The Threads of Magic by Alison Croggon (best ereader for pdf and epub .txt) 📕

Amina felt a bit sad about Ariosto: she had always thought that there was something that could be redeemed in the chief assassin. She made a blessing for his soul and busied herself with the cardinal’s orphanages. Heironomo Blaise became one of her chief helpers, so El had been right that he wasn’t all bad. What Amina saw in the orphanages made her sorry that they couldn’t try the cardinal and sentence him to some long and horrible punishment.

Making a new republic was a lot of work, most of it quite dull. There were people to feed and laws to be made and rubbish to be collected and questions of public hygiene to be determined, and almost every public building had to be repaired, because King Axel II had spent most of the taxes on his palace and his private wardrobe. Getting everything in order was going to take ages. And not everyone was happy about it; already some people were plotting to bring back another king.

Children didn’t starve in the streets anymore, and there was more and nicer food for everyone, but that didn’t stop anybody from complaining, especially the former nobles. Life is never perfect, after all. But most people felt as if a huge weight had lifted off the city of Clarel. No one more than witches, who no longer had to hide who they were in case they were burned at the stake.

Pip and El got their apartment back, and Oni returned to work at the Crosseyes. Georgette moved in with Amina because she didn’t want to live in the palace, and she used her princessing skills to help the new ambassadors, who were having to deal with a lot of upset monarchs in other parts of Continentia. So far no one had threatened to invade them, mostly because they didn’t know what the Clarel witches might do if they did. Georgette counted that as a victory.

A few weeks after the storming of the palace, Pip, El, Oni, and Georgette met up at the Crosseyes to have an evening meal. Pip and Oni still annoyed each other, but now they were also the best of friends, so they didn’t quarrel quite as much as they had before.

It had been a while since they had all seen each other, because everyone was busy, and in the end El had personally visited each of them and insisted.

“I love you all,” she’d said. “And that’s that.”

And so they met up. El was wearing a pretty dress that Georgette had given her — pale blue with a lace collar at her throat — and Georgette was wearing trousers and a cloak, because she thought those clothes were much more comfortable. She had caused a scandal when she first wore trousers, but now the most daring young ladies were copying her. Oni had never been one for fine clothes, but tonight she was wearing a pale pink dress and had ribbons threaded through her hair.

Next to Oni, Pip was looking a little self-conscious in a new green velvet jacket that he had bought with his own money. Amina had found him a job in a bookshop near the Weavers’ Quarter. He still didn’t know how to read, but he did know his numbers, which was really all that mattered in selling things. Secretly, in his spare time, Pip was learning his letters. Oni could read and was sometimes a little superior about it.

They ordered roast goose and buttered peas for dinner, and the yellow parsley wine that was the Crosseyes specialty. El smiled at Pip and lifted her cup, and suddenly Pip remembered his old daydream: that he would take El out for a slap-up dinner in a new dress. And there she was, sparkling with happiness.

He lifted his cup. “Here’s to everything!” he said.

Oni laughed and lifted hers. “That’s pretty general, Pip,” she said. “How about just us?”

“All right, us too. We’re part of everything, after all.” He was feeling light-headed: the parsley wine was quite strong.

El put down her cup. “Remember when you found the Heart, Pip, and I was so frightened?” she said. “I thought it was the most horrible thing that ever happened to us. I would never have believed it would turn out like this. I thought I had lost everything. Even you.”

“I knew it was going to be our fortune,” said Pip. “I just didn’t know how.”

Oni smiled. “It was all of our fortunes,” she said. “Because we all remembered how much we like each other. We always did, you know, even when we fought like cats in a bag. Even Georgie. She’d forgotten about me, but then she remembered.”

“I never forgot you, Oni,” Georgette said indignantly. “I just wasn’t allowed to see you.”

“Whatever you say, Princess,” said Oni, grinning mischievously.

“Anyway, we’re friends now.”

“Of course. It’s better than being a queen, isn’t it?”

Georgette blushed, because she was still a little embarrassed about her old ambition. For a moment she wished she hadn’t told Oni about it.

Oni poked her in the ribs. “I’m only teasing, Georgie. You shouldn’t take it amiss.”

Georgie met her eyes and smiled. “Well, you’re right. It is better than being a queen. For one thing, I can wear whatever I like, and for another, I get to talk to whoever I like, and I don’t have to speak to Duchess Albria ever again in my whole life.”

“Who’s Duchess Albria?” asked El.

“She was my senior lady-in-waiting. She hated me, and I hated her. She went to Awemt, of all places. I hope she’s happy there.”

“Meaning that you hope she isn’t,” said Pip.

Georgette thought it over. “No, I don’t mean that,” she said. “I don’t want people to be unhappy. I just don’t want them to make me unhappy.”

“It’s time for pudding,” said El. “Do you want to ask the landlord, Pip? As the only gentleman here . . .”

“Not the only gentleman,” Pip said. “What will we get?”

“It’s plum season,” said Georgette. “Let’s order