Page 12 of The Soulmate Bakery

‘You should,’ Mrs Hawthorne said, as her husband came around to press a kiss on her forehead. ‘When Raven’s gone, this house will just be too quiet.’

My heart squeezed painfully. Though I’m sure the Hawthornes would let me come over whenever I wanted, the truth was, once Raven left, I didn’t have a reason to be here any more.

‘Speaking of Raven,’ Mrs Hawthorne said, ‘she’s still asleep. But you know the way, so I’ll let you get her up.’

I nodded once, before making my way to Raven’s bedroom – up the stairs and past Orion’s bedroom. I didn’t knock as I entered, I just stepped in and found her sprawled on her bed. Her walls were adorned with newspaper clippings of her father’s cases and pictures of us, and her side table was littered with coffee cups.

She looked so utterly peaceful. I only felt a little guilty for kicking her bed with all my strength. She yelped, her control over her dragon form slipping so her horns popped out of the tangled mess that was her hair. It took her a moment to register my presence, but once she did, the shock was replaced with annoyance.

‘You sleep like the dead,’ I said, as an excuse. ‘This was the only way to wake you.’

‘You will be dead,’ Raven replied, burying her face back into her pillow. ‘Once I muster up the strength to actually do something.’

‘You know who should be threatened with death? Your brother,’ I said, sweetly, and her head popped back up.

‘Orion?’

‘Yeah, Hawthorne,’ I said, irritated just at the sound of his name alone.

‘How could he already be getting under your skin?’ She yawned. ‘He literally arrived yesterday.’

‘Well, he found time to visit my house last night.’

Raven sat fully upright. ‘Why would Orion visit you?’

I considered, briefly, not telling her. But the guilt was eating me alive.

‘You were right; I caused the curse on the town,’ I confessed, keeping my eyes trained on the point above her shoulder.

‘What?’ Raven gasped. She shifted in the bed, patting the space next to her for me to sit. ‘Come here. Tell me everything.’

I crawled on to the bed and told her everything that happened since we’d split up the day before.

‘And then, Orion told me I had to bake for him. But I couldn’t really get him to elaborate further because my mum came outside and he had to go.’ I fiddled with the blanket before groaning. ‘I can’t believe I actually cursed the town.’

‘Technically, you didn’t curse the town. Just a few people.’ I levelled her with an unimpressed look. ‘You know you didn’t do this intentionally, right? No one will hold it against you.’ Raven’s tone was matter of fact, not a shadow of doubt present. I loved her for it – for the way she could see what was bothering me and trying to fix it.

But I couldn’t agree. ‘Just because I didn’t intend to curse the town, doesn’t mean it didn’t cause a mess,’ I replied, my throat tight with the urge to cry.

Raven bumped her shoulder with mine. ‘So, how are you going to tell your mum about this?’

‘I’m not.’ I could see the caution in her face and jumped in before she could. ‘I can’t, Raven, OK? If I tell her, she’ll have to report me to the Coven, and you know what that means.’

Raven sighed, a heavy sound, and then added, ‘Hence why you need Orion’s help.’

I nodded miserably. ‘I’m going to have to do whatever he asks to keep him on side. I don’t even know what bake for me means – what if it’s some sick power play?’

Raven paused, clearly remembering all the ways her brother had driven us insane over the years. ‘It could be.’

‘Annoying, sadistic and out to ruin my life.’ I ticked off all the things I hated about Orion Hawthorne.

‘Wow, I think my horns are burning.’

Our attention snapped to the doorway, where we found the man in question leaning against the frame. He was wearing washed-out blue jeans and a white tee layered with a mint-green sweater; his dark hair was all perfectly mussed, and two black horns peeked out from the strands. He looked so utterly put together – my annoyance at him went from simmering to full-blown.

‘You.’ My best friend pointed accusingly at her brother. ‘Why are you trying to get Maya to bake for you in exchange for your help breaking the curse? Is this some sick game?’

Orion snorted, arms folding over his chest. ‘Yes, because this is my idea of fun.’