Page 25 of Potions & Prejudice
“I know. But maybe you could look at staying in Thistlegrove as an opportunity.”
My brows furrowed. “An opportunity for what?”
“To make some friends,” Adelaide suggested. “Get outside your comfort zone. Maybe we could all do that.”
I straightened on my knees. “And does getting out ofyourcomfort zone include a certain Elm Kingsley?”
Mama choked, coughing. I turned around to see her perched on the top of a chair and leaning her ear toward us. She quickly straightened and turned around.
“Mama,” Adelaide said with a mischievous grin. “That cough sounds terrible. Do you need to see a healer?”
Mama cleared her throat, banging her chest. “No. Not at all. Just a tickle in my throat.”
Mama couldn’t help herself. She and Auggie were expert eavesdroppers. Actually, all the Moonflower women were.
I moved to another space on the floor and started scrubbing. “So?” I whispered. “Are you interested in Elm Kingsley?”
“Maybe.” Adelaide leaned forward, her wavy golden hair spilling over her shoulders. “He’s not like anyone I’ve ever met, Elspeth. I know you don’t trust him, but if you just gave him a chance...”
“Adelaide, just be careful. We won’t be here long, and Elm isn’t even from Thistlegrove. Treat him like you would any other fling.”
The light in Adelaide’s eyes dimmed. “A fling. Right.” She scrubbed the floor harder.
“What do you even know about him?” I asked.
“I know that he’s nice.”
“So was Johanes,” I said, remembering the way he’d changed so suddenly after I’d revealed the truth about the curse to him. That calculated look that had overtaken his eyes. And I’d been stupid enough to not see any of it until it was too late.
“I know that I like him. That I could see a future with him.”
Mama gasped, and we both turned right as she whirled around, coughing harder and reaching up high onto some shelves to dust.
I licked my lips, having a difficult time forming words. “But... you’ve known him for two days.”
“There’s just something about him. He’s different, El.”
“Getting that close to someone comes with risks.” I swallowed. “Promise you’ll be careful.”
Adelaide’s shoulders slumped. “Then how are we ever going to get our magic back?”
“I told you that we’ll figure it out,” I said. “There has to be a way to break the curse. Curses are cast every day in the Witchlands.” I threw my arm out, some of the water from my sponge splattering Adelaide. “There are witches whose entire jobs are dedicated to breaking curses.”
The cursebreakers. They were some of the most powerful witches in the Witchlands. They also all worked for Witch Superior, and going to any of them for help was out of the question. Witch Superior was not kind to those who didn’t have magic, no matter the reason. She was known to be harsh, inconsistent, and temperamental. Not the kind of leader I wanted my fate to depend on.
“And have you made any headway?” Adelaide asked.
“Well, we’ve been a little busy.” A defensiveness edged my voice. I hadn’t been trying as hard as I could have. Not because I didn’t want to break this curse but because all my energy went to keeping us safe.
It was hard to even know where to begin. Cursebreakers went through extensive training that took years. And even then, they weren’t able to break all curses, some so complicated they couldn’t be undone. Iswallowed. But not this one. Prue had been reading up on curses, and if anyone could figure it out, it was my younger sister.
“Now that we’re here in one place, maybe Prue will have more time?” I suggested.
Adelaide smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, I can help too. We all can.”
I lay a soapy hand over hers. “You just focus on this new business venture of ours. I’m glad we have a roof over our heads, and we’ll see what Auggie says when she comes back from foraging, but it seems like this forest might be a haven for different plants and herbs we can use in our potion mixes. That’s all good news. But we still have to find a way to make money.”
Adelaide worried at her bottom lip. “We’ll figure something out. I’ll go into town today. Maybe with Elm. Maybe he can help me.”
