Sisters' Fate Read Free Page B

eyebrows at me. “Good Lord, girl, don’t you read? He publishes the
Gazette.
”
    Truth be told, I’ve never read the
Gazette.
The
Sentinel
is the official New London newspaper, the Brothers’ mouthpiece. It’s forbidden to be caught with a copy of any other paper, though I’ve often seen half-hidden copies of the
Gazette
when we’ve delivered rations to the poor.
    “You should find a copy and educate yourself a bit before you meet him,” Gretchen suggests. “If you can get him on your side, it will be a great boon to us. One-fifth of New London reads his paper, as he’ll be only too happy to tell you.”
    I lift my head, a spark of hope racing through me. “That’s quite a lot of people unhappy with the Brothers.”
    “And those are only the ones bold enough to buy the paper. How many borrow it from a neighbor, or can’t read to start with?” A wry smile kicks up the corners of Gretchen’s mouth. “The poor are frustrated by the new restrictions. Look at the hundreds who protested last month in Richmond Square.”
    “Half of them were thrown on a prison ship for their trouble,” I point out, remembering Mei’s sisters. “Don’t you think that put a damper on any ideas of rebelling?”
    Gretchen shakes her head. “I suspect it only fanned the flames. They protested peacefully enough. That shouldn’t be an offense that warrants getting sent away for years, should it? How do you think those unfortunate souls are managing now? Barely, that’s how, with the help of family if they’ve got it, or our charity. The people are angry, especially the working poor. They’re looking for leaders.”
    “Like Tess,” I suggest. She’s the oracle meant to win the people’s hearts back to the witches.
    “And you,” Gretchen says. “You and Merriweather working together could be a formidable team.”
    I glance over my shoulder at the half-open door to Cora’s bedroom, confidence wavering. If it took Cora years to win over the Resistance leaders, how will I manage it? I’m not half as clever as she was.
    “Cora had faith in you, Cate,” Gretchen says. “Don’t let her down.”
    I use my magic to transform the brass key back into a ruby, then hang it around my neck. I welcome the weight of it. Like a talisman.
    “I won’t.”

CHAPTER
    2
    “ATTENTION, GIRLS.” INEZ’S VOICE CUTS through my exhaustion at breakfast the following morning. “I have a few announcements to make.”
    I have been studiously avoiding her and the look of triumph she must surely wear. Her plan is falling into place. She’s destroyed the Head Council. Sister Cora is dead. Maura proved her loyalty beyond any shadow of a doubt, and Inez likely thinks it’s broken me.
    Let her think it. Her triumph won’t last. She will rule the Sisterhood and New England over my dead body.
    I’m sandwiched between Rilla and Mei at one of the five long tables that fill the dining room, pushing eggs and ham around my plate. I take a bite of buttered toast. Tess is sitting at the table behind us with the younger girls, but I suspect she’s keeping a watchful eye on me to make sure I eat.
    Inez stands. She’s dressed in unrelenting black bombazine, with no ornament save the ivory brooch at her collar. She doesn’t look like one of Brenna’s crows—more like a predatory hawk with her beak of a nose. I could slice cold butter on her cheekbones.
    At the sight of her, my exhaustion fades. Maura erased Finn’s memory, but it was at
her
request. Maura’s always so blasted desperate for someone to choose
her,
love
her
most, and Inez played on that. I don’t absolve Maura of responsibility—but Inez asked it of her.
    “To those of you who joined us from Harwood last night, welcome,” Inez says, without so much as a smile. “I am sorry for the harm you suffered at the Brothers’ hands. I assure you, you will have your chance at vengeance.”
    I glance down the table, where Parvati’s hands are trembling as she holds her fork poised over her