Chapter 11
Elodie
By the time we leave the seamstress, the late afternoon sun drips gold, reflecting on the water and catching the glass windowpanes. The cobblestones almost look warmer in this light. Kael is still talking, of course.
“And the crust,” he insists, tearing off a piece mid-stride and holding it up as if it’s sacred.
“Listen to that.” He squeezes it lightly, the soft crackle making his smile widen with pride.
“Perfection,” he says, cradling the bread in his arm.
We stopped at a bakery on the way out, something I think Rowan is now regretting.
I glance at the Warden, who gives me a slight head shake along with a roll of his eyes.
I smile in response and turn back to Kael.
“What’s so special about it?” I ask as Rowan groans next to me, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand.
“I am so glad you asked, Elodie. Rowan over there has never understood the true masterpiece that is this bread.” He gives Rowan a side-eye before turning back to me.
He explains in great detail all about how this bread is softer, more buttery, and much better than the stuff they ‘try to pass off as bread’ in the commons.
We pass a bell tower, Kael still lecturing us on the bread like it’s a military achievement, when something catches my eye.
Bundles of dried herbs hang in a doorway between two narrow buildings.
Rows of potted plants and flowers sit at the window front.
I slow to a stop. Rowan notices immediately.
“No,” he says.
“I haven’t even said anything.”
“You don’t have to.”
But I’m already stepping toward the doorway.
A small brass bell above the door chimes as I push inside.
Scents of crushed mint, dried lavender, and ginger root all rush at me in one strong swoosh.
The walls are lined with shelves stacked high with glass jars.
Some containing powders, others filled with dried petals. Kael lingers by the door.
“If something in here starts whispering to me, I’m leaving.” I scoff at him, shaking my head. Trailing my hand along the dried stems placed on the countertop, an older woman emerges from behind a curtain. Her hair silver and braided close to her scalp.
She looks at Rowan first.
“High Warden,” she greets him, dipping her chin, then turning to Kael and giving him the same respect. Then her gaze moves to me.
She stills, blinking at me.
“You’ve been near old soil,” she says. I glance at Rowan, unsure how to respond.
“I’ve been in the castle’s glasshouse,” I say.
“Strange,” is all she says. The two knights share a glance, Rowan shifting his posture beside me. “What can I help you with today?” she asks, her smile returning.
“Oh… nothing. I really liked the look of your shop,” I say. She gives me a small nod. Kael chuckles in the back.
“Well, since we’re here, do you have any herbs that’ll make someone less grumpy?”
“Kael, I’m standing right here,” Rowan cuts him off.
The woman just smiles slowly, “For tempers?” she says. “No. Unfortunately not.” She reaches beneath the counter and retrieves a small glass vial.
“But I have truthbind,” she says as Kael lets out an excited sound, clapping his hands together. Rowan simply huffs with a shake of his head.
“What’s truthbind?” I ask. The woman looks at Rowan with a confused expression before turning to me. She holds out a small amber bead.
“Chew it, and for ten minutes you won’t be able to tell a single lie.”
Kael laughs, “I’m in.” Before Rowan can even stop him, he’s already put one into his mouth.
Smirking, I decide to test it.
“Kael,” I say, casting a glance at Rowan with a devious expression. “Is the bread actually that good?”
Kael opens his mouth to answer with confidence, but the words come out as if they are not his own.
“No. I do it to annoy Rowan.”
Rowan smirks, shaking his head as Kael gives me a betrayed look.
“Okay. Plant girl, your turn.”
“Absolutely not,” Rowan says flatly, but Kael ignores him, turning to the herbalist.
“Another, please,” he says, handing her some silver coins. She tips a second amber droplet into her palm and offers it to me. I hesitate slightly before shrugging and popping it into my mouth. It tastes faintly sweet, a mixture of peach and orange. Rowan goes rigid beside me.
Kael grins, “Tell me you didn’t enjoy your horse ride with the Warden.” My cheeks instantly flush red.
“No,” I say, steadying my voice. “I enjoyed it.” Kael laughs with a satisfied smile.
“That was too easy,” he says. Rowan steps forward, closer than before.
“Do you know how you got through the gate to Greyhollow?” The room goes silent.
“No,” I answer. “I don’t.” I expect to feel some sort of pulse under my skin, a static of some kind. But I feel nothing. “Ask me something else,” I say, curiosity pulling at me. They glance at each other when the woman cuts in.
“You are happy here,” she says, not as a question.
I blink. “No.” The word leaves me cleanly.
“Tell me you hate working with nature.” That makes me still.
I look to Rowan, feeling the room go cold.
“Um…okay. I hate working with nature.” The lie is sharp. Clear.
“That is impossible,” she whispers. Kael shifts.
“What?”
She steps closer, studying me as if I’ve cracked something open. “Truthbind seizes the tongue. It knots the jaw, burns the throat.” Her gaze lifts to mine. “You should be in agony right now.”
“I’m not,” I say quietly, touching my throat as if I might find a mark there. The shop feels smaller, the herbs overhead no longer feeling decorative.
“Alright. That’s… unsettling,” Kael remarks. Rowan hasn’t moved, his eyes fixed on the herbalist.
“Remove it from her system,” he says.
“It’s already dissolved,” the woman replies, taking a silver coin from her pocket and handing it to him. “No charge,” she adds softly.
“That wasn’t what I was worried about,” Rowan says. Kael claps his hands together, breaking the tension in the room.
“We should get going,” he says. The woman nods at us as we make our way out of the door. I offer her a small, polite smile, but she doesn’t return it. She studies me instead.
Something cold settles low in my stomach.
The bell chimes as Rowan pushes the door open, his hand firm at my back. I glance back over my shoulder to find she’s still watching me.
“Come on, let’s go,” Rowan says, pulling me away. I’m not sure how long it takes us to walk back to the horses, but somewhere in the strange silence we arrive. Taking Rowan’s hand and settling myself on the saddle, I ease into the feel of Rowan behind me, less nerve-racking now.
“Are we headed back to the castle now?” I ask, noticing the sun dip below the tree line. I’m sure it’ll be dark soon and I’m not sure how comfortable I feel about riding through these forests without the sun to light up its dark corners.
“We have one more stop,” Rowan grumbles from behind. One more stop?
The road narrows long before the cottage appears. Where I’ve grown used to seeing stone pave the surrounding floors, it’s replaced by packed earth. Softened by moss and rain, wooden fences replace iron gates. When the house finally comes into view, I see it for what it is.
A home.
The roofs meet at sharp angles, layered and uneven. Smoke curls from one chimney, thin and steady. It looks lived in. Softly glowing windows cast a warm light, illuminating the moss on the walls on either side.
“Where are we?” I ask aloud.
“Home,” Rowan says, lifting me down from the horse once again. My gaze remains fixed on the cottage in front of me before my focus shifts to the wooden door opening with a creak. A woman stands in the doorway, smiling and waving at us.
“My boys!” she calls as Kael sets off in a slight jog to meet up with her.
“Are you coming?” Rowan asks me before walking towards the woman.
The fact that he asks, rather than orders, leaves something warm in my chest. But before I can sit on it any further, I hear Kael’s voice calling me to hurry.
I walk towards the front door, watching the woman hug Kael and Rowan, her arms knowing where to go without asking.
It's familiar, warm, and I feel almost cold standing watching in the shadows. As I approach, the woman meets my eyes over Rowan’s shoulder.
She pulls away from him as he continues inside the home.
“And you must be Elodie.” She grabs my elbows and pulls me in for a hug before I can even answer her. “I’m Mara, Kael’s mother "
“Oh, it’s lovely to meet you. You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you, dear,” she says, wrapping an arm around me and guiding me inside, she turns to Rowan in the kitchen, “I need help with food. Come,” Rowan gives her a small salute before following her, glancing back at me before he’s rounded the corner.
“Elodie, this is my sister,” Kael says, placing his hands on my shoulders and pivoting me towards a girl about the same age as me. Straight hair as dark as the night and cheeks pink with blush, she’s pretty.
“Bryn, this is Elodie,” Kael says, beaming.
“Hi, Elodie,” she smiles.
“I’m glad to see they got you your own clothes,” she says, glancing down at my dress.
“Oh, right, of course. Thank you for lending me your clothes! I don’t know if I could have coped wearing my dirty work overalls every day,” I say with a laugh.