Free Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore Page B

name out to just anyone,” he said after amoment, and although he said it about as politely as he could, they were predictably displeased.
    “Oh, why? Is your name special or something? You can’t tell me your name? You think I’m going to cast a magic spell on you?” His snicker got louder. “I heard you’re a student of magic, is that right?”
    Celestina suddenly dumped a tin of baking powder in her basket and whirled on them. “Do you have nothing better to do? We’re just here for our groceries and that’s it.”
    “Hey, don’t twist your petticoat, Little Scar. We’re just curious.”
    Her cheeks burned at the name.
    “Watch out,” the leering one said. “They might put a curse on us.” There was a threatening note to his voice.
    The young woman left with her cloth, looking all too eager to depart the scene, and the shopkeeper finally turned his attention on us. “All right, Celestina, find what you want and be done with it. And I don’t want to hear any talk of curses.”
    “Celestina never said one word about curses!” I said, my indignance suddenly overflowing.
    “I won’t hesitate to ask you to leave my shop,” the shopkeeper said slowly. I was used to a certain level of mistreatment, but it was rare to hear such pure vitriol pointed at me without cause. I felt a twist of fear in my stomach and had to force myself not to leave that moment. Ordorio’s house suddenly felt very vulnerable, surrounded by these townspeople who didn’t even know who we were and would only grow angrier if they found out.
    A boy walked into the shop, clearly with the intention of finding his friends, and stopped short at the sight of Celestina. The family resemblance to her was immediately apparent. He dropped his eyes to the ground and edged over to the wall.
    Celestina put down her basket. “Let’s go,” she said, soundingchoked, and she walked out with a straight arm swinging and head high, but I could see it was an effort. Erris looked at me and reached for her basket.
    “I’d listen to her if I were you,” the leering fellow said.
    I wasn’t sure if we ought to give our money to the shop, but then, we needed our supplies from somewhere. Erris must’ve been thinking the same thing, because he put the basket on the counter and motioned for me to hand him the money that I carried in a purse at my wrist.
    Thankfully, the boys did not challenge our right to buy groceries, but their eyes bored into the side of my head as the shopkeeper tallied our goods, and they bored into our backs as we departed.
    Celestina was standing outside, head bowed, wiping at the remnants of tears.
    “Are you all right?” I asked.
    She nodded, but it was a lie.
    “That boy who came in was your brother, wasn’t he?”
    She nodded again.
    “He would side with those louts and not his own sister?” Erris said. He looked like he wanted to go back in the shop and give the boy a talking-to, but I put a hand to his arm.
    “Don’t make things worse,” I said.
    “Those boys grew up playing with my brothers,” Celestina said. “Playing with me, even. Mr. Caldero, the shopkeeper ... we would go in with our pennies for candy. Now they all do their best to make me feel like the dirt on their shoes. I can’t ... really blame my brother for ...” She shrugged. I could tell she wasn’t the sort of person who ever liked to cry, and it was easier not to explain too much.
    “The townspeople ostracize you because you work for Ordorio?”
    “Yes.”
    “Just for that?” Erris said.
    “Well, I suppose our appearance doesn’t help,” I said wryly. I hadn’t told Erris everything Celestina told me about Ordorio’s history with the townspeople, and how Celestina’s parents expected her to stay home with them instead. He wasn’t around enough for such conversations to arise.
    “Well, I will try not to think of it all,” Celestina said, with a brisk shake of her head. “We have our groceries. Now we must get the coat and boots for