Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce Read Free Book Online

was even colder than it had been when I'd gotten Rosethorn's coat on her. There were more grown-ups at other tables around the room, eating, drinking, and eyeing the main table.
    "You watch Azaze." Jayat had caught his breath. "She won't let people impose on your Rosethorn."
    It was true: Two men approached the table, only to leave when Azaze glared at them. I was impressed, but how long could it last? There had to be people about who weren't afraid of Azaze, headwoman or no. And I'd seen plenty of headwomen and headmen who would do what they were told, if enough rich people told them to do it.
    At least they were feeding Rosethorn. Girls in aprons were putting bowls and plates before Rosethorn and Myrrhtide. They already had bread, hummus, and olives in front of them. Fusspot smiled and nodded to everyone, as if he was king of the Battle Islands. Rosethorn listened to Azaze and ate with a serious appetite. That was good. She wasn't too tired to pick at her food.
    Oswin gave us bowls of chicken stew and pulled spoons wrapped in napkins from his sash. The stew smelled of ginger and cinnamon. My belly growled. Behind Oswin, a maid brought us a tray of plates: hot bread, olives, chickpea and yogurt dips, lentils cooked with noodles, and pastries stuffed with eggplant. I swallowed my saliva and dug into my stew. It was delicious.
    "Is the death of your plants and trees so unusual, Oswin?" Luvo had settled on the table where he could watch the room. He never got tired of looking at things, human or natural.
    "I haven't seen anything like this, Master Luvo." Oswin scooped up hummus and olives with his bread. "Trees, strong, healthy ones, gone dead overnight—actually overnight. And I've never seen something that killed plants
and
animals in the same spot. It's happened all around Mount Grace. The same thing with water sources. A pond that was good one day is acid the next, the fish, the plants all dead. It's like the place has been cursed, but it's a random curse. It doesn't strike any one family or village. I'll tell you, it's the saddest thing in the world, to go to a place that was living a month ago, and find it… dead." His mouth made a hard line. "If it's a person who's doing this, I'd like to dump him in one of the acid ponds. There's an old pine in the grove by my place—it was there in my grandfather's day. I'm going to have to cut it down, before it drops on one of the children."
    Jayat looked up and swallowed hard. "Speaking of your household."
    I turned around. A beautiful girl about Jayat's age had come in. She walked over to lean on Oswin's shoulder and steal a piece of bread. She moved like a dancer, swaying and graceful, as she whispered to Oswin. Her hair was the color of dark honey. She had a tiny, delicate nose. I tugged at the end of mine, trying to give it a little point. It stayed flat.
    Oswin swore. "I told Treak if he started one more fight he was out on his ear."
    "I think that was the ear he
wasn't
listening with," the girl replied. Even her voice was pretty.
    "All right, I'm coming. Nory, this is Evvy. Evvy, this is Nory." Oswin got up. "It was very nice meeting you, Evvy." He looked at Luvo. "And
amazing
to meet you. I actually wanted to ask—"
    Nory dragged on his arm. "Treak is breaking furniture and you're talking to a
rock
?"
    "Furniture?" Oswin was red again. This time, from the way his eyes were bulging, I think he was red from anger. He hurried out, the girl trotting beside him.
    "Remember I said he always needs food at his house?" Jayat asked. "A lot of kids were orphaned or left behind when the pirates were cleaned out. Oswin found homes for plenty of them all around this island, but not all of them. The rest live with him. They can be a handful."
    I wasn't listening very closely. I was looking at my tea instead. I hadn't touched the cup or jostled the table, yet the tea rippled, as if a stone had fallen into its center. On and on the ripples went. I looked at what was left of my stew. There,