Marie's Journey (Ginecean Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF Page B

approval, but when the door was closed behind her and not a single ray of flickering light illuminated her steps, she gasped. The humidity pressed against her skin like a wet cloth.
    “Are you nyctophobic by any chance?”
    “Am I a nycto… what?” Marie had never heard the word. She wasn’t even sure she could repeat it. Verena’s status grew in her mind. She’s one smart cookie.
    “Are you afraid of the dark?”
    Marie appreciated that Verena didn’t make her feel an idiot by repeating the question in words she could understand. “No, I’m not,” she lied. So that’s what it is.
    “Nyctophobia is a common fear.”
    “Which I don’t have.” Marie reached to the side with her palm outstretched, looking for the safety of the wall to guide her. “How do you even know that word?”
    “Redfarm has a well-stocked medical library and I like to read in my spare time.” Verena shrugged. “Be careful now. We’re going two floors down. Give me your hand and follow me.”
    Is all of this really necessary? And what happened to, “You don’t want to miss the stories…?” Marie was regretting coming. She needs a straightjacket. Smart, but still crazy. What fun is it to blindly break your neck while falling down a flight of stairs? She slipped once or twice on the dew-coated steps. Although the temperature steadily decreased as they descended, she was feeling warmer. Or maybe it was her heart beating so fast. She couldn’t be sure.
    “Almost there.”
    “There, where?” The flat sole of her leather sandal slipped once more, unbalancing her.
    “Easy.” Verena’s strong arms caught her before she could fall. “Behind the cellars is the Apothecary.”
    Marie knew that word. They had an apothecary at the Institute where Madame Carla prepared the concoctions to treat the small ailments plaguing the girls monthly. The rector never gave them medicines unless necessary. More side effects than benefits, the stern woman used to say. “I like apothecaries.”
    “Oh, you’ll love this one.” Verena stopped and released her hand. “Just a sec.”
    Marie didn’t move. She kept her body at an angle so she was still touching Verena, if only by the hem of her shirt. She didn’t want the girl to think less of her, but she couldn’t stand the darkness and the humidity anymore.
    “The Redfarm Apothecary,” Verena announced as a room appeared behind the door she had opened.
    The light inside wasn’t bright, but compared to the obscurity, it was a relief. Marie entered the room and looked around, eyes wide in wonder. This apothecary was different than she had expected. It had the same good smell of lavender and roses she associated with that kind of place, but here, the bouquet was richer. Her nose high in the air, and she walked around, sniffing the scents. “What kind of medicines do you make here?” She lingered close to a table where petals of flowers she didn’t recognize had been laid to dry. The perfume was sweet with a hint of citrus. Her fingers traveled to the table to grab a handful.
    “No medicines. We make perfumes at Redfarm.”
    “But what about the name?” She crushed the fragrant petal between index and thumb and then brought the powder to her nose. “Love this smell.”
    “Jasmine.” Verena mimed what Marie had just done, and at her puzzled look, Verena explained, “Jasmine is the name of the flower. This place is called the Apothecary because it was one a long time ago. Nobody needs homemade medicines anymore, but the room was already here. Why not use it? The name remained. They tried to call it the Perfumery, but it didn’t stick.”
    Marie wandered toward the end of the room, only to see the Apothecary was bigger than she had thought; branching from the main room were several smaller rooms opening to a narrow hallway that curved, hiding what lay beyond its cream wall. Curiosity won and she was attracted by the fragrant smell coming from around the corner. Soft murmurs caught her