The Sisters of Straygarden Place

bats’ lungs — back there, back to sister-whispers and lace-ruffled afternoons.
But she could try to make things better.
She could try to make Winnow better.
The Mysteriessa was not Mayhap. They were separate, like the yolk and the white of an egg. But living within someone’s heart for nearly a decade had to leave some traces behind.
What trail have you scattered, Quiverity Edevane?
Mayhap closed her eyes. She sat up straight.
What happened? she asked herself. What happened the night Winnow fell ill?
A vision blinked into Mayhap’s mind, flickering on and off.
She sat excruciatingly still, as though the memory were a frail baby-winged bat that would fly away if she frightened it.
Pavonine and Mayhap had gone to sleep, their droomhunds snuggled soundly in their minds, but Winnow paced the room, trying to decide what to do about the truth.
That’s when the Mysteriessa unfurled from Mayhap’s chest like steam from a kettle.
She formed herself at the foot of their bed, ragged in her silver dress. Winnow saw her, eyes wide. The Mysteriessa reached out a hand —
Winnow ran, bare feet on the carpet. She pushed their bedroom door open, escaping into the hallway. She asked the house to light the lamps.
The Mysteriessa made the lamps spark and go out.
Winnow shuddered, a breath in the dark.
“You know my secret,” the Mysteriessa said in her high, sweet voice.
And Winnow, brave Winnow, said, “I know you took my sister away — and I know my parents left to find her. I know who you are.”
The Mysteriessa grabbed at Winnow, but she ran away again.
In Mayhap’s memory, the two of them looked like a pair of ghosts, two white dresses and four lungs breathing.
“You’ll keep my secret,” said the Mysteriessa. She sounded desperate, hungry.
“No, I won’t,” Winnow said.
The Mysteriessa pushed Winnow into another room — the one Mayhap and Pavonine had found her in. She wrestled her onto the bed.
Winnow fought, but the Mysteriessa was strong with magic.
Then the white-eyed girl took Evenflee into her arms and stroked him lovingly, speaking his name as though it were a spoon of elderflower syrup on her tongue.
Winnow held out a hand. “Don’t hurt him, please —”
“I’m not going to hurt him,” said the Mysteriessa. The next two words were growled: “Lie back.”
“Please,” said Winnow. Tears dribbled out the sides of her eyes as she jerked her head onto the pillow. “Don’t hurt him — or Pavonine. Please.”
“I would never hurt my sisters,” said the Mysteriessa. “I love my sisters. I love them so much.”
And with those words, she shoved Evenflee into Winnow’s mind.
While Evenflee squirmed and fought and scratched inside Winnow’s head, the Mysteriessa placed a hand over each one of Winnow’s ears. When she pulled them away, Winnow’s ears were leaking silver.
Sitting in the hallway a day later, Mayhap opened her eyes.
“Pav was right, Seeka. It’s Evenflee,” she said. “But he’s not gone. He’s caught in her mind. He’s stuck. He’s panicked. He’s trying to get out. That’s why she’s in so much pain.”
Seekatrix whined.
And, like clockwork, Pavonine opened the door.

Pavonine stood in the doorway, holding Winnow’s hand. The house had dressed them in warm coats and leather boots. Pavonine wore every shade of gray. Winnow was in emerald.
Mayhap and Seekatrix got to their feet. “Pav,” said Mayhap, breathless. “I know you’re angry with me, but I have to tell you something.”
Pavonine stood protectively in front of Winnow, who was barely awake on her feet and all silver. “Angry with you?” she said. “I’m not angry with you, Mayhap. I feel nothing for you. Nothing. You’re a liar. You’re a lie.” Fear sparked beneath her anger. Mayhap could practically see it. She stepped aside as Pavonine took Winnow’s hand and dragged her down the hallway.
“Where are you going?” she called. “Pavonine — please. You were right. About Evenflee. He’s making her sick. He’s trapped in her mind —”
Pavonine turned around, holding Winnow’s hand tightly. “You are the one who made Winnow sick! Do you really think I’m going to listen to another word you say about how to make her better? Evenflee is gone. You probably got rid of him, just like you got rid of the real Mayhap and her droomhund.” Mayhap stepped toward Pavonine, but Pavonine shouted, “Stay back!” and began to run. Winnow ran with her. Peffiandra followed.
I told you, said a voice. The Mysteriessa’s voice. The truth is a terrible, terrible thing. You’ll never be loved by your sisters again. But at least, dear creature, you have me.
Mayhap clawed at her chest, angry tears spilling onto her flushed cheeks. The Mysteriessa slinked like cool satin inside her heart.
You know where your sisters are going, don’t you? In their pretty coats?
No.
They couldn’t be.
But Mayhap had seen the fear in Pavonine’s eyes, and she knew it was true.


By the time Mayhap and Seekatrix arrived at the entrance hall, it was too late.
The enormous door was open, banging on its hinges. The silver grass hissed its tendrils against the wallpaper and the vaulted ceiling.
And Winnow and Pavonine were gone.


Mayhap stood before the open front door.
The wind howled, and the grass howled, and she howled, too.
“Pavonine! Winnow!”
No good could come from stepping out into the grass — unless that good was saving your sisters. Unless that good was showing them you loved them more than anything, even if you were made of bats’ lungs and soil and ground-up coffee beans.
Mayhap stood on the threshold between inside and out — between what she had always known and what lay waiting for her. The silver gathered around her. Her heart throbbed.
Something squeaked and shuffled behind her, and she turned around, thinking Seekatrix was up to something. But it was Tutto, circling on his wheels. Mayhap had never seen him outside the library before.
“Tutto?” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“Mayhap — don’t go out there. You’ll get hurt — your parents said not to go outside —” Tutto rammed back and forth.
“I have to, Tutto,” she said.
“But you’re not supposed to