Page 35 of Potions & Prejudice
“What are you doing?” She beat her fists against me.
I closed my eyes and hoped I was right, that the ball was over us right now.
“Good game,” I whispered in her ear before rolling off her and onto the ground right as the ball bounced into her stomach.
Everyone broke into cheers and ran toward me, pulling me up and enveloping me in some kind of family hug.
“You did it!” Prue looked up at me with admiration in her eyes.
Thea patted my shoulder. “You can come to game night any time you’d like.”
The Moonflowers let go of me as Elspeth glared, now standing. “Beginner’s luck, I guess.”
Auggie handed me the wand. “It’s yours until the next full moon.”
I twirled it, Elspeth’s eyes darkening. I was enjoying this far too much. “So you’re a sore loser, then? Good to know, Moonflower.”
She stalked toward me, hands balled into fists. “You can’t take the wand.”
I raised a brow. “Why not?”
“Because it doesn’t belong to you,” she ground out.
“I think it does since I’m the one holding it, and according to the rules of moon ball, I get to keep it until next month.”
“There won’t be a next month.” She stopped in front of me, fire blazing in her eyes. “You’re not invited back.”
“Elspeth,” Thea hissed, round cheeks reddening as she gave me an apologetic smile. “She doesn’t handle losing well. Last time she lost she threw a potion bottle.”
Elspeth rolled her eyes. “For the last time, I dropped it.”
Everyone murmured their disagreement.
“Like I said, sore loser.” I grabbed Elspeth’s hand, the contact sending an unexpected jolt through me. I peeled open her fist and placedthe wand in it. “But if it makes you feel better to take the wand, then it’s yours.”
I walked over to grab my coat and shrugged it on.
“Oh, are you leaving so soon?” Thea asked. “We normally play three rounds.”
“I should be going.” I brushed past Elspeth, then turned. “Thank you for the game night.”
I walked out into the dark forest, the cold wind gusting past me, and all the way home, I thought about Elspeth Moonflower and how competing against her was the most fun I’d had in a long time.
Sixteen
ELSPETH
The smells of salty broth, sweet carrots, thyme, rosemary, and rabbit floated through the air. Mama stirred a boiling pot, which hung over the fire in the hearth, muttering a spell to meld the soup flavors. I sat at the kitchen table by the window, looking out at Adelaide sitting in the garden and digging in the soil.
We’d swept and scrubbed and dusted the entire downstairs but hadn’t cleaned the upstairs yet. The grime on the windows had been too thick and hard to get off, so we’d have to figure out how to go about that.
As if the cottage knew what I was thinking, the window popped open, swinging straight for my head. I shrieked and jumped back, my chair toppling over as I fell with it.
Mama looked over her shoulder. “Elspeth, what are you doing on the floor?”
Auggie came down the stairs and helped me to a stand.
“Oh, just thought I’d fall over for fun,” I said as I pulled up the chair and sat back in it—this time far away from the window.
