Hannah ran to the kettle to see if her children were reflected in the water as well, but only her neighbor appeared. “Frieda, where are the?—”
“They’re fine—they’re taking their afternoon nap. Stop worrying! Now, Mirabelle, to you. You told me that an apology was all that was needed. So what is this all about? Explain!” A deep, angry frown line that Hannah had never seen before appeared between Frieda’s gray eyes.
“We need to brew a potion,” repeated Mirabelle, whose hands were trembling as she faced the enchantress. “The bear prince must drink it, and then he shall be released.”
“But time is running out, you stupid thing! Do you at least have all the ingredients on hand?”
“Not all...”
“Which ones are missing?”
Hannah was surprised at how overbearing her elderly neighbor could be. Hopefully, she was still being as kind to the children as she had always been in her presence! She would have loved to summon the three of them, but the sight of Mirabelle would have terrified Leon and Emi. It would be better if the two youngest ones didn’t catch sight of her.
Mirabelle, meanwhile, was examining the herbs and roots that were hanging from the ceiling. “I have henbane and deadly nightshade here, stinging nettle and medlar as well. But the rest of the ingredients are missing. We shall have to go and collect them.”
“The clock is ticking!” interjected Frieda. “You shall have to split up. It will be faster that way.”
“Do you know anything about herbs?” Hannah asked the bear.
He shook his head, growling. Then, turning to Mirabelle, he asked, “Which ingredients are missing?”
“We need one piece of valerian root, five small leaves of goutweed, the tears of Helen of Troy, a handful of wintergreen flowers, two stems of fireweed, and a handful of small woodland angelica leaves.”
“I’m not familiar with any of that,” Maximilian growled.
“But I am!” Hannah cried, relieved. “At the nursery, we have elecampane, or the tears of Helen of Troy, and I also know wintergreen and goutweed.”
“Then the two of you go look for them. And Mirabelle will gather woodland angelica, valerian root, and fireweed,” Frieda ordered.
“Will we find them by the side of your brick pathway?” Hannah asked.
Frieda shook her head, and her look grew serious. “You shall have to go deeper into the forest.”
“But I thought that was too dangerous,” Hannah replied.
“You have no choice. Never go near the shadows, and do not turn to look if you hear the call of a boggart—no matter how familiar his voice may sound! And stay away from those little gnomes. Stick together, and you won’t suffer any harm. Now off with you.”
As Hannah stepped out of the meager dwelling, she could hear Frieda hiss, “Make haste, Mirabelle, and gather the needed ingredients. Or else you shall learn what I’m made of! And don’t lead me astray again!”
“I didn’t mean?—”
“Spare me. Now go!”
17
As Hannah came out to join Prince Maximilian, she breathed a sigh of relief. She could finally escape the narrow confines of the hut and Mirabelle’s resentment, which she could sense hanging in the air.
The bear prince was scratching his back with his hind paw. It was the first time he hadn’t been able to fight back the urge. He let out a deep growl that showed his sharp canines peeking out of his mouth.
Hannah was stricken with fear. How far had the transformation progressed? Was the prince still there inside him? Was he stronger than the beast?
Maximilian stopped immediately on noticing her.
Was his snout turning red? Could bears even blush?
He lay down flat on the ground and looked at her with his sea-green eyes. “Climb on my back. That way, we can be on our way more quickly.”
Didn’t it even bother him anymore that she rode on him? Was that because they were closer now, or had a part of him already turned animal?
