"But Father," I suddenly cried out. "Now you've spoken to us about the golden flower. You promised that man you wouldn't. You've broken your promise to him."
"It doesn't matter," Father shook his head. He reached down behind his desk and brought forth a plain wooden box. The inside was unlined, and the top compartment held a dried up brown petals, the broken husk from a once beautiful flower. Below it was another compartment, a red glow pushed at the edges as if eager to escape. Father lifted the wooden shelf out, placing the dried up rose on the desk top and exposed what lay below. It was like the one I'd seen in my dreaming, a beautiful red rose bud. The petals closed up so tightly it made it look more like a seed than a flower, and its red glow pulsed like a small flame on a candle, ready to burst into larger flames at any moment.
"The fire rose," I whispered.
Father nodded.
Aunt Rosemary said Father had one of the burning life blossoms, and here it was.
"But what happened to this one?" Joli pointed to the once golden rose, now a shriveled husk.
"It died almost immediately, as soon as I stepped out of that place back into our small garden. Only the fire rose has kept its vitality. I never should have taken it. It was a trap, a carefully placed trap to tempt me, and I succumbed. Within days those men arrived, and they have returned three times now demanding different payments for the firerose. I tried to give it back to them, but they refused, saying the damage was already done and the fire rose could not be restored to its bush, it could only be planted by the one who'd dare to take it. I've even tried to return to that strange garden, but I could never find it again. I had no choice but to follow their demands so far. All for one tiny rose."
"Aunt Rosemary told me about it. It will save Winding! Restore life to the land. Everything will flourish. Think of the apples and the wheat that will grow. The long famine will be over. The sooner we plant it, the sooner spring will arrive and put an end to this damnably long winter."
"Iana! Language," Mother scolded me.
"Is it true?" Joli asked. "That's what the rose can do?"
It was mother who replied. "Yes, it's true, but only for few seasons, and then everything will go back to the way it is now. The magic wouldn't last, and who knows if other sacrifices will be required."
"If I'd known taking it would cause this." Father rested his head in his hands. "I only wanted to show you the beautiful rose. I know how much you love them Joli."
Joli nodded. She still held her hands clenched. It pained me to see her so pale and drawn. My sister deserved brightness and sunshine. I missed that cheerfulness of hers, even though sometimes I found it irritating.
"If only I could pay for it with my own life," Father lamented. "Instead of sending one of you girls."
"No Father," I didn't want to lose him, Winding couldn't lose him, and I didn't want him to do anything drastic. Either Joli or I would have to give up our life in Winding. It was too horrible. I might not liked, or even loved, living here and being so horribly poor, but I didn't want to be taken away.
"What's done is done. Your death won't change anything," my mother said to him. "We have ten days before their return. There are still six hours of daylight left in this day and wasting about in here won't do any good." She didn't look at my father when she said this, but I could tell she meant to reprimand him. He spent most of his days in his study, now I knew why.
I took a good look at my mother. She stood there, not a single hair was out of place, not a stain on her dress or wrinkles in her sleeves. She looked immaculate as always. I don't know where she got her powders, perhaps Aunt Rosemary provided her with tinctures and color for her cheeks and lips. She was never lacking. Although now I could see the lace on Mother's dress was ten or more years out of fashion. The skirt perhaps too wide, was still pressed and no frayed hems at all. She'd forced me and Joli to return from Catha. Did she know those horrible men had wanted one of us? They couldn't possibly be human; I don't know what they were. I knew for certain now I did not like that Lion man.
Mother continued, "There will be time later to decide who will be chosen to go and who to stay. Agonizing over it now will do no good either. There is plenty to keep us occupied. Below we have-"
Suddenly Joli interrupted her by saying, "I will go."
to be continued . . .
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