Read Online The Isadora Interviews by Katie Cross - Free Book Online Page B

it ready?”
    “I think so.”
    Mace gave it another stir and announced, “It’s ready.” Then shot Michelle another look to make sure he was right. She nodded once. “It’s ready!” he repeated, this time with his usual dramatic gusto, and flung himself off the stool again, headed towards his older brothers, who began tossing him around.
    The four men stood up, shuffling around the table already set with bowls and spoons. They were a troop of giants—at least, that’s what the other foresters called them, even though the foresters that lived and worked in the wintry bowels of southern Letum Wood were historically a brawny people. Michelle lifted the heavy pot, hefting it over to the table, and setting it in the middle. Her father nodded his approval.
    “Smells good.”
    Her brothers mumbled a response. Mace brought over the imperfect loaf of bread, set it next to the dish of butter, and settled beside Ted. Once Michelle sat down, dinner began.
    “Did you get enough firewood?” Michelle asked, halfway through the silent meal. Her father nodded once.
    “Found a new hunting place,” Rian, the third oldest, just above Michelle, said. “We’re going to try it out tomorrow.”
    “There wasn’t anything in the traps,” James reported, flicking a glance towards his sister, in answer to the question on the tip of her tongue. “I’ll get you some meat after we look at the new place.”
    Another silence followed. The slices of bread disappeared one at a time. Michelle helped herself to a second bowl of stew and was halfway through her first bite when Papa cleared his throat and spoke up.
    “Got a letter today.”
    When the quiet grew awkward, Michelle looked up from her bowl and realized that Papa had addressed his comment to her. She lifted her eyebrows in question, but Papa wasn’t looking at her anymore. Instead, he was scraping his wooden bowl. His black whiskers moved up and down when he spoke again.
    “It’s from your teacher. Seems she thinks you should go to a Network school instead of the school in town.”
    Michelle felt as if a stunning spell had smacked her dead in the face, rendering her body useless. Her breath stalled in her chest like a dying wind. She didn’t know what to say.
    “A-a Network school?” she finally managed.
    “It’s called Miss Mabel’s. I’ve heard of it before. Your mama mentioned it a few times when you were a little girl.”
    The mention of her mother seemed to bring another blow. Her brothers gazed down into their bowls. Papa only mentioned her when it couldn’t be avoided.
    “What would I learn?”
    “You could learn magic better than any of us have.” He sat back in his chair and motioned to her brothers with a wave of his hand. “We get along without knowing as much because we do physical labor. Don’t need magic to swing an ax.”
    “Some do,” Blain muttered bitterly into a piece of bread. Many foresters held contempt for the witches in the wealthy northern cities of the Network. The lazy attitude of the northern witches was a usual complaint at the family dinner table. Michelle tensed, waiting for Papa’s usual tirade on the over-dependence most witches placed on magic. He said it made them weak and pathetic. This was part of the reason that everyone in her family was built tall and strong, like a group of oxen.
    “You want me to learn more magic?” she asked, gaping. Ted and Mace both looked up now, equally surprised. “You don’t believe in magic.”
    “I believe in magic,” he said, bristling. “I don’t believe in using it to be slothful. You could learn it as a trade and not be lazy about it.”
    “But Papa, I don’t want—”
    “Besides, you’re a real good cook, and you like doing it.” His tone made it clear she didn’t have a choice. Michelle felt her heart shrivel a little inside. He couldn’t make her do this. Surely, he wouldn’t.
    Wouldn’t he? her heart whispered. Yes, he would. Once Papa got an idea in his head, he