Page 46 of The Noldrin Witch

They eventually reached a meadow of cherry trees, their pink blossoms so abundant that the whole landscape was touched by a soft purple haze.

The fairy slowed near the trees and moved toward something hidden among the branches. Elise followed as Susanne stopped beside a different breed of tree, a few familiar white flowers dangling within reach of her hands.

“This is a shame,” the fairy said as she turned the dry flower between her fingers.

Elise sighed. “I bet it’s still enough for a few brews of Love Potion.”

Her remark seemed to catch the fairy’s attention. “How do you know about these flowers, dear?”

“Henrik, the man from the apothecary, told me.”

“And you were able to remember this rare blossom from a single mention?”

Elise did not say that Henrik had allowed her to keep a handful of the flowers, nor did she speak of the many hours she had spent staring at them and enjoying their fragrance. Instead, she allowed Susanne to continue forming her own assessments.

On the walk back, Elise tried to insert everything she knew about potion-making into the conversation. She did not allow a single piece of knowledge on the subject to go untold. By the time they returned to the catacombs, Elise could tell Susanne was already arranging in her mind the many possible uses for her talents.

Elise, for her part, was perfectly content to accept the initial position offered, hoping it would allow her to wander freely through the gardens and locate the magic rock. Anyhow, she was prepared to take almost any employment available at the moment. The matter of the latrines was one possibility she hoped had merely been Fabian’s cruel attempt to repel her from the place altogether.

“When can you start, Elise?” Susanne asked out of nowhere.

Elise responded with such a start that the old fairy burst into laughter. She let out a soft laugh and composed herself as best she could.

“Tomorrow morning, my lady.”

“Call me Susanne,” the fairy said. “Be here in the morning, and I’ll personally tell you what to do.”

Elise could have kissed the woman. The thought of avoiding Hell sent a small tremor of excitement through her.

“I’ll be here at the crack of dawn!”

“Let dawn crack a little before you arrive, Elise. At my age, one needs proper sleep if one hopes to retain some beauty.”

Chapter 20

By the time Elise reached the castle gates, the weather had begun sending dust and loose debris swirling through the air. The dark sky announced that a storm was approaching. She hastened her pace, hoping to avoid walking back through the forest amid wind and mud.

A whisper of rain touched her skin when she heard a man’s voice call from behind.

“Elise!”

She had already passed the guards and was well along the road leading into the city. She hesitated before turning, hearing the sound of a horse approaching and feeling every muscle in her ears stretch in an effort to make sense of who in this place might possibly know her.

To Elise’s disbelief, she saw the duke stepping out of a golden cabriolet, his expression a tad warmer than usual.

Elise’s own mood improved at an alarming speed as he walked toward her. Her heart began to race, and she had to keep her eyes from wandering toward the shapes outlined by his tight leggings. Unlike Fabian, the duke’s tunic left considerably more to the imagination, and Elise was deeply grateful for it.

Feeling like a sinner of the worst sort for taking curiosity in such matters, Elise lowered herself to greet the nobleman.

“Kurt,” she managed.

But perhaps the admiration was not one-sided, and even with her head down, Elise could tell the duke’s gaze lingered on her.

“You came,” he said after a moment.

Elise lifted her gaze to his. “I did.”

What might have been a pulse of worry crossed his face. “Did you have any success with your application?”