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Sixteen

ELSPETH

T he smells of salty broth, sweet carrots, thyme, rosemary, and rabbit floated through the air. Mama stirred a boiling pot, which hung over the fire in the hearth, muttering a spell to meld the soup flavors. I sat at the kitchen table by the window, looking out at Adelaide sitting in the garden and digging in the soil.

We’d swept and scrubbed and dusted the entire downstairs but hadn’t cleaned the upstairs yet. The grime on the windows had been too thick and hard to get off, so we’d have to figure out how to go about that.

As if the cottage knew what I was thinking, the window popped open, swinging straight for my head. I shrieked and jumped back, my chair toppling over as I fell with it.

Mama looked over her shoulder. “Elspeth, what are you doing on the floor?”

Auggie came down the stairs and helped me to a stand.

“Oh, just thought I’d fall over for fun,” I said as I pulled up the chair and sat back in it—this time far away from the window.

We might have improved the appearance of the house but not its attitude .

Auggie flopped onto the couch in the middle of the room and surveyed all the flowers she’d collected that sat on the little table. She grabbed her pestle, crushing the flowers to make different powders that she used as makeup. She was always experimenting with different makeups, different dyes for our fabrics.

I gazed out the window, past Adelaide, at the forest surrounding us.

I had to admit, it was nice having a house to ourselves. We’d spent so many years traveling, living out of our cart and tent. Every once in a while, for someone’s arrival day, we might get an inn for the night, but it was rare. Even if the cottage was grumpy and aggressive, it was a place to call ours. Temporarily, at least.

After his admission last night, I’d thought about telling Draven we’d vacate immediately, but I also liked the idea of doing him a favor. Mr. High and Mighty couldn’t even get into his own cottage. It filled me with far too much satisfaction that the cottage let us live here while it wouldn’t even let him enter.

Prue came down the stairs, flipping through the pages of some book she’d found in the library.

“Prue! Watch where you’re walking,” I said right as she stumbled over a step. She caught herself before she face-planted into the floor.

“Honestly, do you ever put down your books?” Auggie dotted some red powder onto her lips.

“At least I know how to read,” Prue mumbled.

Auggie turned and made a face at her.

“Girls,” Mama said.

“You both have strengths and weaknesses,” I said to them as Prue plopped onto the couch next to Auggie. “And we should be celebrating our differences, not tearing each other down because of them.”

Both of them had the decency to look chagrined.

“Well, this stew should cheer everyone up,” Mama said, “and maybe put us all in better moods.” She gave me a pointed look over her shoulder, and now it was my turn to look chagrined.

“Yes.” Auggie straightened. “Let’s talk about how you’ve ended up with a certain Draven Darkstone on top of you three different times now.”

Even that was enough to make Prue put down her book. “You two looked very cozy together last night. ”

“No, we didn’t.” I tugged at the ends of my hair. “And, for the record, I don’t want to talk about Draven.”

“Why not? He’s got the whole broody, tall, dark, and handsome thing going on.” Auggie dotted some of the blue powder over her eyelids.

“I don’t care how he looks. He’s an ass,” I said, ignoring the way his light green eyes flashed in my mind at that moment, the same way I ignored the intensity of them every time he set them on me.

Auggie scoffed. “So you’re telling me that you felt nothing when his large, hard body was on top of you? I’d eat that man up.”

Mama squeaked from where she stood at the hearth, stirring and pretending not to listen in. “Got something caught in my throat,” she said.

I rolled my eyes. “The first time he landed on me, I was about to die because of one of his spells. The second time, I had freezing water rushing down my back in the stream. It felt like shards cutting into my skin. And the third time, he tackled me and nearly knocked the air from my lungs. So no, I was not thinking about the handsome man on top of me.”

“So you do think he’s handsome.” Auggie flashed me a smug grin, and even Prue smiled.

“You’re impossible,” I said.

“Well, if you won’t make a move on him, maybe I will.” Auggie shrugged.

Prue cocked an eyebrow. “Even after everything he’s done to Elspeth?”

Auggie stood and flounced around the couch and toward the table. She leaned against it. “I’m not going to be talking to him, Prue. Just... other things.”

“Auggie,” Mama admonished.

“What?” Auggie threw out her hands. “A witch is allowed to have some fun. I’m twenty-two. I didn’t get to go to the Coven Institute like so many witches. I didn’t get to make friends and join the Thorned Rose Society or Witches of the Moon.”

Two famous groups at the Institute, both ones that witches had to apply for. If they got in, they got to be a part of a sisterhood, a group of witches who lived together, did community service, and threw the occasional party. At twenty-three, Auggie was too old to attend the Institute. The cut-off for attending was twenty-two. All of us had to let go of our dreams in one way or another over the years.

“Soup’s ready,” Mama said.

I joined her in the kitchen area and opened one of the cupboards to gather bowls. The cupboards had been stocked full of plates, cups, bowls, silverware, pots, and pans. Everything we needed—though they’d been filthy.

I set the table while Prue ventured outside to get us fresh water from the well. She returned a few moments later just as Mama was setting the bowls of steaming stew on the table.

We all sat, and I twisted in my chair. “Is Adelaide coming?”

Prue pushed her spectacles up her nose and pointed out the front window. Adelaide now sat in a wooden swing hanging from one of the tree branches. She swayed back and forth. “She said that she’s not hungry,” Prue said before taking a bite of her stew.

She’d been distant and more solemn than usual since yesterday. I’d have to check in on her later and make sure she was doing okay. Maybe she’d seen Elm again and he’d done something to offend her? If he had, I would have his balls.

“Oh.” Prue put down her spoon. “I found a map of Thistlegrove in the library. It looks like it was done rather recently and has all the businesses marked.”

“That’s helpful.” I tapped my chin. “Maybe we can go over the map this afternoon, and it can help us brainstorm ideas for a business.”

“Good luck,” Prue said. “This town has everything.” She ticked off her fingers. “A magical creature shop, a tea shop, a tavern, an inn, a clothing store, a bookstore, an apothecary, a charms shop?—”

“Okay.” I rubbed my temples. “I get it.” My stomach sank. We had to figure out a way to make a living while we were stuck here.

“Well, I talked to the woodsmith when I went to town this morning and convinced him to start working on our cart without any down payment.” Auggie took a sip of her soup, a smug look on her face.

My mouth dropped open. “Auggie! Why would you do that? We don’t know when we’re going to be able to pay him. He’s going to come asking for payment eventually, and then what are we going to do?” I sank my head into my arms .

“Oh, Elspeth. Auggie was just using her excellent negotiation skills. That’s my girl.” Mama patted Auggie’s hand.

Sometimes, I felt like the only adult at the table. I lifted my head.

“Eat your soup”—Mama gestured toward my bowl—“before it gets cold. Besides, my stew always makes you feel better.”

I took a sip of the warm, salty broth, and she was right. It was delicious. Cozy and warm and it made me feel like everything might be okay after all.

Prue stared at her bowl, a perplexed look on her face.

“Why aren’t you eating?” I asked.

“The soup. It’s like a potion,” she said slowly.

“Except it’s not a potion at all?” Auggie pursed her lips, and Prue gave her the middle finger.

“What I meant was that this could be a good idea.” Prue tugged at her brown curls. “A soup stand instead of a potion stand.”

I looked down at my stew and back up at Prue.

“There aren’t many restaurants in Thistlegrove,” Prue said. “We don’t have the means to open a whole tavern like Draven’s, but we could set up a simple cauldron and table. Some bowls.” She gestured outside. “The weather is getting chilly. Adelaide can make the recipes, Mama can use her potions affinity to keep the soup warm, to make the flavors come together. Auggie and I can forage for ingredients.”

I sat up straighter, my heart beating fast. That wasn’t a bad idea.

“Soup?” Auggie said. “You think we can actually make money off of soup? It’s so simple.”

“So simple it just might work,” I said.

Mama slurped from her spoon. “Adelaide’s recipes are very good.”

“It’s something we could start selling almost immediately. Maybe we can have daily flavors. We can forage for the ingredients. We’d just need to get the cauldron from our cart.” I got out of my chair and kissed Prue on the forehead. “You brilliant girl.” I sat back down, feeling lighter than I had in days.

“Well, I’m glad someone’s happy,” Auggie muttered into her bowl. “Now you just need to get Adelaide to eat.”

I turned in my chair and saw Elm out the window, standing in front of Adelaide. All the adoration I was used to seeing was gone from his face. His eyebrows were pinched, face drawn, and he looked tense. Adelaide’s shoulders were slumped, and she stared down at her lap.

“What’s going on out there?” I asked, dread replacing my feeling of elation.

Elm reached out to touch Adelaide, then his hand fell, and he walked away.

“I’d say Adelaide just gave Elm the boot.” Auggie slurped her soup.

“But why?” I looked back at the table. “She likes Elm.”

“Why?” Mama echoed.

Mama, Auggie, and Prue were all looking at me like the answer was obvious.

“What?” I asked.

“You hate Elm’s best friend.” Prue pointed her spoon at me. “And you know Adelaide can’t stand conflict.”

“She’s repelled by it,” Auggie agreed.

Mama crossed her arms, jaw locked. I wasn’t used to seeing her angry. I was usually the angry one.

“So it’s my fault?” I pressed my hands to my chest.

“Yes,” Auggie said simply before going back to eating her stew.

“You’re Adelaide’s best friend,” Mama said. “She loves you more than anything, and she’s not going to pursue a man whose best friend you don’t get along with. And to think, Elm could’ve broken the curse. He could’ve helped Adelaide get her magic back.”

I snorted. I very much doubted that. I looked back out the window. Adelaide’s shoulders were shaking like she was crying.

Oh no.

Maybe I didn’t believe Elm would break the curse, but I did believe he made Adelaide happy, and wasn’t that what mattered? I couldn’t let this silly feud with Draven be the reason Adelaide didn’t pursue Elm. Especially if it caused a rift between us, led to resentment.

I couldn’t let that happen.

“Well, she has nothing to worry about.” I turned. “Because I don’t hate Draven. We can get along just fine.”

“I’d like to see that,” Auggie mumbled.

And she would. I’d make amends with Draven and fix this entire mess.