Belladonna

it was Aunt Brighid had denied her, but she could remember that moment of wanting to be spiteful beyond words. Could remember picking up the cobalt blue glass statue that represented the Lady of Light — one of the few possessions her aunt had brought to Raven's Hill and the one Brighid had truly prized. Could remember the terrible glee when she threw the statue on the floor to express her displeasure.
    And she could remember the naked pain on Brighid's face when that statue broke — and the way Brighid had sounded broken when she said, "Do as you please, then." Brighid had gone into her bedroom and locked the door — and had spent the afternoon crying,
    Such a frightening moment for a young girl, to wonder if anyone loved you anymore.
    The statue had broken into a handful of pieces. She picked them up and put them on the kitchen table, then carefully swept the floor to pick up all the little shards. She got out her little glue pot and did her best to put the statue back together, but it still looked like something that had been broken and badly mended. When Brighid finally came out of her room, she stared at the statue for a long moment, then picked it up and threw it in the trash bin.
    " Some things can't be mended, Caitlin Marie."
    She hadn't done this breaking on her own this time, but the result was the same: The world couldn't be mended. Not even Glorianna could mend it. Why would these people want her to live among them?
    Can you feel it, Caitlin?
    Her fear that she was being dropped off in this village so that Michael and Brighid — and Glorianna — could wash their hands of her began bubbling up as resentment as she followed Glorianna down the gangplank. No, she couldn't feel it. People expected her to know things but couldn't be bothered to explain things. And then they blamed her for doing something wrong when she hadn't known she could do something wrong.
    Then she stepped onto the dock and staggered into Glorianna, vaguely aware that Lee, coming down behind her, had grabbed her arm to steady her.
    The light dazzled. The air felt heavy and so richly potent that just breathing made her feel a little drunk. And something flowed through her that was joy and sadness, anger and laughter, rich loam and hard rock, sweet water and brine.
    "The currents of Light and Dark that flow through this landscape are aligning themselves to resonate more fully with the currents that flow through you, Glorianna said. "This is what it's like to be the bedrock of a landscape. Can you feel it, Caitlin?"
    "Yes." I'm home! "Yes, I feel it."
    Glorianna smiled. "Then let's see what we can do about getting you settled."
    "For a place that's supposed to be a small backward village, they have a good harbor," Lee sail "Could be they do a lot more trading than anyone else on the island is aware of. So it's likely they also have a rooming house or inn for travelers where Caitlin could stay until she finds a place that suits her."
    "Let's find out," Glorianna said, smiling at Lee as if sharing a secret. Then she linked arms with Caitlin to lead her toward the welcoming committee.
    Caitlin glanced back. Michael gave her an encouraging smile, although it wobbled a little around the edges. Aunt Brighid ...
    Well, it was hard to tell what her aunt was thinking at the moment.
    The people waiting for them were all smiling. When she and Glorianna were two man-lengths from the committee, the men swept off their caps in a move that was so smoothly in unison that it made her wonder if they rehearsed it on regular occasions.
    Then the smiles faded. The people stared until an old woman stepped forward, smiling despite the tears that filled her eyes.
    "It has finally happened," she said, looking at Glorianna. "All the years of waiting ... done now. The Heart Seer has come back." Her eyes shifted to Caitlin, and her pleasure turned to puzzlement.
    "I am the Guide, the Heart Seer, for Lighthaven," Glorianna said. "Caitlin Marie is the Landscaper for the rest of the White Isle. She is the one who has tended Darling's Garden these past twelve years."
    "Aahhhh." The sound breathed through the crowd, as if something that had always seemed peculiar now suddenly made sense.
    "I'm Peg," the old woman said. "This is my youngest granddaughter, Moira. I've been the village's cornerstone, so to speak. Been training up young Moira, since she has the feel of the place in her bones, if you take my meaning."
    Before Caitlin could admit that the words made no