Page 23

Twenty-Three

ELSPETH

O ur carriage came to a stop in the huge circle drive outside the manor.

Every window was alight with flickering candles as hordes of witches streamed inside, the huge double doors open.

My sisters and Mama gasped at the grandiosity of it all. The carriage door swung open, and I stepped out, arching my neck to take in the view.

I’d never seen a manor before.

Stairs led up to the wide, open doors where everyone entered. Tall gray columns held up a patio on the second floor with a round stone fountain. Several people stood on the patio, leaning against the railing and drinking from crystal goblets. Everyone wore gowns, some glittery, some frilly, all of them sleek and hanging in straight lines to the floor, much like all of ours. The fashions had definitely changed in the last few years. Instead of big poofy skirts often held up by metal hoops, everyone wore much simpler dresses.

“Everybody ready?” Morty asked, appearing behind us, the light casting a glow against her dark brown skin.

We ascended the stone steps and entered the manor. Music wafted through the air, and it seemed the entire village of Thistlegrove was in attendance. The white floor tiles gleamed under a giant chandelier with glowing candles, and I arched my neck to see fairy bugs flitting overhead, looking like little balls of magic with their glittering soft colors.

“This is amazing,” Auggie said, brown eyes wide as saucers.

“I need a drink.” Prue bolted for a table sitting against the wall, filled with glasses and a sparkling fountain of some kind of alcohol. Maybe liquor would do her some good.

Around us, people danced along to the lively music, while others ascended the sweeping staircase in the back, probably heading to the upstairs patio to drink and socialize.

It was all so grand, so wonderful.

“Adelaide.” Elm appeared from the crowd—and next to him was Draven.

He was staring at me with this odd look on his face I couldn’t decipher. Probably shocked we actually had the audacity to come given our previous interactions. This was his home, after all. His ball.

Elm took Adelaide’s hands in his. “Would you like to dance?”

Adelaide turned her head and looked at me, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. She’d dance with Elm if I danced with Draven, if I showed her that I was serious about us getting along.

Auggie nudged me, and I kicked her in response. She shoved me forward, right into Draven.

His eyes widened as I pressed my hands into his chest. His firm chest.

I cleared my throat, cheeks heating. “Would you like to dance?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.

“Yes,” Elm said quickly. “He would.” He held out his hand to Adelaide, and she placed hers in it. Then they were off.

Draven didn’t smile, his face as severe as ever as he held out one hand, palm facing me, then wrapped his other arm around my back, drawing me flush against him. The air whooshed from my lungs.

“You have a beautiful home,” I said. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“I didn’t,” he said quickly, then cleared his throat. “But you are welcome, of course.”

He was going to make this difficult on me. I didn’t understand why it was so hard for him to just smile. To be nice. I thought of Helena and her words about Draven. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who had a hard time getting along with him.

“I’ve never seen anything so grand.” I gestured up to the glittering gold chandelier.

“Thank you,” he said. “It was my parents’ pride and joy. They built this manor. They chose every color, every painting, every detail.”

Was. He’d said it “was” his parents’ pride and joy. He sounded so sad. For a moment, I felt a jolt of sympathy toward him. I knew what it was like to lose a parent. It wasn’t easy.

Over Draven’s shoulder, I could see Auggie surrounded by a group of men, giggling and chattering away. My gaze traveled to Prue, who stood in the corner, speaking with a gentleman who looked to be around her age. Prue was actually conversing with someone. I smiled. Maybe coming hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.

“Are you actually smiling while in my presence, Ms. Moonflower?” Draven whispered in my ear, his breath warm against my skin.

My gaze shot to him as we stepped together in perfect unison. “I’ve smiled before when I’ve been around you.”

“Not a real smile.” He studied me. “It lights up your entire face.” His gaze was so intense, I looked away.

“I’m just happy my sisters are happy.”

He spun me around, his grip on my hand tightening. “Have they not been happy?”

I sighed. I hadn’t talked to anyone about this other than Adelaide, and with her grumpy mood lately, I hadn’t spoken to her about my concerns regarding Prue or Auggie.

“We have our reasons for traveling,” I said, meeting Draven’s gaze. “It’s nice to see the realm, to sell our potions and meet so many people. But I worry that someone like Prue needs more stability. She’s withdrawn quite a lot, and she gets nervous in social situations. Then there’s Auggie. She’s a natural with people, but she doesn’t have close relationships with anyone. She flits from person to person, forming no attachments. They’re young still. Prue is only twenty, and Auggie is twenty-two. I want to do right by them.”

“Isn’t that your mother’s job?” Draven asked, a softness to his tone that I’d never heard before .

I swallowed. “Mama is... well she’s flighty, and she has trouble taking care of herself, let alone the four of us.”

“So it falls to your shoulders,” Draven guessed, sympathy flashing in his eyes.

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“I do know something about that.”

“You do?” I asked, not sure I believed him.

“I’m responsible for my sister. She’s sixteen.”

He nodded his head in the direction of a girl with long black hair. She wore a beautiful pink dress that glittered and sparkled under the light. The girl from the tavern.

“She’s your sister?” I asked, mouth agape.

He nodded.

Suddenly, I felt so very stupid. He hadn’t been abusing some random girl in the tavern. He’d been having a spat with his sister. I knew all too well about those. I studied Draven for the first time. Really studied him, noticed him in a way I hadn’t before.

His hair was slicked back tonight, parted on the side. The normal dark scruff covered his jaw, and this close I noticed all the details of his face—his strong chin, his straight nose, his thick brows. His pale green eyes that reminded me of winter.

Perhaps I’d misjudged him. Behind him, Auggie laughed at something a gentleman said, allowing him to take her hand and kiss it.

“Oh, Auggie,” I said, shaking my head.

Draven turned to have a look, then faced me again. We stepped backward and whirled around, then stepped to the side, following the moves of a popular dance in the witch community.

“I see she’s latched on to Corbin Jankoss. He’s one of the wealthiest witches in Thistlegrove thanks to his innovative cleaning spells.”

Of course. “Auggie knows how to pick them.”

Draven’s eyes flashed, and his shoulder tensed under my hand. Adelaide and Elm danced by us, both laughing over something. Draven’s gaze followed them.

“You all do, it seems,” he said.

I didn’t understand his sudden change in mood. We’d been having a good time so far, actually getting along. Maybe even bonding.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked .

His green eyes seared me. “It’s interesting that you hated me until you found out I own this manor, that I was throwing a ball. Now you seem to have changed your entire attitude.”

My mouth dropped open at the implication. “You think I’m being nice to you because you’re rich?”

He raised a brow in challenge, and hatred bubbled in me.

My grip tightened around his hand. “You could have all the gold in the world, but I assure you, you’ll never have my affection.”

“Yes, it seems like you absolutely abhor me,” Draven mumbled.

Adelaide looked over Elm’s shoulder, her brows furrowed, lips pursed. I ground my teeth together, then spun and yanked Draven out of the crowd.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

I didn’t answer, continuing to pull him with me and push through the onlookers. I didn’t bother nodding or smiling at anyone. I was too angry. If Draven thought he could just insult me and I wouldn’t respond, he had another thing coming. I’d give him a piece of my mind and let him know exactly what I thought of him. But I’d do it behind closed doors where no one could see or gossip about us.

Red painted my vision, and I barely knew where I was going as I marched toward a door off the main room. I wrenched it open and practically threw Draven inside, then slammed it behind me.

Just enough light shone through the crevices of the door to dimly light the space.

That’s when I realized we were standing in a closet, both of us shoved together. I tried to back up, but my foot banged against a bucket. A mop fell sideways, thwacking Draven in the head.

I should’ve cared that I’d just yanked Draven into a closet, but I was so livid all I could think about were his accusations.

“Excuse me,” he said, face full of rage, trying to push past me.

“Excuse me!” I yelled back, not budging as I stood in front of the door. My chest was heaving. “How dare you imply that I want you for your wealth. You know nothing about me. You know nothing of my life, my struggles, my family. I actually thought we might find common ground. Not be friends but not be enemies either. I was clearly wrong on all accounts.”

His jaw ticked, and he jabbed a finger at me. “You are the one who barged into my tavern, sticking your nose where it didn’t belong. You’ve been nothing but a pain since I met you. And you’re the one who suddenly wanted to dance with me tonight. What was I supposed to think?”

I let out a laugh of disbelief. “Maybe that I was being nice? Trying to make amends? Trying to quell the gossip spreading about us?” I stepped forward. “Maybe that not everyone is out to get you all the time.”

His mouth fell open, and he stared at me in silence, having no response to that.

Just then, the door burst open, and I saw a flash of that familiar glittering white dress and blonde hair. Adelaide. I didn’t think. I didn’t pause. I just surged forward and pressed my mouth to Draven’s.