night, and like a statue she wasn’t moving at all; not even to breathe. Every part of her looked pristine except for the untidy dress which clung to her slender frame, and looked to be mired in dirt and mud; besides the dress she didn’t appear to be wearing anything else; the nails on her hands and feet where pointed, and shiny-black. It felt rude not to say hello but, given what Hress and Red had said about Bailey I did my utmost to remain quiet.

She looked to me with half-lidded eyes and then giving nothing away she looked to the middle of the bed. There I could see a body-shaped mound. It seemed to me that the mound was bigger than it should have been to contain Amary beneath it.

“Amary, he’s here,” said Bailey, in a low tone.

A muffled sound of protest came back from beneath the quilt.

“He’s worried about you,” said Bailey.

The quilt was eased away by the body under it.

I wasn’t ready for what I was about to see. It had been easy to accept all the things which happened since I was struck by the Dawn Storm, because everything felt new and strange and like a dream. When Amary collapsed and Hress and Red invited us to stay in the tower I was afraid, but that fear eventually went away with each new welcome which followed.

Although I hadn’t stayed long in the tower, I felt safe, for the most part, around all the new faces; beautiful, handsome, and otherwise. I didn’t have to think much about who they were before they were cursed, or in the case of Suzuki, Red, and Hress, in what way they were cursed.

But seeing Amary sat before me on the bed was different. For a brief moment I almost thought I was looking at someone else. She didn’t have long sharp teeth, or golden eyes, or green skin, or skeletal fingers, or pointed black nails; the difference as far as I could tell was a simple one, and I didn’t like it one bit: Amary was older.

She was no longer a child, but a woman as if she were her own big sister at least ten years older.

She was three heads taller than she was before and had the typical shape of a woman her age.

I turned away, trying to hide my tears.

“It’s me,” she said.

Hress did his best to calm me down but I was unable to stop my tears from flowing.

Each time I thought it was safe to look at Amary again a raw sadness sprung up in me that I couldn’t control.

As I cried I remembered watching from the tent when Birch, Rowan, and Willow were taken away by Miss Waxwood, and Amary was left behind.

A piece of paper had fallen out of Miss Waxwood’s pocket and, not being able to read it myself, I fetched the paper and gave it to Amary.

Amary had touched the paper for a few moments before tearing it to pieces. Later the same evening she snuck out of the tent when all the orphans were asleep, and I followed her without her knowing to the cottage where Miss Waxwood used to stay; it was there Amary unearthed the doll’s head I had seen Birch, Rowan, and Willow exchanging between themselves in secret. Amary brushed the mud from the doll and looked at it as if it might say something.

And then in a short fit of anger she threw the head to the ground and stomped on it until it was no more than tiny shattered pieces.

“Amaryllis?” I had said, taking her by surprise in the dark.

She had stood up quickly and with scary ease forced the tears from her eyes and calmed herself.

“What are you doing out here?” she had said.

In that moment I didn’t have an answer; just like I didn’t have one whilst I cried in front of her, Hress, Albie, and Bailey.

“Can we be alone please?” said Amary.

“Yeah,” said Hress, “We’ll be downstairs if you need us.”

Albie hopped off the chair. Bailey stood from her chair without it creaking in the slightest.

“I’m sorry,” I said, once Amary and I were alone and the others had gone downstairs.

“You don’t have to keep saying that,” said Amary.

“Come here,” she said, patting the bed.

I climbed onto the bed and sat beside her.

She smiled uneasily and ran a hand through her hair and as she did I couldn’t help but notice how pretty and grown-up she looked.

“Do I look bad?” she said.

“No,” I said, “Just…older.”

“Then why were you crying?” she said.

“I…don’t…” I mumbled, looking at the creases in the quilt, “I…don’t…want you to hurt anymore.”

“I’m used to it,” she said.

The bed creaked so much as she shifted her weight I thought it might break.

“So…” she said, “Is it true?”

“Is what true?” I said.

“The tower,” said Amary, “Is it magical?”

“Yes!” I said, finding myself excited all of a sudden and standing up on the bed, “There’s a room where you can eat anything you want! And a huge bath with hot bubbly water!”

A giggle escaped Amary.

“What are you wearing?” she said, “You look like a doll.”

“Angelica made it for me,” I said, defensively, “She said she’ll make you one too.”

“That monster?” said Amary.

“Shh!” I said, “She’s really, really nice. She just looks scary.”

“If she went to the effort to make you these clothes I’m sure she’s lovely,” said Amary, “I’m sorry for laughing, you do look…colourful in it.”

The bed sunk in the middle by a lot as Amary set down her hand to support herself.

“Do you think they’ll let you stay?” she said, softly.

“I…don’t know,” I said, “They didn’t say anything about staying.”

“Would you like to stay here?” she said.

“Yes!” I said, “It’s so much nicer here than Rootwork!”

“Chicory...we’re far away from Rootwork. The journey from here to the bottom of Wish Mountain takes months, so Bailey says. Even if we were lucky not to run into any real monsters, or wild animals, or bandits, we wouldn’t be able to get passed the Baseline Walls. And who knows if Cauliflower would even let us back; he probably thinks we ran away.”

“Good,” I said, crossing my arms, “I never want to see him again.”

“Me too,” said Amary, “I don’t think you have to worry, by the looks of it I think Hress and the others will let you stay.”

“Wait,” I said, “What about you?”

Amary shook her head without a hint of doubt.

“No,” she said, “They won’t want me.”

“They will!” I said.

“Chicory, don’t,” said Amary.

There was something final about the way she spoke that made me fear deep in my heart she was right.

“I don’t care,” I said, “If they won’t let you stay then I’m going with you!”

Amary smiled, but there was pain in her eyes.

“Amary I promise I-”

“-no, I don’t want to hear any promises,” said Amary, cutting me off.

“I don’t care,” I said, “I promise-”

“CHICORY!”

Her scream stunned be to silence. She then bowed her head tiredly.

“I know you mean well,” she said, “But please don’t promise me anything.”

“Okay,” I said, “I’m sorry.”

The sound of Hress’s heavy boot-steps alerted us to his entrance at the doorway.

“Is everything alright?” he said.

“When do you want me to leave?” said Amary.

“When?” said Hress.

“I can leave now if that’s what you want,” said Amary, rising from the bed which creaked with great relief from no longer having her immense weight set on it.

“You’ve lost me,” said Hress, scratching his temple.

“I know I’m asking a lot but could you please look after Chicory?” said Amary, “It’s too dangerous for him to travel down Wish Mountain.”

“You want us to look after Chicory without you?” said Hress.

“I don’t have anything to offer you,” said Amary, “But please, he’s only six years old. Please let him stay here with you.”

“Hold on,” said Hress, raising his hands and grinning charmingly, “You want to leave?”

Amary became very still.

“What do you mean?” she said, “I’m not sick anymore?”

“Right,” said Hress, “So…”

“I can’t stay here,” said Amary.

Hress jerked back his head.

“Why can’t you?” he said.

“Because…” said Amary, “Because the tower is magical, isn’t it? Bailey said you don’t need to cook because the tower makes all the food you need, and you don’t need to clean because the tower tidies itself, and you have all the water you need to bathe because the tower provides that too.”

“Yeah, all of that’s true,” said Hress, “But what’s that got to do with you leaving?”

“There’s nothing for me to do for you,” said Amary, “How can I be useful?”

I couldn’t tell out of Hress and Amary who was more confused.

“Who said you have to be useful?” said Hress.

“But,” said Amary, bringing her hands to her head as she struggled to think, “But…”

“There’s enough room for you both,” said Hress, folding his arms, “You can have a bed each, and you can bathe any time you want, and you can hang about downstairs by the fireplace; you can have the run of the tower. You don’t need to do anything for it.”

“But,” said Amary, “I don’t understand, why would you let me stay?”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t let you?” said Hress.

“You mean we can stay?” said Amary.

“Yeah,” said Hress, “Wasn’t that already obvious?”

“O-okay,” said Amary, tears welling up in her eyes, “How long can we stay?”

“For as long as you want,” said Hress.

“But there has to be something the matter,” said Amary, “What is it?”

“Nothing!” said Hress, “Are you always this suspicious? Everyone here is looking forward to getting to know you both better. It can get a little boring here sometimes, but that just means we have to get creative with how we spend our time. I’m heading out tomorrow to have a look around Wish Mountain; you’re welcome to come with me if you like, if you feel up to it, that is.”

“You’re lying,” said Amary, “There has to be something wrong going on here.”

“Ay,” said Hress, throwing up his hands, “I get that it all sounds too good to be true. But you don’t have to take my word for it, stay and see for yourself. Or leave whenever you want. Either way it’s your choice. Okay?”

“…okay,” said Amary, nodding slowly.

I watched as Hress offered Amary his hand to take, but she didn’t take it. Rather than be upset Hress smiled understandingly and let his gaze move casually around the room before turning and making his way down the stairs.