Belladonna by Anne Bishop Page A

start casting blame when — "
    She raised a hand, silencing him. Not a surprise
    that the others would find a way to blame her for the
    Eater of the World's escape and the destruction of the
    Landscapers' School. No, not a surprise. But it still
    hurt that any of them thought her capable of such a
    heinous act.
    "If their landscapes have been compromised ..."

    "I know, Glorianna. I know!' Lee looked away. "We need to find out how they got to Sanctuary: what bridges were created and where."
    "We may have to shut them out of Sanctuary in order to protect the Places of Light."
    "I know that, too. But Yoshani thinks it's best to let them rest for a day, let their emotions settle a bit. Then he thinks you should talk to them."
    Yoshani was a holy man who came from a Place of Light in a distant landscape. She had stumbled into that landscape when she was fifteen, had used the access point Ephemera had created and crossed over to that distant place. That choice had saved her from the Dark Guides and prevented them from walling her up inside her garden at the school. After she brought the Places of Light together and formed Sanctuary, Yoshani began dividing his time between his own community of Light and the part of Sanctuary that was more accessible to visitors. People felt easy around him, so he had become an informal listener and counselor to the weary hearts that reached Sanctuary.
    He was one of the few people she trusted without reservation. But...
    "They don't want to talk to me."
    Lee looked at her, his temper shining in his green eyes. "They don't have a choice, Belladonna. The leaders of the Places of Light were very clear about that. All the leaders."
    You're not without friends, Glorianna thought. And you're not without family. Those are blessings you need to hold in your heart and remember.
    "Are you going back to the guest house in Sanctuary?" Glorianna asked.
    "I'd rather not."
    She figured as much and would welcome his company, but she was worried about the depth of his anger and bitterness. So the best thing for both of them was to fall back on a simple ploy that had never failed her: treat him like the younger brother he was.
    "Did you bring something to eat? The last time you were here, you cleaned out the pantry and didn't bother to tell me."
    He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I brought something to eat. And I did not clean out the pantry, just that last bit of cake Mother had made — which was stale by the way since you'd left it so long, so that doesn't count."
    "Does too."
    "Does not."
    "Does too."
    "Does —" Lee glared at her.
    "Do either of us have to cook this food you brought?"
    "We'll have to heat it up and slice the bread and cheese. Even I can manage that, Glorianna."
    Satisfied that he was now focused on being an annoyed sibling, she smiled sweetly. "In that case, you can stay. Want to make yourself useful and help me weed?"
    "Not a chance." He gave her the look that always made her want to smack him. "It's my rest day. Remember?"

Chapter Seven
    C aitlin dug her pitchfork into the compost heap that was tucked away in one corner of her secret garden. Pull out the weeds that choke the flowers and form a messy tangle around the bushes, let them simmer in a corner where sun, water, and air turned them into a rotting stew, and gradually they become a rich loam that fed the same flowers and bushes they had tried to usurp.
    If only her own life could be that simple. If only the rotting stew of her emotions could be changed into rich loam.
    She worked until her muscles ached. Not because the compost heap needed that much work but because she didn't want to touch the rest of the garden while bitter anger churned inside her. When thirst became a torment, she gave the compost heap one last turn, then leaned the pitchfork against the garden wall and walked over to the little pool of water shaded by a willow tree. The ground around one side of the pool rose up chest high and was a