Page 3 of The Tea Witch’s Promise (Purple Oak Oasis #1)

Brew

I rubbed sleep from my eyes as I made my way down to eat, preparing myself mentally for the day ahead. I had no idea what being in the infirmary would bring today, but it was bound to be busy. And I doubted Oliver and Katie would need my help again.

Cami's animated voice sounded loudly through the building, even before I entered the dining room. Which wasn't a surprise. Of all my siblings, she was the loudest and most like me. As expected, she was talking Earl's ear off with the latest gossip, something he was only capable of enduring as her twin. The rest of us didn't have the patience.

Mum was pouring tea from the traditional teapot with a small smile on her face. She had no idea I ever caught her doing it, but I was reasonably sure that it was because of how she felt being surrounded by her children, especially since Dad died in the same shipwreck as Oliver and Katie's parents.

"Morning, all," I said brightly.

I leaned in to kiss Mum on the cheek before turning my attention to the twins. I ruffled each of their heads, a special greeting I had just for them.

Cami swatted my hand away. "Don't do that."

"Do you know how long it took me to get it right?" Earl grumbled, already patting his short hair back down over his ears.

"It's part of my privilege as an older brother," I responded.

Mum sighed without looking up. "Rooibos, leave your siblings alone."

"Yes, Mum," I said, going to sit down in my normal seat.

Without missing a beat, Cami jumped in with an impish grin. "Yes, Rooibos , leave us alone."

"Shut up, Chamomile ," I returned, earning a glare full of daggers. I didn't feel too bad, if she didn't want to be full-named, she shouldn't have started it.

Mum set the teapot down with a little thud. "Rooibos and Chamomile are both beautiful names and we picked them with love. Do either of you have a problem with that?" She gave us both a stern look that we knew better than to argue with. It didn't matter that either of us were grown adults with jobs of our own, our mother was capable of putting us in our places effectively.

"No, Ma'am," we replied in unison.

"Good." She poured me a cup of tea. "Has anyone seen Jasmine? Shouldn't she be done with her night shift?"

I shook my head. I didn't envy my sister for the night shift, I hated it when I was on them at the infirmary. Luckily for me, it was Cousin Reese's turn this week.

The sound of a door closing came from the hallway, which I assumed was the errant daughter returning.

"I'm here!" Jasmine came into the room, looking exhausted. "Please tell me there's tea?"

I nodded and pushed her cup towards her spot at the table. "Hard night?"

She sighed. "Nothing to worry about, there was just a situation at the barracks."

"Trouble?" I asked, worry building up inside me. She was only a year younger than I was, but it didn't stop me being concerned about her, especially when she was dealing with the watch.

"Nothing I can't handle," she said, sitting down in her designated seat. Knowing my younger sister, she was telling the truth. There was nobody more capable in our family than Jasmine.

"Now that everyone’s here, we can have breakfast. We give thanks to the god of the kitchen for the bountiful meal before us," Mum said. "And we ask his blessing for the tea that replenishes us."

I nodded my head along with the prayer and picked up my teacup. The scent of freshly brewed tea filled my nose and I drank it down despite it being too hot. The magic within me sprang into life, swirling around and spreading warmth through my body. It was much stronger than anything I drank while at the infirmary, and would start the day off nicely for me.

Jasmine let out a relieved sigh, already looking less tired than when she'd arrived.

With the tea prayer out of the way, I focused on breakfast and grabbed myself a thick slice of bread. I slathered it with butter and mixed berry jam. It was a luxurious meal, but I had a long day ahead of me. And despite what some people thought, I took my job at the infirmary seriously.

Mum gave me a side-eye look but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned to Jasmine. "What happened at the barracks?"

"Two of the newcomers' familiars got into a fight. A bat and an owl are having some trouble sharing the same space, apparently," she reported. "I mediated and we sorted it, so it shouldn't happen again."

"Looks like Howie isn't the only owl causing trouble for his ward," I remarked.

"Is Oliver still struggling with his familiar?" Mum asked.

I nodded. "I tended to his wounds a few times this week. I'm not sure what's going on with this owl. Maybe there's something in the water."

Earl hummed. "Why would there be anything in the water? The water is the same as always, ask the Millers. They're the ones watching the stream."

"It was a joke," I said to my younger brother.

He looked down at his plate. "Oh."

Mum rubbed his arm affectionately. "Don't mind it. Speaking of wards, there’s talk of hosting a ward ceremony."

"What's that?" Cami asked between bites.

"It's something for younger wards who don't have their ward tattoos yet. A chance to integrate them into the community," she said.

"What's that got to do with us?" Earl interjected, as always too blunt and earnest for his own good. "We're not wards, we're tea witches."

Jasmine reached down to pick up the napkin she dropped. "It's a community event, we all need to be on board to host something like it. They might need us to contribute some funds. Since we live and work together with wards, it's not a bad thing to invest in the new generation."

I chuckled. "You talk like you're an eighty-year-old grandma, Jas."

"I'm just looking at things from the perspective of a leader in the community," she countered.

Mum nodded. "Your sister is right. Purple Oak Oasis only works because of the balance and cooperation between the four families. That's always been the cornerstone for our stability and the reason we get to be community leaders. We shouldn't do anything that could rock the boat."

"I know, I know. I never said I was against it. If the wards want to do a ceremony, we'll help. If you want, I'll talk to Oliver next time I see him in the infirmary. With how things are going with his owl, that might be later today," I offered.

"I believe Katie will be organising it," Mum said.

I felt a smile rise up to my face but I forced myself to keep a neutral expression. "Sure, then I'll talk to Katie instead. It's all the same to me which Fields I organise with."

That was a total lie. As much as I loved and appreciated Oliver, he was just a friend to me whereas I'd always seen Katie in a different light. Not that I would let anyone know because just like Mum said, the delicate balance between the four families should not be disturbed. And that meant that there was a very good reason for nothing ever happening between me and Katie.

Even if I wanted it to.