Page 35 of The Witch's Rite
After a few more moments of staring at the vine, I stand and face Tom. “I’ll come back tonight. If I can spot what it is, I should be able to help rid the patch of the problem.”
I struggled through many of my classes at the academy, but botany wasn’t one of them. I’ve yet to meet a bug I can’t handle.
The look that comes over Tom’s face is utter relief. “Oh, thank you. Lilith helped me with some problems many years ago.” A fond expression flickers over his eyes. “It’s because of her teachings that I learned how to grow pumpkins enough for the whole village. You don’t know how much it means to me that you might be able to save it this year.”
“I’ll do whatever I can.” I reach out and give his elbow a squeeze, and he pats my hand.
Auntie was the most powerful earth witch I’ve ever met—I bet she could’ve grown a lemon tree in the desert or sprouted pepper plants from the frigid snow. The bookshelves back in the cottage are still stuffed with her spellbooks, and if I can figure out what insect is causing the damage, perhaps I’ll be able to peruse Auntie’s notes and discover how to solve the problem.
And hopefully I won’t let Tom—and the entire village—down.
Chapter 22
Rowan
BY THE TIME I GET back to Aurora’s cottage, night is already falling. I told Alden earlier today that I’d help him with the coop, but then I got caught up in the village. A brownie has taken up residence in the bakery, and supposedly, it’s been sneaking through open windows at night and switching out all the villagers’ shoes. It took me the better part of the day just to sort through the mismatched footwear, then more effort to strike up a deal with the mischievous little creature. The baker promised to leave treats out each night for the brownie to enjoy, and in return, the brownie agreed to stop causing trouble for the villagers. We’ll see if he uploads his end of the bargain.
My stomach is grumbling with hunger when I step onto the veranda and knock on the door. The windows in the parlor are open, and the rich scent of Aurora’s vegetable soup drifts out, making my mouth water. When the door opens, I have to look up rather than down.
Because while I’m tall, Alden is taller.
He holds my gaze for a moment, then steps back and opens the door. “Good timing. Dinner’s just about ready.”
I step through the doorway and into the foyer, where I drop my boots. Then I pad into the kitchen, Alden behind me, and find Aurora ladling steaming soup into three big bowls.
“You’re back,” she says, face lighting up with a smile. She has her hair tied back and a scarf around her head, and her cheeks are pink from the heat in the kitchen.
“Long day,” I say as I collapse into a chair at the kitchen table. Alden takes a seat across from me just as Aurora slides two bowls onto the table. They’re quickly followed up by my favorite of Aurora’s baked goods: sourdough bread.
I could probably exist solely on her bread and never have a word of complaint—it’sthatgood.
“Trouble in the village?” Alden asks, already taking a slice of bread and slathering it with Aurora’s homemade rosemary butter.
“Yeah. Of the brownie variety.”
Alden’s eyebrows go up, but Aurora just laughs.
“I love brownies,” she says. She carries her own bowl to the table, then takes a seat in Alden’s lap. He grunts dramatically, but I can see the delight it brings him. “What did you have to do?”
Over the course of the meal, I explain the dilemma and how we finally came to a solution. By the time I’ve finished my story, we’ve eaten our bowls of soup and have demolished the fresh loaf of bread. Aurora is still perched on Alden’s legs, and he has one arm looped around her waist. I try not to let myself get jealous.
“Well,” Aurora says, glancing at Alden, then back at me, “do you think you have it in you for one more adventure?”
I arch a brow. “What type of adventure?”
Her smile is beaming. “Grab a cloak. We’re all heading to the pumpkin patch.”
HALF AN HOUR LATER, I find myself seated amongst the pumpkin vines, Aurora and Alden beside me. The night is quiet but for the sound of a breeze through the trees, and the air smells of woodsmoke from the villagers’ hearths. The air is cool, though not cold, and the lightweight cloak I’m wearing keeps the chill at bay.
On the way here, Aurora caught me up on the pumpkin patch problem. I’ve spoken with the gardener, Tom, on a number of occasions and know what pride he takes in this patch. It would be such a shame to lose the entire crop. With Aurora here, though, I have a feeling everything is going to be just fine.
So far, we’ve not spotted anything crawling along the pumpkin vines or creeping through the soil. I sit cross-legged upon the ground, twirling a leaf that fell from one of the nearby aspen trees. Aurora is sitting with her legs to the side, her head tipped back so the moonlight turns her face silver. Her long green hair falls down her back in gentle waves, and I reach out to touch it. When I do, her lips turn up in a gentle smile, and she shifts to look at me.
“You’re stunning,” I tell her, not for the first time. I could say the same thing every morning and night, every time I see her smile or laugh, and it still would not be enough.
She catches my hand in hers and presses a kiss to my knuckles. “Thank you for coming with me,” she says softly. Then her gaze flicks to Alden. “Both of you.”
We nod in response. Aurora looks between the two of us, and her eyes light up even in the darkness.
