Page 38 of Best Hex Ever
Chapter 15
In the end, neither Scott nor Dina won the scavenger hunt and they were the last ones back to the Little Parlor.
“Where have you been?” Rosemary asked, pulling Dina aside. “And why do you look so smug?”
“I do not look smug.”
“You absolutely do. What happened? Anything to do with you and Scott walking in together?”
Dina rolled her eyes but couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “Nothing happened.”
Rosemary narrowed her eyes. “You’re a terrible liar, Dina Whitlock. But I’m going to assume you have a good reason not to tell me, so I’ll keep my opinions to myself…for now.”
Unlike Immy, who was a locked box to which Eric had the key, Rosemary was truly a “secrets to her grave” kind of friend.
“Do you know what the next activity is?” Dina asked her, noticing that a lot of the wedding party appeared to have opted out of this one. She looked around for her parents and was horrified to see them drinking tea around a table with Scott’s mums. She flicked him a glance. He had seen it too.
Should we go over?she mouthed at him. He smiled but shook his head.
“Something outside. Immy’s keeping it all very hush-hush, but look at her, she’s practically bouncing.”
It was true, the bride-to-be was clearly ready to make a move. In the end, only eight people from the wedding party went out for this activity, with most of the parents and grandparents choosing to rest before the festivities to come.
As the group walked across the east field of the property, led by Eric and Immy, Dina took a moment to bask in the afternoon sun. She’d always felt a strong connection to the earth through her magic and noticed the change in seasons more than the average person, but being outside of London, surrounded by green hills and woodland, the connection was more alive.
As they walked, she pointed out a variety of herbs and flowers to Rosemary, who was working on a botanical horror and wanted to know how readily available poisonous plants were in the English countryside.
The entire time, Dina was acutely aware that Scott was close behind her, listening to their conversation about flowers. Her mind kept traveling back to the lovers’ nook. To the feel of his body pressed against hers.
They reached a gate where the field met the woods. It was one of those country gates that wasn’t so much a gate as two crossed planks of wood used as steps over a wooden fence. Dina was perfectly capable of climbing over herself, but as Scott reached out a hand to help her down from the step, she reached out her own in response. His grip was warm and firm, and it steadied her. She couldn’t believe this man was literally making her weak in the knees. She was becoming a walking cliché.
“Do you have a favorite flower or plant, Dina?” he asked, his voice low enough that only she could hear.
“Why, are you trying to buy me flowers, Scott Mason?” Dina batted her eyes dramatically. “Lemon verbena, though. That’smy favorite. It’s a pretty hardy plant, and you can turn it into a tisane. In Morocco we call it louiza.”
“Louiza?”
“You add the leaves to boiled water and they let out the most deliciously sweet fragrance. Not exactly lemony—more like a honey balm.”
“What does the tea taste like?” he asked.
“Sort of like chamomile maybe, but with more body, and sweeter.”
Scott nodded, looking as if he was storing away that information for later use.
“What about you then, since we’re on the topic of favorite plants?” Dina stepped over the roots of a nearby oak that had clawed out of the earth, and nearly lost her footing. She leaned one way to counteract the slip, which meant that she ended up falling into Scott. He gripped her waist with both hands, steadying her.
“It’s going to sound silly,” he said, “because everyone loves them, but roses. A very specific type of rose though. A couple of years ago I went to the M’Goun valley.”
“Hold up,” said Dina. “This isn’t your way of telling me a story about that time you were in Morocco, just because you know I happen to be from there, and you’re trying to impress me, is it?”
Scott chuckled, running a hand through his hair.
“Maybe I was trying to impress you a little bit, but it’s true either way.”
“In that case, please continue.”
“I was there to research some of the protective charms the farmers use in that valley, specifically to protect against pests ruining the flowers before they’re picked. I was up one morning, really early, and I ended up going with this shopkeeper, Hamid,on a walk past the river. I swear, I could smell them before we even turned into the valley. And then it was just pink, as far as I could see. Even the women picking the roses wore pink, so their heads looked like pink boats bobbing up and down in this sea. And the smell was so…thick, you know? Best way I can describe it. Like honey cake, and fresh watermelon and treacle all rolled into one. I could taste it in the air, it was so strong. I bought so many bottles of rosewater on that trip I must have looked like some kind of smuggler at customs.”
