Page 24 of The Lone Wolf Café
I could phrase it as simple curiosity.“Oh, that’s a beautiful necklace. What’s it made of? Oh, that’s cool, does it have any special powers? I need to learn more about witch magic, after all.”
I pondered the same questions in different patterns as we worked, but nothing felt authentic enough. My paranoia had me questioning every word, every letter, even the pronunciation of the syllables to see if they seemed suspicious. In the end, I decided I was too fidgety and nervous from obsessing over the necklace to ask about it with a straight face.
“You alright?”
My head shot up – it had been peering down at the teacups I was washing – as Rowena appeared in front of me. She always seemed to sweep through the door and into the back kitchen with the stealth of a ghost.
“Oh, uh, yes, I’m fine.”
I shivered, cursing myself internally.Stop stressing. Ears and tail. Remember?
Maybe this was all nothing. But werewolves were keen on detecting suspicious activity, and I still couldn’t decipher Rowena’s strange, conflicting emotions. During the morning prep, she’d been kind and encouraging, yet she’d barely said a word to me all day while we were working. In addition, the customers had the same wariness lurking behind their smiles that Juniper did the day before. They were timid around Rowena. Cautious.
As if they were afraid of her.
But they clearly needed her. She was the only herbalist in town, and based on what I’d heard from the chatting customers, she was excellent at her job. I’d also caught a bit of gossip that Rowena had been trained by her mother, Hazel, who was also an herbalist. But she passed away when Rowena was nineteen.
Rowena has been running this shop, alone, for the past six years?She truly was an accomplished witch.She can’t be that bad beneath her chilly exterior, right?
But what if she is?
I thought back to Juniper handing me the piece of black tourmaline. The way she said,“I hope it keeps you safe while you’re here.”I hadn’t thought twice about it before, but now her words gave me the chills. On the surface, it seemed like a simple well-wishing, as if Juniper was saying “Good luck with being a kitchen witch”. But my werewolf intuition made me fear there was a more sinister undertone to those words.Safe? What do I need to be kept safe from?
There was a flicker from the windowed door to my right, and I realized Rowena had turned the lights off. Back on Hollenboro, we werewolves used candles, but the light in The Lone Wolf Café came from cool, ever-glowing orbs created by alchemists.Faerie fire, Adrian had called them. He suggested I stop by his shop when I had time to pick some up for my cottage.
I made a mental note I still needed to run errands.But just the basics,I reminded myself. I didn’t plan on staying in this town long. No need to splurge on furniture.
“Same time tomorrow?” I asked Rowena as she strode through the kitchen door with her large, jingling keyring in hand. I was already dreading the thought of another 3 a.m. wake-up call, but at least now I was so tired I would be able to fall asleep early.
She stopped and frowned. “Um, no.”
“Uh…” I froze.Is she firing me? Did I do something wrong?The piece of black tourmaline felt like it was burning a hole in my pocket.Did she see Juniper give this to me? What if–
Rowena scoffed, clearly amused by my dumbfounded behavior. “Tomorrow is Monday, human. We’re closed on Mondays.”
All my anxiety deflated like a popped balloon. “Oh.”
A sly smile crept across Rowena’s lips as she brushed past me and fetched her cloak from the hanger. “Do you remember the way back to your cottage?”
“Yes.” Werewolves never forgot the routes they’d taken. Our minds were built like maps. The only way for us to get lost would be if we were dumped in unfamiliar territory.
“Very well. Step outside so I can lock up.”
Rowena fiddled with her keys, which made a calming metallic sound, almost like windchimes, as I stood next to her and let the cold autumn air sweep past my face.
I sighed with pleasure. The café was warm and comfortable, with its wooden walls and stony fireplace, but it would never compare to the raw, earthy chill of the Maine outdoors in the cooler months.
“Well…” Rowena finished locking the door and turned to me, chewing on her lower lip. “Good night. I’ll see you in the morning.”
This time, I didn’t ask if she wanted to spend time together. I watched as she slowly disappeared down the dirt path to the witch cottages, her long black cape billowing behind her like the inky trails left behind by shadow elementals.
A light, feathery object brushed against my thick red hair. I raised my hand to the top of my head, expecting to once again feel my wolf ears. But I didn’t. I clasped my hand around the papery object and pulled it down to eye level.
It was a maple leaf. Large, bright orange, and torn down the middle. The wind began blowing, and the leaf flopped into two separate pieces, each being dragged in different directions. I sighed and tossed the broken leaf up into the air, watching another swift gust of wind pick it up and carry it deeper into the forest.
Faint memories of jumping into leaf piles when my sisters and I were young flashed in my mind. But only for a moment. I wouldn’t let them stay there long.
I knew what I needed to do. I needed to go into town, pick up cleaning supplies and something to eat for dinner, and get back to my ramshackle cottage before dark. But I’d been on my feet for twelve hours, and my body felt like a sagging sack of potatoes. All I wanted to do was go back to my cottage and flop down on the floor, even if it was still filthy.
