“For so many years I’ve put up with you,” Fetter continued. “You, Astrid, and all our brothers and sisters. Our ridiculously doting mother and stern father prone to dad talks.” He made a face. “It’s enough to make me sick. Do you have any idea how many long nights I lay awake in bed, wishing I could just murder all of you in your sleep? Countless.”
“Fetter!” Teofil shouted, his fists clenched and anger flashing in his eyes. “Enough of this foolishness. Hand the waterskin back to Thaddeus, and let’s be done with this nonsense.”
“Oh, this is not nonsense, my special little brother,” Fetter said. “No, no, no. Not by a long shot. This is years and years of patience and planning. And this…” He shook the waterskin, and Thaddeus could hear the slosh of its contents, watching in terror as he feared it would all spill out. “This is the payoff for my extraordinary patience.”
“This is ridiculous,” Teofil said. He took several steps toward Fetter, hand extended.
“Stop where you are,” Fetter said in a calm voice. “Or I’ll be forced to make you stop.”
“You can’t do magic!” Astrid said. “You couldn’t even grow a garden!”
A blast of light hit Teofil in the chest, knocking him off his feet backward to land flat on his back. Thaddeus cried out and ran to where Teofil lay sprawled on the ground. He was relieved to hear Teofil moaning and helped him sit up.
“Are you all right?” Thaddeus asked.
Teofil squinted at him. “Yes, I just wasn’t expecting it. Help me up?”
Thaddeus helped Teofil to his feet and held his arm when he wobbled on unsteady legs. “Okay?” he asked.
“Okay.”
“Stay here,” Thaddeus instructed, then marched up to within ten feet of Fetter. Thaddeus stood with his chin out as he glared at him, hoping Fetter wasn’t able to detect how much his insides trembled. He thrust out a hand and said, “Give it back.”
Fetter smiled and held the waterskin out toward him. “This is what you want?”
Thaddeus stood in place, not trusting him. “You know it is. Why are you doing this?”
“I’ll show you why I’m doing this, young Thaddeus Cane,” Fetter said. “Don’t blink now. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long, long time, and I wouldn’t want you to miss a single second of it.”
Fetter stabbed the bottom of the skin. Holding it up, he opened his mouth wide and let the water pour in.
Thaddeus shouted, “No!” and took a couple of steps forward, but stopped when Fetter let out an anguished scream and collapsed to his knees. The waterskin fell to the ground beside him, a cold spot opening inside his chest at the sight of its flattened, empty shape. All of the magical water was gone. Dulindir said the water had been low, and Thaddeus feared there wasn’t enough left at the bottom of the well to cure his father.
Anger flared within him, burning away the cold spot that had formed. It ran through his body and came out in a furious scream as he clenched his fists and rushed Fetter, still screaming.
But then Fetter’s body contorted in a violent and unnatural way. The sight of it stopped Thaddeus in his tracks. Fetter’s left leg jutted out to the side, and, as Thaddeus stood and stared, slack-jawed, Fetter bent backward. His arms stretched toward the sky, fingers twisted into claws. Thaddeus had never seen anything like it. Fetter released a high-pitched scream that made Thaddeus jump and take a few steps back, his anger dissolving into a low-grade fear.
“What’s happening?” Astrid asked, coming up beside Thaddeus. He glanced down and saw tears running down her cheeks as she watched Fetter convulse.
“I don’t know.”
Teofil stood on Thaddeus’s other side. “It’s changing him, I think.”
“It looks very painful,” Dulindir said from where he stood next to Astrid.
Just when Thaddeus noticed that Dulindir and Astrid were holding hands, Teofil took his and squeezed it tight. It felt good to be able to hold Teofil’s hand again without hurting his wound or having the plantain leaves in the way.
“Is he dying?” Astrid asked. “Should we go to him?”
Fetter thrashed, his arms flying and legs kicking out as his head whipped side to side and he continued to scream.
“It’s too dangerous,” Teofil said. “He could injure us if we get too close. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.” He lowered his voice. “He knew what he was doing. Now he’s got to live with it.”
As Thaddeus watched Fetter shudder and spasm, he realized Teofil was correct: the water was changing him. He could now discern differences in Fetter’s appearance. His hair had lengthened and seemed fuller. From what Thaddeus could glimpse between Fetter’s convulsive movements, his facial features had shifted as well. It was difficult to see clearly because of the positions his body kept assuming, but he also appeared to be growing a bit taller.
With a final, wince-inducing shriek, Fetter turned away from them and fell to his hands and knees, heaving a few times before throwing up what little he’d had to eat. Then he collapsed on his side, back turned toward them, breathing heavily.
“Is it over?” Astrid asked in a quiet voice.
Before any of them could answer her, Fetter spoke up. But it was no longer Fetter’s voice. It was now a woman’s voice.
“No,” Fetter said. “It’s just beginning.”
Fetter pushed to his feet, keeping his back to them as he wavered unsteadily. His hair looked different: longer, yes, but fuller and lighter than the dark color it had been. His shoulders had narrowed, and his hips had more curve to them as he tipped his head from side to side to crack the tension from his neck. After a final steadying breath, Fetter faced them, and they all gasped at the sight of the human woman standing before them.
“Who are you?” Teofil asked.
“Fetter?” Astrid’s voice quivered with emotion when she said his name.
The woman who used to be Fetter smiled at Astrid, but her expression contained no joy or goodwill. It was a cold smile, full of dark, moonless nights and bitter winters, and it frightened Thaddeus more than anything ever had, even the Bearagon.
“Fetter is gone,” the woman said. “He has been for a very, very long time.”
“What?” Astrid said in a quiet, sad voice. “No… Fetter.”
“Who are you?” Teofil repeated. “What have you done with our brother?”
“For the love of Flora,” Dulindir said, his voice a dry whisper filled with fear. “It can’t be.”
The woman looked at Dulindir, and her smile broadened and became even more chilling.
“Hello, old friend,” she said. “It’s been a long time.”
“Dulindir…?” Astrid asked, looking at him. “Who is she? Where’s Fetter?”
“It’s her,” Dulindir replied. He took a step back. “It’s Isadora.”
“What?” Thaddeus, Teofil, and Astrid all shouted together.
“How can that be?” Astrid asked, looking from Dulindir to Isadora, her expression hardening. “Where is he?” She took a step forward, but Teofil reached out to grab her arm.
“Don’t. Stay back.”