Page 3 of To Hunt a Ruby Remedy

Something told me that she wouldn’t leave if I hid up here any longer. If I wanted her gone—and I did—I needed to go downstairs and push her out the door. I groaned and rolled out of bed. The sooner she returned to Wulfkin, the better.

Also, I wanted to try the bread. It smelled even better than the loaves my grandmother made.

I dressed quickly and climbed down the narrow staircase that led to my bedroom, my dirty bowl from last night in one hand, the basket of magical talismans hanging from my arm. The instant I had opened the trapdoor, the scent of the bread had become even stronger, and my mouth was watering by the time I walked down the hall and into the main room of the cottage.

“Good morning!” Scarlette was dressed in the same clothes as yesterday. Her dark blue skirt swished around her ankles as she turned to greet me. Bright yellow flowers decorated the bodice that cinched tight at her waist and flared over her hips. A sky-blue kerchief corralled her hair.

I wanted to walk over, tug the kerchief off, and run my fingers through her ruby red tresses while I kissed her senseless. Everything about her had sparked my interest when I threw open the door yesterday. There was the purely physical, of course, but that wasn’t all. Her lips begged to be kissed because of the way she held onto her smile no matter the provocation. I wanted to wrap her in my arms because she refused to admit any weakness. She was the embodiment of goodness and joy.

She was the last thing I wanted to be reminded of every time I turned around. I saw no point in caving to temporary desires. But my conviction didn’t change the fact that she was a temptation. I needed her gone as soon as possible. Before the dream morphed into a nightmare.

When I didn’t say anything, Scarlette filled the silence herself. “I made bread. I saw the starter, found the flour, and since there wasn’t an old loaf, I figured you would appreciate a fresh one. I also gathered the eggs from the chickens.” She pointed at the bowl on the counter.

“When did you wake up?” It sounded like an accusation, even to me. I never was good at friendly. In this case, I was glad for my lack of social skills. Maybe she’d leave sooner.

She smiled at me. “I’ve always been an early riser.”

I hadn’t believed that someone’s smile could light up a room before. But yesterday—and now—Scarlette’s smile did just that. It wasn’t that she didn’t have shadows. I had seen the sorrow, the worry, when she spoke of her mother’s illness. Then I had seen her banish those shadows, just like she did now.

I didn’t want Scarlette’s light shining on me. Sooner or later, the darkness would return. When it did, it would make the memories of brightness even worse. It was better to hide in the shadows.

I set my bowl in the sink and noticed that there were no dishes there. In fact, the entire kitchen looked much cleaner than it had yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t a slob. Even with Grandmother gone these past few days, I had kept the cottage clean. But I preferred to do all the dishes at once in the evening. And I didn’t think the counters had ever looked as clean as they did right then. I didn’t even know wood could sparkle.

I pulled the basket from my arm and shoved it at Scarlette. “Here. These are the charms and enchantments to take to the village.”

She took the basket and reached for the cloth covering the top.

“Don’t touch them. You don’t want to activate an enchantment accidentally and make it waste all its magic.”

Her hand snapped back as if slapped. “Sorry.”

“Just . . . take them to Wulfkin.” I tried to find a modicum of self-control. The bruised look in Scarlette’s brown eyes was too much, even for me. “Please.”

“Wulfkin. Right.” Her smile wavered, then steadied, but it wasn’t as bright as before. “You’ll have the charm ready for me in a week?”

Her mother’s life depended on this charm, I knew. I tried to gentle my tone without letting her think my resolve had softened. “I’ll bring it to you in one week.”

She nodded. “I suppose I should be on my way, then. Thank you.”

She hitched the basket into the crook of her elbow and turned toward the front door.

I glanced over at the table at the loaf of fresh bread. Uncut. Then I looked at the full bowl of eggs on the counter next to me. “Wait.”

She turned back, and Ward protect me, there was so much hope in her eyes. I tried to ignore it. “You haven’t eaten. It’s a long walk to Wulfkin. You should have breakfast first.”

“I’m—”

“Sit down.”

She sat. Then she jumped back to her feet when I grabbed two eggs from the bowl. “I can—”

“So can I. You already made bread. If you must do more, you can slice it while I boil the eggs.” I pumped water into a pot and hooked it over the fireplace. Scarlette had already built it up to a good blaze to bake the bread in the cast-iron pot over the coals, so it didn’t take long for the water to boil. I slid the eggs into the pot and pulled the kettle off the fire. A few minutes later, Scarlette and I sat across from each other, a thick slice of bread, a soft-boiled egg, and a mug of tea in front of us both.

I took a bite of bread. It tasted as good as I had hoped based on the smell. It was so good that I considered inviting Scarlette to stay. Then I looked at her, sliding a spoonful of egg into her mouth and knew I couldn’t. She was too bright. Too hopeful. Too beautiful.

Too much.

I’d become addicted. Then she’d leave.

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