Page 53 of Dawn Unearthed

I shook my head. “Are you sure? Maybe I should ask Rowen.”

“Rowen wrote instructions right on that little scroll of paper attached to it. And knowing Rowen, she probably wrote instructions for you specifically.” I laughed at that and unrolled the tiny scroll attached to the sachet.

Penelope, use the packet. A little pinch for Sage. She knows what she’s doing. And good luck for hearth and home.

She had written out the spell, and I nodded, memorizing it.

“Okay, I can do this. I feel like I’m helping.”

Aunt Penelope stopped what she was doing and looked at me before cupping my face. “You, my darling niece, always know what you’re doing.”

I sighed. “That doesn’t seem to be the case all the time.”

“You seem to know what you’re doing with learning the magic, becoming part of the town, and learning to be a witch.”

“True, but I don’t know everything.”

“Maybe we should talk about a certain bear you should invite over for dinner.”

I blushed. “Aunt Penelope.”

“What? Your mother isn’t here. She can’t get on your case about the very handsome man.”

“I wouldn’t be able to tell Mom about everything.”

My aunt frowned. “No, my sister wouldn’t be allowed to know everything. It’s understandable.”

“She must know some, right? I mean, she kept her maiden name even after she married Dad.”

My aunt smiled. “Because she still believed in some things when she was younger and married your father. I think that memory faded away over time. Our family keeps our maiden names so the Prince line stays strong.”

I frowned. “But I changed my name when I got married.”

“You did, but you are strong. And the Prince family still lives in you.”

“Did I harm us by not knowing? I should have known at least some of this.”

“Your mother wanted to keep you safe. And then she didn’t remember what Ravenwood was at all.”

“Sometimes, I feel like it hindered me.”

“There was a reason she kept you in the dark. There’s a reason she doesn’t remember much from Ravenwood. Once you leave the town, memories fade. And, honestly, I think that’s on purpose.”

“I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“We’re all learning, darling. About who we are, and who we need to be.”

“And yet I feel like I’m making a mistake. That I’m missing something.”

“You are still figuring out who you are and who you need to be. And, yes, you may be taking things a little slow with a certain bear in our lives, but I trust Rome. And I like the idea of him for you.”

I frowned as I looked at the sachet and the vase. “You do?”

“I trust Rome wholeheartedly. He’s been alone for a long time. Never settling down with anyone. You don’t have to marry your mate or even find your mate for true happiness, but for some reason, I always felt like he was waiting for a woman, the one who would step into his life and connect to him.”

“And you think that person is me?” I asked softly. I thought about his hands on me and how he took care of me. The way I felt when I was with him. And I thought maybe that could be true.

“I think it could be. I see how you two are with each other.”

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