Page 14 of The Soulmate Bakery

‘Well, sounds like you’ve already got this figured out.’ Was it me or was steam wafting from the top of Orion’s head? ‘This would be the perfect time to confess your feelings to whatever poor soul you’re enamoured with.’

And just like that, the familiar urge to transfigure Orion Hawthorne into a toad was back.

‘You don’t even know who we’re talking about,’ I hissed. ‘All I wanted to do was reveal that I had a soulmate, find them, and be with them. I – I –’

‘And what, you thought you’d never have to actually share your feelings with them?’ Orion asked haughtily, and this time, I did chuck a pillow at his face. He caught it deftly and held it against his chest like a shield. ‘You do know how to talk about your feelings, right?’

‘OK, OK,’ Raven put up both her hands between us. ‘Fine, look, Maya. This isn’t ideal but Orion is right.’

I gasped, loudly, falling back against the headboard with the weight of her betrayal.

‘I know, I know. Treasonous,’ Raven teased lightly. ‘But he is the only one who can help you. Plus, this is the perfect opportunity you need to finally tell –’ She side-eyed Orion who rolled his eyes. ‘You know who, about your feelings. Maybe, while Orion is teaching you the proper soulmate spell, you could start, you know, making yourself more visible to him. That way, on the night, this won’t be some big, insane revelation. Then you two can ride off into the moonlight together, with the town curse-free and your licence point-less.’

I bit my lip. She was right. So was Orion.

‘And you won’t be alone while you do all of this,’ Raven said, reading my face plain and simple. She reached out and squeezed my arm. ‘We’ll be here to help. Right, Orion?’

I glanced at the dragon shifter, who nodded. ‘As long as Reverie helps me, I’ll help her. With whatever she needs.’

‘You’re right,’ I said, and nodded, not feeling quite confident in the whole thing yet but feeling less like my life was ending. ‘I can fix this whole situation before anyone finds out.’

‘Exactly. Now there’s the witch I know and love,’ Raven said, rubbing her shoulders against mine. ‘So, what’s step one?’

‘Step one,’ Orion interjected, before I could say anything else, ‘is teaching Maya how to cast the counterspell in time for the autumn moon.’

‘And I suppose you’ll be the one teaching her,’ Raven said, and there was steel in her voice now. ‘Do you think you two can actually get along long enough to do so? I’m not going to be able to chaperone you – I’ve got a ton of MAC application work to do.’

Nerves twisted in my stomach at the thought of being alone in close quarters with Orion, but he spoke first, nonchalance coating his every word.

‘We’re all grown here,’ Orion scoffed. ‘I’m pretty sure, for the sake of the town, Reverie’s licence and Melodie’s bakery, we can put aside our differences.’

He didn’t say it, but I heard it.

We’ve done this before.

‘Exactly,’ I said, hoping I didn’t sound as panicked as I felt inside. ‘We can work together.’

Raven looked doubtfully between the two of us. ‘If you say so. Now, I’m going to grab breakfast at Charmed & Toasty.’

‘Reverie and I will be at the library for our first lesson,’ Orion replied, his gaze sliding to me. I could feel my heart thumping harder in my chest. ‘Does that work for you?’

‘I have a shift at the Wishing Well at twelve,’ I told him, trying to keep my tone levelled. ‘Think you can make the introductory class fit into one hour?’

I wouldn’t admit it, but his smile sent butterflies aflutter in my stomach. ‘For you, Reverie, anything’s possible.’

CHAPTER FIVE

Last year – June

As a student, you spend all your waking days waiting for the moment summer arrives and you’re finally free. But when I’d said goodbye to Raven, who was spending the holidays with her grandparents in Rose Glenn – another magical town like ours – it hit me just how bleak the next two months were going to be. Still, she’d left me with some sage advice: your summer is only going to suck if you let it. So, don’t let it suck.

That’s why I dragged myself to the first party of the summer. I’d gone with the intention of having a good time, hanging out with a few of my classmates and maybe – just maybe – getting closer to Silas. In my wildest fantasy, I even talked to Silas without completely embarrassing myself.

I just needed to find him.

‘Maya, are you looking for someone?’ Holly, a pixie with bright-purple eyes, asked.

‘Huh?’ I said, my head turning back to her. ‘Uh – no – just – looking around to see who’s here. Seems like a few people are missing.’