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Helena turns to check the water and gapes at it. “Boiling already?” She squints at me and puts her hands on her hips. “Was that you?”
I widen my eyes innocently. “Maybe.”
She bursts into laughter and swats me on the shoulder. “No need to hide it. Be yourself.”
Immediately, I drop my eyes to stare at my shoes, a warm feeling spreading through my chest. “Thank you,” I say quietly.
Helena nudges me lightly. “Come, let’s finish these.”
We get to work on the truffles, and Helena tells me about all her friends that live in the castle. I learn more about those living here in the scant time I’ve spent with her than the entire time I’ve stayed at the castle. I try to keep the information and recipe straight, and when I mention it to her, she laughs and tells me I can always ask her again. When I cook, I always rely on recipes, even if I have it memorized, just in case I get them wrong for Mother.
We finish the chocolate and let it rest in the cold box. Helena says this part takes a while, but it’s the perfect time to chat. She tugs me into the dining room and pulls out two chairs, and sits in one. She gestures for me to sit in the other, and I happily comply.
“So,” she says with a huge grin. “How do you find my cousin?”
I move around in my plush seat, trying to get comfortable, before I answer. Unbidden, the memory of our last meeting rises to the front of my mind, and warmth spreads across my cheeks. I clear my throat as my heart races.
Helena throws her head back and bursts into laughter. “That good, then?”
My hands immediately move to cover my face as I smile and nod. “He is the best.”
She snorts and shakes her head in disbelief. “That man is far from the best, trust me. He’ll do, though. He’ll do.” She leans forward conspiratorially. “Has he told you how he got his scar yet?”
“Yes, he said Julian tried to fight someone in the forest.”
She sits back, a sad smile spreading across her face. “That is not all. I don’t know if I should… It’s Raúl’s story.”
“Please,” I say. I wait expectantly for her to continue. She takes her time, folding her hands on her lap. “It wasn’t just some random person in the forest. The one who burned him was the witch, the same one you call mother. He was the only survivor.”
Chapter Fifty
My mouth drops open and I stare at Helena. How did I miss that when Raúl told me the story? He mentioned someone with new powers, but I never guessed it had been Mother.
I hit my palm on my forehead, shaking it in disbelief. “Are you sure?”
Helena moves her head up and down. “Yes. It was her. The same witch who raised you. Many years ago, she came to the forest. Julian sent a handful of our men to take care of her. Only Raúl survived. He was so badly burned, he was bedridden for weeks. Fire is one of our weaknesses, and her fire burned him almost to the bone.” She sighed. “We had to give him so much blood.”
“That’s… horrible,” I whisper, my eyes wide.
She indicates my arms, marred by their own burns and thorn pricks. “It seems her methods have not changed in all these years.”
I glance down and run a hand up my bare skin. “Yes,” I say softly. “It seems they haven’t.”
Helena slaps the wooden armrests of the chair. “Enough sad stories. Let me tell you about this one time I was caught in a snowstorm with a man who had arm muscles as thick as my legs.”
She launches into her tale, telling me every single detail until I am as red as our chairs. By the time she finishes, our chocolate is ready. We head to the kitchen and we roll it into small balls, covering them in a cocoa dusting.
Delicately, I place one in my mouth and my eyes widen in delight. “Absolutely heavenly.”
Helena takes a bite of her own after agreeing with me. We divide the rest, so I can have some to give to Raúl.
“Go sleep,” she says. “Dawn will be here soon.”
I bite my bottom lip, not looking at her in the eye. “Thank you, Helena.”
“For feeding you chocolate and telling you how I was ravished by a handsome man? Trust me, Penny, thank you.”
I grin and head back to my room, proud of myself for remembering where it is. I place the truffles on the desk, arranging them neatly, before getting into bed.
