“What’s going on out there?” I asked, dread replacing my feeling of elation.
Elm reached out to touch Adelaide, then his hand fell, and he walked away.
“I’d say Adelaide just gave Elm the boot.” Auggie slurped her soup.
“But why?” I looked back at the table. “She likes Elm.”
“Why?” Mama echoed.
Mama, Auggie, and Prue were all looking at me like the answer was obvious.
“What?” I asked.
“You hate Elm’s best friend.” Prue pointed her spoon at me. “And you know Adelaide can’t stand conflict.”
“She’s repelled by it,” Auggie agreed.
Mama crossed her arms, jaw locked. I wasn’t used to seeing her angry. I was usually the angry one.
“So it’s my fault?” I pressed my hands to my chest.
“Yes,” Auggie said simply before going back to eating her stew.
“You’re Adelaide’s best friend,” Mama said. “She loves you more than anything, and she’s not going to pursue a man whose best friend you don’t get along with. And to think, Elm could’ve broken the curse. He could’ve helped Adelaide get her magic back.”
I snorted. I very much doubted that. I looked back out the window. Adelaide’s shoulders were shaking like she was crying.
Oh no.
Maybe I didn’t believe Elm would break the curse, but I did believe he made Adelaide happy, and wasn’t that what mattered? I couldn’t let this silly feud with Draven be the reason Adelaide didn’t pursue Elm. Especially if it caused a rift between us, led to resentment.
I couldn’t let that happen.
“Well, she has nothing to worry about.” I turned. “Because I don’t hate Draven. We can get along just fine.”
“I’d like to see that,” Auggie mumbled.
And she would. I’d make amends with Draven and fix this entire mess.
Seventeen
ELSPETH
The sun shone down on the Thistlegrove market, carts and stands lining a long dirt road that stretched between Thistlegrove Forest and the town. Enchanted Pages was far behind us, and I still needed to visit. It was all Prue talked about. She was spending nearly every day there, and apparently the owner was okay with it, even if she wasn’t buying books.
If we sold enough soup, we were going to put away some money for our cart repairs and use the other part of our earnings for seeds for our garden. We’d need to start growing our own vegetables in order to have enough soup combinations. Luckily, there was a greenhouse on the other side of the river, and I’d heard the owner, Greta, had excellent winter-resistant seeds that could grow plants in the harshest of conditions.
Witches began appearing from the forest on their way to town. Scents from the soap cart next to us tickled my nose: rose, lavender, and lemon wafted through the air. The soaps sat in neat rows with bright colors that drew the eye. Adelaide was looking longingly at them as Mama stirred the cauldron.
Prue and Auggie had stayed back at the cottage to continue foragingfor more soup ingredients and to clean—much to Auggie’s dismay. She’d spent all morning complaining about how she wanted to help run the stand, but I wanted a chance to speak with Adelaide. I had a feeling she’d been avoiding me, and I worried she was already resenting me, even if she didn’t realize it.
A dilapidated green building sat on the other side of the road. Grime and dirt covered the sides of it, and holes and exposed wood peeked out. The front columns that held up a second-level balcony bowed in, looking like they might collapse any day now.
“What is that?” I pointed.
“Oh, it’s the Gathering Hall.” Adelaide tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. “Apparently it used to be the place everyone went for town meetings, festivals, weddings, and community gatherings.”
“What happened?” My brows furrowed.
