Page 60 of The Lone Wolf Café
Rowena was absolutely beaming. She looked so proud of herself, and my comment about her being incredible made her cheeks tint pink.
She knelt down, pulled a medium-sized pumpkin off its vine, and settled it into my lap.
“I have plenty of knives and other carving supplies at the café,” Rowena mentioned.
I raised a thick red eyebrow. “Are you suggesting we have our own pumpkin carving contest?”
“Not a contest,” Rowena corrected. She held out her hand, offering to pull me to my feet. “Just the two of us having some fun. Plus, we can toast the pumpkin seeds.”
“Aw,” I frowned as I stood up, my hand locked with Rowena’s. “They make great projectiles though. They stick to people’s clothing.”
Rowena scoffed as we walked through the pumpkin patch, each cradling a pumpkin in our arms. “Throw a pumpkin seed at me and I’ll cover your front door in vines.”
“You wouldn’tactuallydo that.”
“Try me.”
I laughed. Both of us did.
As we left the pumpkin patch, I felt a small bubble of disappointment in my stomach. When I agreed to come to the festival, I had hoped to form stronger relationships with the other witches. To make friends.
But there was no way I could do that at Rowena’s expense.
There would be other opportunities. Tonight, Rowena and I would head back to the café, set up our pumpkin carvingsupplies, and happily work in the kitchen with the whole place to ourselves. Just like we’d done that afternoon.
And maybe I’d throw a pumpkin seed at her.
Just one.
It would at least give me an excuse to chase her again.
Part Two
Chapter Fourteen
The spicy, full-bodied, yet surprisingly sweet aroma of chai and pumpkin spice wafted across my nostrils as I removed the tea kettle from the hot plate.
As I did, the flames beneath the kettle began to take shape, and Mavro made a gentle, throaty squeaking sound.
“What?” I narrowed my eyes at the little weasel as I fetched two teacups from the cupboard. They were the ones with little forest creatures painted on their sides – Rowena’s favorites. I noticed she used them almost every day for her morning tea.
Mavro squeaked again, and I sighed.
“I’m not giving you more charcoal.”
The fire elemental didn’t have eyes, but I swore I saw his brows narrow. Rowena was in the back kitchen, returning some frozen goods to Mount Katahdin, which meant I was alone in the front of the café with the impudent little weasel.
And he’d become accustomed to me being the “fun parent”. In other words, giving him extra treats when Rowena wasn’t around.
Mavro huffed, and a tiny whiff of smoke trailed out of his nostrils. Aria was perched on my shoulder, watching the whole ordeal, and she used her elemental powers to blow the smoke away with a look of utter disgust.
“Sorry about that,” Rowena announced as she burst through the kitchen doors. Mavro immediately backed down, lowering himself onto all four paws and trying to look as innocent as possible.
“Fritzi was very… well…friskytoday,” Rowena scoffed as she leaned on the front counter, running a hand through her short black hair. “She wanted more treats after putting the ice cream back.”
I gulped. From the corner of my eye, I saw Mavro shoot me a smug grin.
“Also… can elementals get fat?” Rowena asked no one in particular. “I swear Fritzi’s put on a few pounds. Maybe she…”
