Chapter 20: I will make sure I get what I want.
I stood inside a herbal shop. Everywhere I looked, I saw dried leaves, weeds, and small liquid bottles arranged on wooden shelves. Some were hanging from the ceiling in little bundles tied with string. Others were crushed into jars with faded labels. The air felt thick.
And recently my senses have heightened. I could smell everything. Bitter roots. Crushed petals. Something sharp and minty. Something damp and earthy. The scents layered over each other until I could almost taste them. It was overwhelming.
I swallowed slowly and tried to breathe through my mouth instead.
Standing behind the counter was a brown-skinned guy with blonde hair. He stared at the paper I had given him, then at me.
His eyes did not blink immediately.
"You look all grown up now. The last time I saw you, you were like what, 9 or 10?" he said. His voice sounded calm but not curious.
Does he know me? A small pulse started in my throat.
"Have we met before? I don’t remember meeting you," I asked.
My voice came out steady. I kept my hands at my sides so he would not see them tremble.
"You are Paye’s little sister, Faye, right?"
Holy shit..My stomach dropped. This guy knows me. And not just me. What if he tells my brother?
I forced my face to stay neutral.
"Are you here for a part-time job? I have been looking for someone who can help me keep this shop," he said casually.
He leaned back slightly, arms folding across his chest like we were discussing homework.
"No, no. I am not here for a job. The paper says what I want. I want to get it," I said quickly.
The words rushed out before I could soften them. My fingers tightened around the edge of the counter. The wood pressed into my palm. I focused on that feeling.
"What do you want to use the plant for? You know it’s not advisable to carry around wolfsbane. That is a very dangerous plant. And does your brother know that you are here... back in town?"
The pause before back in town felt deliberate.
"I am not the only one in town. He is here too. With Kaye as well."
His expression changed. His jaw shifted. His eyes narrowed just a little.
"That bastard. After buying him lunch and giving him my allowance and taking care of his little sister. This is how he repays me. No calls for years and now he is back he can’t even come to say hi, Pali, I’m back," he said.
The words spilled out quickly, almost rhythmic. It almost sounded like he was rapping.
I studied him more carefully.
"Do I know you? I’m sorry for asking but I hardly recognize people’s faces," I said.
"Pali Patel. PP. I helped take care of you when you were little. I can’t believe you forgot about your Uncle PP. The one who bought you chocolate bars and candies."
The name hit something in my memory. I tried to connect the dots.
I remember an Uncle PP. But not this guy. He looks nothing like him. PP had no blonde hair. He was always smiling. Always laughing. He would toss me in the air and pretend to drop me before catching me.
This one is different... and colder.
There were faint lines near his eyes that did not look like they came from smiling.
I looked at him carefully.
"Can you put on a smile? Because the PP that I know smiled a lot," I asked.
For a moment, silence.Then his lips lifted. Slowly. The smile stretched across his face, but it did not reach his eyes at first. Then he forced his eyes to soften.
It looked strange on his face. A little stiff. A little wrong. But I recognized it. A flicker of the old expression. He is Uncle PP. My brother’s second best friend.
A breath I did not know I was holding slipped out quietly.
"Oh. Uncle PP. What happened to your smiley face? You used to be jovial and lively," I said.
I wasn’t lying, he was like the happy kind, who always talked a lot.
He let the smile fall.
"Life happened. You can’t expect yesterday to be the same as today. Now answer me. Why do you want the purple plant?"
His tone shifted. It was no longer nostalgic.
"You know... I have this wild animal that I need to get rid of."
The words felt strange in my mouth.His expression went flat. Completely flat.
"You are pregnant," he said.
No hesitation. No question mark.
"How, did you know? Is my tummy coming out already?" I said, looking down at my stomach.
My hand hovered over it before I could stop myself. It was still flat. My shirt hung normally. Nothing had changed.
"MG called and told me some pregnant girl is coming for the plant. He should have told me that you were the one coming."
Heat rushed to my face for a second, then faded just as quickly.
"Please don’t tell my brother about me being pregnant. He is going to get mad at me and I don’t want him to worry," I pleaded.
My voice lowered without me planning it.
"I haven’t spoken to him in years. So if I see him, I am just going to ask for all the lunch money I spent on him. I won’t tell him," he said.
His tone was dry. I searched his face for a hint of betrayal. I did not see one.
"Okay. Can I have it?"
The question felt small.
"I don’t have it."
The words landed heavy.
The fuck. My shoulders stiffened.
I came all the way here for nothing.
Why did he not start with that? My jaw clenched before I could stop it.
"Uncle PP, please, do you know where I can get it? I really need it."
I heard the strain in my own voice.
"Look, I don’t have it because some customer recently bought all of it. I understand why you need it. I am going to give you an address. This woman, she is my aunt. She sells it. She will give it to you and show you how to use it. She lives thirty minutes away, so it’s best you go tomorrow during the daytime. Because it’s Blackwood and there are a lot of bandits around there. So tomorrow..."
He reached under the counter and pulled out a small notepad. He handed me a piece of paper with the address.
I can’t believe this. This feels like some stupid adventure. From one shop to another..My fingers tightened around the paper. It’s just a fucking flower. Why is it so hard to find?
I looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost 8pm. 30 minutes there. 30 minutes back. My mind calculated automatically. If I go now, I will be back by 10. Ten is not too late.
I can still make it back before anyone notices. I folded the paper slowly and slipped it into my pocket.
The movement felt final. My pulse steadied. I lifted my head.
"I am going," I said quietly, more to myself than to him. I am going to Blackwood.
And I will make sure I get what I want.
