Page 5 of The Soulmate Bakery

But not everyone got to see Raven’s softer side. She’d always had my back and supported me. Always.

‘You are more than competent at culinary magic,’ she chided, looping her arm through mine. ‘You’re the best kitchen witch I’ve ever met.’

I sighed, feeling that ache in my chest again. My wrist felt bare without the silver thread that was supposed to have appeared. ‘You say that, but the fact remains the same – I have no soulmate. I’m soulmate-deficient, if you will.’

‘You’re not soulmate-deficient –’ Raven began, but I cut her off.

‘Then why didn’t the spell work?’

Raven started to say something, thought better of it, and shut her mouth. I could tell she didn’t like not having an answer for me, so I tried to force some cheer.

‘At least I didn’t get a third point on my licence,’ I said, attempting something akin to a smile. ‘That’s a silver lining, right?’

‘Exactly!’ Raven nodded, punching my arm lightly. ‘No point on the licence, which is important because I have big plans for us in the summer.’

I raised an eyebrow. ‘Don’t say that too loudly, we don’t want your dad hearing.’

Raven pulled a face. ‘He’s still at the precinct. Chief Inspector Hawthorne does not sneak out for pastry breaks.’

‘Your mum will probably pop in with something sweet,’ I countered, smiling fondly at the thought.

Raven’s parents were the epitome of the perfect couple – they were childhood sweethearts who had gone to MAC together and then came back to build a life in Maple Falls. Mrs Hawthorne found a love for interior designing; Chief Inspector Hawthorne took over the detective agency; and they had kids and fell more in love with each other every day. I knew, because I got to witness it first-hand every time I went over to see Raven.

‘She definitely will,’ Raven agreed, before continuing on. ‘But like I was saying, we can’t afford to be getting into any trouble before I leave.’

That ache in my chest blossomed again. Raven leaving was another reminder of just how lonely I was going to be next year. Soulmate-less, best-friend-less. I was already semi-sister-less given that Rani was at MAC most of the year. So, when Raven leaves, it’ll just be me and my mother, for the first time.

‘You look constipated,’ Raven said, half laughing, half worried.

‘Only emotionally,’ I attempted to joke, but it didn’t get past my best friend.

But before she could press, a delicate cough had me whipping back around to the front of the stall, pasting a grin on my face when I turned to face the waiting customer. ‘Granny Fable! Welcome! Can I get you a doughnut for your worries or for a brighter day?’

Granny Fable was part-owner of the local apothecary, Fable & Frost – she ran the shop with her best friend, an elderly pixie named Frost. Everyone called her Granny, and no one entirely knew why. Maybe because she was an old lady who always wore a fluffy cardigan and had powdery white skin, the lightest blue eyes and white faerie wings that she never kept strapped to her back like some of the more recent fashions. Something about her screamed comfort, warmth and grandmother. No one would ever suspect her of being the town’s most nefarious gossip.

‘A brighter day, my dear,’ Granny Fable said, her hand resting on the bejewelled cane she had taken to walking with. She turned to a girl beside her that I didn’t recognize.

One of the perks of living in Maple Falls for most of your life means you know everyone. The girl beside Granny Fable was close to my age, a faerie, with wide doe eyes, light-brown skin and wings that were a pale-green colour. Around her neck, she wore a silver chain that went down her shirt but might have been a pendant.

‘Sofia, allow me to introduce you to Maya Reverie, daughter of Mayor Reverie.’ Granny Fable placed a hand on Sofia’s elbow. ‘And that’s Raven Hawthorne, Chief Inspector Hawthorne’s daughter.’

Sofia looked at Raven and me, and waved. ‘Hi.’

‘Hi,’ we chorused back. The three of us were submerged in that awkwardness that always came when an adult introduced you to a new person.

‘Sofia is my granddaughter and has just moved to Maple Falls,’ Granny Fable continued, without missing a beat. ‘She needed a change of scenery, so I’ve invited her to finish her last year of schooling while staying with me!’

‘That’s great!’ I said quickly and jovially. Something in Granny Fable’s voice sounded earnest, like she truly wanted everyone to like her granddaughter. I never really knew Granny’s daughter – she moved away when I was still a kid and never visited.

‘If we’re in the same classes, I’ll save you a seat,’ I said, catching Sofia’s eye.

The younger faerie looked surprised by my offer. ‘That would be great,’ she said, a small smile curved on her face. Granny Fable shot me a look that was pure gratefulness, as the two walked away.

‘You’re going to adopt her, aren’t you?’ Raven said, eyebrows raised. ‘You’re going to make me socialize with another person and be friendly.’

I turned to her and nodded sheepishly. If I wasn’t going to have a soulmate to keep me company while Raven was gone, then I could at least have another friend. And who better than Sofia? Someone new in Maple Falls; someone who’d just arrived and would need a friend to show her around town.

‘I’m going to need more coffee,’ Raven said, as she pushed herself away from the stall. ‘Do you want me to grab you –’ Something caught her attention over my shoulder, and a second later her eyes widened with something akin to panic.