Page 44 of Cursed By the Love Witch

“Change how?” Dangerous hope causes my heart to race.

“It would?—”

A shrill whistle cuts through the air. Both of us look up to see Zander quickly approaching. He has his thick-rimmed glasses on today. Maneuvering under the branch with ease, he stompstowards us. His expression is relieved as he looks over Prue and me.

“There you two are. We were wondering where you’ve been. The High Warlock is none too pleased you’ve fallen so far behind.”

Prue casts me a glance, but I focus on Zander as he urges us further down the path. Zander goes under the branch first and holds it aloft for Prue. Her eyes bore into mine as she mouths,later, before ducking under the branch. Zander keeps it up for me, and we walk at a breakneck speed to catch up with the rest of the group.

The foliage turns darker. Creatures scurry along the ground and climb the trees to rustle in their leaves. The winding path and the setting sun make the woods seem more ominous.

I’m grateful when we break into a clearing. Up ahead is the rest of the group. Bael’s eyes are wild, and a vein in his neck is throbbing. Concern is written in every line of his face. His hands twitch as if they seek to grab me. My heart melts a little—upset that I worried him when he couldn’t come for me.

“Nice of you two to rejoin us.” His voice is clipped, but I hear the relief in it all the same.

Prue and I stand shoulder to shoulder and take in our surroundings. A lone cottage sits a little ways up on a hill. Smoke billows from the chimney while a small pond sits next to it. It is a modest structure made of graying wood with a large garden at the back—Bael’s home.

It’s exactly as I would imagine it to be.

What would spending the night here be like instead of in my cramped dorm room? It feels like we are in another world this deep in the woods. If our relationship was real, I can imagine myself retreating here at the end of every evening. Bael and I would be living a simple life, spending our nights in each other’sarms before we part in the morning for our jobs. It is a lovely dream—and will always remain just that.

With a wave of his hand, Bael gestures to the clearing around us.

“Now that we are all here, you should all pick a spot in this clearing to set down your packs and set up your tents. Once you have done so, please take your jars and hunt for the fungus while some light remains. A reminder that the mushrooms admit a poisonous gas after midnight and will need to be properly secured for storage.”

Crossing his arms over his large chest, his expression remains serious.

“Once you have all collected your mushrooms, return here, where a light dinner will be served. We will spend the night here and then trek back to Axwyne in the morning.”

There are a few snickers from the crowd as shoulders bump together. Bael pins each of us with a stare.

“I will remind you all that you’re adults. I will not be doing tent checks. If there is an emergency, you may come to my cottage. Other than that, I trust you all to make good decisions and remind you that the creatures in these woods are nocturnal and always hungry. If you leave this clearing, my wards will not protect you from them.”

A shiver goes through me. The students around me spring into action, and I look for a spot furthest away from the woods. Glancing over to my left, I notice Prue and Zande have set their tents up close to each other. Setting down my heavy pack, I sigh with relief. Fishing out my jar with the screw-top lid, I wave my hands over the rest of my belongings and watch my tent erect itself.

By the time I secure all my belongings inside, Prue and Zander are nowhere to be found. I’ll need to speak to her and learn what she meant to tell me. Could there be hope for Baeland me once this is dealt with? I’m not counting on it. I’ll give him the antidote and slip away as quickly as possible. Watching the tenderness in his gaze return to disdain will shatter my heart.

Picking up my jar and small harvesting bag, the setting sun helps me refocus on the task that’s brought me here. The clearing empties quickly, and I do not know where to start looking. A cluster of students files into the woods directly behind my tent, and I follow them.

They move with ease through the overgrown trees. Stray branches catch my hair, and roots trip me—my bag of tools jingles with each step. The group I was following slowly gets eaten up by the thick trees, and it’s not long before I’m walking with no clear direction.

Something slithers in the trees above me, and I nearly jump out of my skin. A furry creature scurries against my boot. I feel something lock around my arm, and I yelp, ready to smack whatever it is.

Violet eyes stop my movement. Bael’s hand encases my elbow, and I relax. My eyes dart around us, but we are alone, entirely concealed by the dark trees.

“I was worried about you,” he whispers. “I thought you had been?—”

“I’m fine,” I interrupt, my voice sharper than I mean it to be. My conversation with Prue has left me raw.

Bael lowers his brows, his eyes roaming my face before releasing my elbow.

“There’s a stream up ahead,” he says. “That’s where you’ll find most of the mushrooms.”

“Thanks,” I say, turning away from him and hurrying forward.

I pray he’ll drop it and leave me alone, but he steps beside me. He guides branches out of my way and leads me down apath with smoother terrain. I say nothing, my thoughts racing. I should’ve done this from the beginning—push him away. However, my plan to ignore him fails when he approaches me again.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

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