Backwards Moon by Mary Losure

began to chant a spell for finding hidden things.
    They walked slowly down the hallway, Bracken leaning on Nettle and chanting all the while. They walked down another hallway, and another.
    â€œThis is an immense house,” said Bracken. “And oh, myleg aches, and my head too! And I think I hear this little whining in my ears.”
    The Fading, thought Nettle. Her stomach lurched.
    â€œIt seems as though it gets worse the longer I chant,” said Bracken.
    â€œLet me do it.”
    So Bracken told Nettle the spell. Nettle listened, harder than she had in her whole life. She ran down the hallway chanting it, her voice high and shrill in her ears.
    At the end, in an alcove nearly hidden under the stairs, she saw it. “Bracken, I’ve found something!” It was a narrow green door and as she watched, it swung open of its own accord. Bracken came half limping, half running.
    It was a tiny attic room, with one window through which the city lights glared and glittered. A wooden box sat on the floor.
    Nettle darted through and knelt down. “It’s in this box. It must be.”
    Bracken hobbled over and knelt down beside her. They lifted the lid.
    â€œOh . . .” sighed Bracken, gazing at the stone. Then, quickly, she reached into the box and picked up the stone with both hands. “The cloth,” she whispered as she lifted out the stone, for there was a Woodfolk cloth beneath it. “Get the cloth too. We’ll wrap it.”
    Nettle whisked out the cloth and Bracken slipped it under the stone.
    â€œA Woodfolk cloth,” breathed Bracken. “So beautiful . . .” She was tucking in the corners when a mist rose from the stone. It curled toward the low ceiling, twisting in the harsh city light.
    â€œSo,” said a hollow voice. “You found it. You succeeded on your quest.” And out of the mist stepped Toadflax.
    â€œGive me that stone,” she said. “I know how to use it. You don’t.” She held out a bony hand and smiled. “I know what you need to know to pass through the Door. To safety, where the Fading will never get you.”
    Bracken clutched the stone to her chest.
    Toadflax snorted. “Don’t look like that. I’ll take you with me, of course! Both of you. Hurry. I don’t have long. Give it to me.”
    â€œBut what about the others?” said Bracken.
    â€œWe can’t
all
go,” said Toadflax. “Surely you realize that? Those old crones back in the village, there’s no way of saving
them
. It would take forever to get the whole lot of them through. Think about it! They’d be dust before they had a chance.”
    â€œBut you’re older than they are,” said Nettle.
    â€œYes, but I’m wiser too. It was I who set everything in motion.” Toadflax smiled, horribly. “I who cast the needed spell.”
    â€œWhat spell?” breathed Nettle.
    â€œWhy, the one I cast the night the Veil failed. A black but clever one.” She smiled again. “The magic that would bring me, instantly, as soon as you found the stone that holds the secret to the Door.” She paused, breathing hard. “Now I can get through, and I can take you with me. But we must hurry!”
    â€œYou tricked us,” said Nettle.
    â€œWhat does that matter now?” screeched Toadflax. “Take the chance I’m offering you!”
    Bracken didn’t move.
    â€œListen to me!” pleaded Toadflax. “Quickly now! We can get through if we hurry. We can succeed where everyone else failed!”
    â€œAnd leave everybody else behind?” said Nettle. “Our mothers wouldn’t have done that.”
    Toadflax smiled grimly. “Oh, but they would. They were looking for your fathers!
That’s
who they cared about.”
    â€œYou’re lying!” cried Nettle. “That isn’t true!”
    â€œIt is,” said Toadflax. “And think about