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I don’t even realize I’m speaking the spell aloud until the door flies open and my dad rushes in. I stare at him, waiting for any indication that he heard me, trying to formulate an explanation that would make sense, but he doesn’t look my way. He quicklycloses the door behind him and leans his back against the wood, pushing his palms into it as if an angry mob may come barging through at any moment.
Speaking spells out loud isn’t strictly prohibited, but most of us refrain because of the power it gives them. Low magic doesn’t require it, and if my father heard me speaking a spell after nineteen years of keeping them in my head, he would have questions.
I silently reprimand myself for my carelessness, for letting my night with Wolfe seep into my days. But it seems my dad didn’t notice, and I won’t let it happen again.
“Dad?” I ask when he still hasn’t looked at me.
“Hey, Tana,” he says with a laugh. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“In a moment of bravery, I decided to come to work today. Then I saw the crowd from the street and snuck in through the back.”
Dad nods and walks over to the island. “That was an excellent choice.”
“How’s it going out there?” I ask.
Dad reaches for his mortar and grabs a bundle of herbs on the side of the island. He gets to work grinding them down as he talks.
“Your mother has it handled,” he says. “She could run the whole world. And the good thing about our neighbors is that they feel guilty coming in for gossip without paying for it, so sales have been through the roof.”
“Well, that’s a silver lining, I suppose.”
“I’ll be here all night trying to restock our staples.”
My eyes drift to the grass in my mortar and the sand beside me, to the wildflowers from the field and the kelp from the shore, and I realize for the first time what I intend to do with it all.
Make a scent for Wolfe. As a gift for helping me.
I suppose it’s normal to want to thank the person who saved my life, but I don’t want him to think I’m okay with his methods. I don’t want him believing that the new coven’s most influential daughter is indifferent to the use of dark magic, because nothing could be further from the truth.
But I want to say thank you, and I want him to know I mean it.
“Want some help restocking tonight?” I ask. Helping my dad is a better use of my time than giving gifts to Wolfe, and I know that.
Dad looks up at me. “I’d love some,” he says with a smile.
We work in silence, and it’s the first time I’ve felt truly at peace in days, my thoughts quieting and my shame fading with each grind of the pestle. Dad hums to himself, and I work the grass in time to the melody. We look up in unison when the back door opens.
Ivy walks in with three cups of tea. “I come bearing gifts.”
“A true hero,” I say.
“I’ve got Energize, Persist, and Invigorate.”
“I’ll take Persist.” Ivy hands me a cup, and steam rises in front of me.
“I’ll take Energize,” Dad says. Ivy sets the tea down on the island next to his mortar. “Thanks, Ivy. You’re a lifesaver. Tana, why don’t you take a little break? You’ll be here all night.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I’ll take this out to Ingrid, though she hardly needs it.” He winks at me, then grabs the last cup and walks out into the main store.
“Do you have time to take a break with me, or do your parents need you back at the shop?” I ask Ivy.
“We just got through the midday rush. I’m fine for a few minutes,” she says. “Want some fresh air?”
“As long as we don’t go down Main, yes.”
She holds the back door open for me, and we walk down the path and onto a trail in the surrounding woods.
