Stray by Elissa Sussman Read Free Book Online Page B

strange tickling sensation that fluttered over her. It was like magic, but it wasn’t inside her. It was around her.
    Tahlia released her hand. The cuts, the blood, and the pain were all gone. Aislynn stared at her fairy godmother, who just smiled serenely and turned back to the bowl.
    There were very strict rules regarding how fairy godmothers could use magic. No one was unguarded. Not students, not teachers, and especially not fairy godmothers. Magic, no matter how controlled, was never to be trusted. But Aislynn said nothing.
    Instead, she watched her fairy godmother bake. A swatch of red hair, lined with gray, had escaped Tahlia’s wimple and was curling toward her temple. Against the purple of her uniform, the color contrasted pleasantly, reminding Aislynn of carrots and lilac.
    She swallowed hard. Tahlia had always taken care of her. Now Aislynn would become someone else’s fairy godmother. But she would never be like Tahlia. No, Tahlia was warm and safe, not cold and distant like the others. Like fairy godmothers were expected to be.
    Tahlia glanced up, and Aislynn realized that she had been staring.
    Her fairy godmother smiled. “It’s quite comfortable,” she said. At Aislynn’s puzzled look, Tahlia gestured to her uniform. “And it’s long enough so you won’t need to worry about hiding your legs,” she added gently.
    Aislynn flushed at her own foolishness. She had done her best to hide her scars, but her fairy godmother was smart and observant. Of course Tahlia knew.
    â€œSometimes we need to keep secrets,” said Tahlia, and Aislynn thought of the other secret she was keeping. The dreams that haunted her sleep, of the forest and the moon. And the wolf.
    A tear dropped into the dough she was kneading. “And if those secrets are dangerous?”
    Immediately her fairy godmother was at her side.
    â€œIn my dreams, I’m in the forest and it’s dark.” Aislynn’s confession was a whisper. “And there’s a wolf.” She watched Tahlia carefully. If she hadn’t, she might have missed how her fairy godmother’s eyes widened, if just for a moment.
    â€œA wolf?” Tahlia asked, turning back to the bowl.
    â€œIt follows me. It has yellow eyes.” Aislynn twisted her hands together. “I know what it means. That my thoughts are wicked and impure. That I’m dangerous.”
    â€œYou shouldn’t believe everything they tell you,” Tahlia said quietly, deftly shaping the dough into a smooth ball. She placed it in a bowl on the stove top and covered it. “Do you know why I leave the bread there?” Tahlia asked, and Aislynn shook her head, even though she did. “Because it needs heat to rise. Nothing matters more. You could have all the right ingredients, have measured them carefully and mixed them perfectly, but without warmth, you’ll end up with a loaf of bread flatter than a plate. And while you might be able to eat it, it won’t feed you.”
    Aislynn was not sure that she understood. Tahlia’s face, which was usually as open and clear as the sky in the summer, had clouded over.
    â€œTahlia?” Aislynn asked hesitantly.
    Without a word, her fairy godmother swept aside the bowl sitting on the stove. It hit the floor with a muffled smash, their evening’s work destroyed in a gust of flour, cracked porcelain, and sticky dough.
    Startled by Tahlia’s actions, Aislynn bent down and began to carefully pick up the pieces. Tahlia knelt next to her, face now sunny.
    â€œLet me take care of it,” she said, and Aislynn understood this to mean that she was going to use magic once more. There was no doubt in Aislynn’s mind that this was against the rules.
    For a moment, the air was full of nothing but flour and silence. Then, like before, came the hum of magic. The bowl, now repaired and full of rising dough, was thrust into Aislynn’s hands.
    â€œJust remember,”