The Enchanted Greenhouse(48)

On the other hand, she had woken them, so it was, technically, a success.

She blurted out the words: “If I knew which spells he used, maybe I could figure out how to fix the greenhouses that failed.”

He gawked at her. “Do you think that’s possible?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “But I could try.”

“That would be…” He swallowed hard, as if he wanted to say so much more but the words had tangled in his throat. He shook his head. “You’ve done so much already. I can’t ask it of you.”

“You didn’t ask,” Terlu said. “I volunteered.”

“I know it’s been hard … After what was done to you … If you want to stop here, I’ll understand. You’ve fulfilled your promise. You don’t need to do more.”

“But there’s more to do.” Besides, it wasn’t as if the situation had changed that much—it was still just her, Yarrow, and the plants on the island. There was no one who’d report her. And if they did … Well, it’s too late. I’ve already cast a spell and broken the law. “Yarrow, I want to try.”

His smile blossomed.

Seeing it, she was even more certain that she needed to try. “No promises this time, though. I don’t know if it will be possible.” She had no idea how complex the spell would be or if Laiken kept detailed enough notes to replicate his work. She could end up sinking the island into the ocean or accidentally creating a carnivorous forest.

Or perhaps I could restore what Yarrow has lost.

Still looking as if she’d offered him the moon, he nodded. “I understand. No expectations. But I’d start with the philodendron, Dendy. He seems the most sensible. He might have some insight into what the sorcerer did.”

“Good idea.”

“And Terlu … thank you.”

Terlu felt a warmth flutter into her rib cage.

Yarrow served the soup into the bowls, and they both sat at the table. She wanted to ask him what it was like here, when the plants were awake and it was full of people. He’d said that it had almost become a village. Had it been a happy place? Had he had a good childhood? And if he had, why was he okay with being so alone here for so long? Maybe someday I’ll be able to ask him whatever pops into my mind. It still felt so fragile between them, though, like he’d walk away again if she asked too much or pushed too hard.

After they finished the soup, Terlu washed the dishes while Yarrow used the washroom, then he put away the soup while she took her turn. They both finished at about the same time and climbed into the right-next-to-each-other beds.

To her surprise, he was the one who spoke first. “I wish I understood why he did it. He was supposed to protect them. They trusted him. They loved him.”

“He was afraid to lose them.”

“Then he was responsible for making his own fear come true.”

“People aren’t necessarily logical. Especially if they’re in pain.”

Yarrow was quiet. Outside, the snow was falling, a soft shush on the roof and the world. The fire crackled and popped, shedding dancing shadows across the cottage. She listened to Yarrow breathe.

“It makes no sense,” he said in the darkness.

“I think … he wasn’t well.” She said it carefully, but it wasn’t a guess. It was the best explanation she had for why he’d sent Yarrow’s family away even though they were desperately needed, why he’d put his sentient plants to sleep, why he’d encoded his spells and his notes, and why he’d made no plans for the future of his greenhouses after his death.

Yarrow didn’t answer, but she sensed he was thinking about it. It was a kinder explanation than saying the sorcerer had suddenly turned cruel for no reason. Laiken had needed someone to care for him and intervene when fear began to consume him, but perhaps there had been no one close enough to him to see. Or no one who could help if they did see.

Into the darkness, Terlu said, “When I was a kid, I had a friend a couple of years older than me who excelled at getting me in trouble. She’d insist that of course she asked permission to climb into the volcano crater. Of course it was fine to take the canoe out to the reef. Of course no one would mind if we put a manta ray in my family bathtub—it would be my pet, and every kid deserves a pet. I fell for it every time because I trusted her, and I thought she loved me just as much as I loved and admired her. She was pretty and sparkly, and I wanted to be just like her. One time, we’d swum out to one of the harbor bells. I’d worried about the clouds, but she said they were fine…” She trailed off, remembering how Odile would coax her into their next adventure, call her partner and best friend and say she was brave. Next to Odile, Terlu had felt brave and, yes, sparkly, as if those attributes could rub off on her.

“They weren’t fine,” Yarrow said softly.

“No, they weren’t.” A storm had sprung up, she remembered. A fierce one. “When waves rose around us … It turned out she was hoping her parents would rescue her. They were always busy—her mother was the village healer, and her father was on the council. Helping other people … that’s what they loved to do, but they never seemed to have time for Odile. And so she was constantly trying to capture their attention.”

“What happened?”