Page 25 of The Soulmate Bakery

‘Paper and ink, don’t dawdle, come to me at full throttle,’ I whispered. For a moment, I thought nothing would happen, but then I felt a spark of warmth under my skin. The book jolted in Orion’s hands but didn’t leave them.

‘Think of the book flying to you,’ he instructed. ‘Weightless, effortless, like it has dragon wings.’

The image flashed in my mind as I recited the spell again – the book with wings, the book flying towards me effortlessly. The warmth from my hand bloomed in my palm, and then it finally happened. The book flew from Orion’s hands into mine; the spine fitting neatly into the grooves of my palm.

It took a moment for it to hit me. A laugh bubbled past my lips, and I held the book like it was a jewel in my hands and not a cookbook that had splattered pages from so many late-night baking sessions.

‘So, I guess we’ve worked out how to make you feel comfortable with spellcasting.’

‘We did?’ I asked, head tilted.

‘You need to feel comfortable in your surroundings. You need to feel like you’re not being judged or watched,’ Orion explained, and the way he was looking at me made me feel breathless. ‘But that’s not how to cast magic in the long run. When we do the soulmate spell, you’ll need to be able to cast it under the autumn moon, at the festival. Anyone could be there.’

My hands clenched around the book, the spine digging into the flesh now. He was right.

‘Stop looking so panicked,’ Orion scolded lightly, drumming his fingers on the steel countertop. ‘I’m not going to let it go wrong. We’ll practise lots of different types of spells to help build your confidence. We’ll try the summoning spell some more, as well as protective and healing spells. By the festival you’ll be more confident and in control of your magic.’

It felt good to be doing this with someone who knew what they were doing. Who sounded so sure.

‘And,’ Orion began, this time his voice was all steel, ‘that’s why I’m going to help you with the werewolf.’

‘Oh, please, no –’ I started, not afraid to resort to pleading.

‘I am not going to judge you for your preferences,’ Orion said, without a hint of teasing in his voice. ‘All I’m saying is that on the night of the autumn moon, you’ll already be stressed about casting the spell, why also feel stressed about telling the guy about your feelings?’

‘That’s fair.’

‘And, after what I saw the other day, I think it’s safe to say that you could use some help in getting him to notice you,’ he said, matter-of-factly.

Was I ever going to stop feeling utterly incompetent around Orion? ‘You’re not wrong per se. But I’d like to add that that was Raven’s plan.’

Orion snorted. ‘Right, and Raven is an expert on love, is she?’

‘And you are?’ I countered, defensively.

‘No, but I am a guy, so I can help you get another guy to notice you,’ Orion retorted, the softness gone from his voice. ‘So, as much as I’d much rather be doing anything else, I will help you get Silas’s attention.’

He said the last part with a glimmer of genuine disgust in his voice; it was the only thing that made my smile twitch at the corner of my mouth.

‘Fine,’ I agreed, sounding appropriately disbelieving. ‘And you’ll do all of this in exchange for help at the Treasure Trove? Doesn’t seem like a fair bargain.’

‘You shouldn’t underestimate the allure of your baking, Reverie. I remember those sun-kissed honey cakes.’

My smile slipped off my face as the memory resurfaced.

‘Speaking of, I think it’s time you held up your end of the bargain, witch. Tomorrow, after school, we’ll hit the Treasure Trove. I’ll bring some info on the werewolf, and you come with your best bake in mind,’ Orion said, his tone so daring, like we were children on the playground, and he was goading me. I should’ve been mature enough to not take the bait, but I’d never been particularly good at ignoring a dare.

‘All right, Hawthorne,’ I said. ‘But I won’t be blamed for what happens to you once you devour what I make. Eat a treat made with my hands and there’s absolutely no chance of going back.’

Orion’s smile grew, like he knew I was going to accept his challenge. Like he knew me.

‘I wouldn’t dare try, Reverie.’

CHAPTER NINE

Last year – July

I stood outside the Hawthornes’ house, armed with freshly baked sun-kissed honey cakes, just off my shift at the Wishing Well. Mum and Rani were out shopping, soaking up the time they had together before Rani was back at MAC again. So, I headed to another of my favourite places in Maple Falls. I raised my hand to ring the bell, but a voice stopped me.