Chapter 19: The Blade
Detrick and Cecilia sipped the tea Mildid had given them. It was bitter, but the hot water felt good.
Detrick glanced at Cecilia’s bandaged hand. Mildid had already drawn her price from Cecilia.
Mildid had also taken the time to take measurements of Detrick’s right hand. With those details out of the way, the old witch was ready to work.
Mildid pulled open drawers and took out all sorts of metal bits. Her massive hands wielded the equipment on her table as expertly as everything else. She pressed metal, bore holes, and engineered complex mechanisms.
Night had fallen, and Detrick got the sense that they were now seeing the true Mildid. The master craftswoman.
She used the fire in the middle of the room as a forge. Pulling away the pot rack, she made a gesture with her fingers over the fire until it grew into an impossibly hot torch. Its beam of blue flame shot straight up into the air.