Page 92 of Potions & Prejudice
I’d never actually seen it. Elspeth had told me about it. The front panels were spread wide, giving view of the inside with its shelves and potion bottles, all lined up neatly. A counter jutted out from the side. It was charming. A fantastic idea.
These Moonflowers were certainly quite the businesswomen. Not that I was surprised. They were survivors. Especially Elspeth.
The second thing I noticed was that they were carrying clothes, pots, blankets—it looked like they were... packing.
None of the women seemed to notice my presence... except Elspeth, who had stopped as she emerged from the house, standing there and staring at me.
All the warmth was gone from her eyes, her lips flattened into a thin line. She set her jaw and marched toward me.
“Can I talk to you?” I asked, grabbing her elbow and pulling her aside. “What’s going on?” I gestured to the cottage. “Did you all find another place to live? Is the cottage unsuitable?”
“We’re leaving,” she said.
I scratched my head. “Did you find an apartment in town? What about your garden?” Elspeth didn’t strike me as someone who’d want to live in a small, cramped apartment with her three sisters and mother.
“No.” She shook her head. “You’re not understanding. We’re leaving Thistlegrove. Today. Immediately.”
I stepped back, feeling like she’d just punched me in the gut. “What are you talking about?” She’d never mentioned leaving. In fact, more and more, she’d been talking about the future, making me think that maybe she was finally letting down those walls she’d built up.
“It’s simple,” she said, voice terse. “Our cart is fixed. It’s time to leave.” She turned to go, but I grabbed her arm.
“It’s not simple. What about your soup business? What about Elm?”
What about me?
At the mention of Elm, Adelaide let out a sob behind us. She brought her hand to her mouth, turned, and ran into the cottage, shoulders shaking.
“Did Adelaide tell Elm about this?”
There was no way Elm would let Adelaide leave. He was head over heels in love with that woman. I’d never seen Elm like this. I might’ve had my reservations in the beginning, but now I could see that Elm and Adelaide were meant for each other. If she left, it would destroy him.
I swallowed. If Elspeth left, it would destroy me.
There had to be a reason for this, something Elspeth wasn’t telling me. “What’s really going on? Why are you leaving?”
Elspeth rolled her eyes. “Because this isn’t our home, Draven. It was always just a stopping point.”
“And me?” I asked. “What was I?”
Elspeth looked away. “Like I said, this was temporary until our cart got fixed. We’re just following the plan.”
“That’s bullshit. Plans change. People change.” I’d changed. Because of her. “You’re the one who told me that.”
She stared me in the eyes, hers so full of fury. Of fear. “No they don’t, Draven. People are all the same. In the end, they don’t do what’s best for others. They do what’s best for themselves. That’s what we’re doing right now. This traveling apothecary shop is our life. It’s our business. It’s our entire livelihood. So I’m doing what’s best for my family, and I’m leaving. I’m moving on, Draven.” She swallowed. “I suggest you do the same.”
She turned and marched back toward the cart, throwing in the armful of clothes she’d had. I stood there for a minute staring, then turned and walked back through the forest.
Her words rattled me. I didn’t know where to go from here, what to do. Elspeth was leaving. In the distance, I caught sight of a familiar head of black hair.
Fucking hellfire. This was the last thing I needed right now. I stormed forward, ducking under branches and slipping between trees until I caught up to my younger sister.
“Georgie,” I said. “What in the fuck are you doing out here?”
Georgie whirled, eyes wide. “Don’t be mad.”
I shoved a hand through my hair. “You’re supposed to be in school right now.” Edgar appeared, wings flapping, and I narrowed my gaze at him. “And you’re supposed to be watching her. What good are you if you can’t even do the one job I’m asking of you?”
Edgar’s eyes widened. Georgie stepped in front of him. “What’s wrong with you?”
