The Enchanted Greenhouse(98)
Which laws have changed now?
She wished she knew what was going on in Alyssium. What had happened to the library? What happened to Rijes Velk? Was she okay? Was she safe? Had the books survived? So much knowledge, so much history, so many life stories.
At least Yarrow’s family was safe. And he’d talk with them. Eventually.
Until then, the honey cakes are his words.
As she approached the blue cottage, she saw that Yarrow’s relatives had already made significant progress. One of the cousins, Percik, was up on the roof, repairing the shingles. Another relative, Finnel, was working on a window, while an aunt, Harvena, and an uncle, Ubri, cleaned inside. Greeting them all, Terlu handed out the honey cakes. This time, it was far less awkward than the first morning—there was no expectation that Yarrow would be with her. They chatted amiably about the cakes, the weather, and the work, before she left to continue on.
She made her way toward the sorcerer’s tower. Ahead, she heard the waves crashing against the rocks. The sky was streaked with clouds, but the sun peeked out between them. Birds were circling over the dock, and she saw one of the cousins … Vix maybe?… was fishing off the end of it. She’d have to ask his name again to be sure. Emeral launched himself off her neck to soar toward the dock. She had no doubt that if Vix had any luck, the winged cat would have an excellent breakfast. His meows were irresistible.
She took a deep breath of the sea air. She loved the salty sharpness of the breeze mixed with the scent of pine. In the distance, the seabirds were calling to one another, and she heard the steady crash of waves on the rocks.
She hadn’t known it was possible to fall in love with a place so quickly.
Terlu walked up the steps, now clear of snow due to the number of people who’d come and gone in the past few days. Hearing voices from within the workroom, she hesitated for a moment. She wouldn’t be able to look at the notebooks without being asked why, which made this a wasted trip. On the other hand, she could still deliver honey cakes.
She knocked on the door. It was opened a second later by Ambrel. “Ah, good morning, Terlu! Ooh, you brought Yarrow’s honey cakes? Please tell him thank you and I’m looking forward to meeting him. I know technically we met when we all arrived—but that was such chaos that I don’t think it counts.”
Behind her, Rowan piped up. “You will meet him, and he will be friendly and welcoming. I’m going to insist. He can’t keep avoiding us forever.”
Well, he could if he tried. He had taken the first step by agreeing to talk to them, but that didn’t mean he was ready to actually do it yet. “I don’t think forcing it—” Terlu began.
Rowan reached beyond Ambrel to pull Terlu inside. “Come eat breakfast with us, and we can gossip all about my antisocial brother.” She was halfway through dressing, with a loose sleep dress on top and work pants underneath. Her black-and-gold braids were unpinned and curled around her face like vines before they wrap around a trellis. Ambrel was already fully dressed, in a wide skirt with many pockets beneath a heavy leather apron. Her hair was pinned up under a scarf. A curl had unfurled next to her cheek. As Rowan passed by, she lovingly tucked Ambrel’s curl back under the scarf before asking Terlu, “Are you sleeping with him? Is that why you’re so willing to overlook my brother’s faults?”
Terlu felt herself flush bright red. She was not going to answer any questions about her relationship with Yarrow.
Ambrel swatted Rowan’s arm. “Be nice. It’s completely inappropriate for you to badger her about Yarrow. She can’t control whether he wants to talk with us or not.”
Rowan protested. “I’m just making conversation.”
“She misses the florist shop,” Ambrel said to Terlu. “That’s why she’s being difficult.”
“I’m sorry you had to leave it,” Terlu said.
“It burned. There wasn’t anything left to leave.” Rowan sighed heavily. “Sorry. You’ve been kind to welcome us. And sorry about”—she waved her hand vaguely—“harping on Yarrow. He is the way he is.”
“It’s your home,” Terlu said. “Of course you’re welcome here.” In truth, she was the new arrival. She didn’t think she had any kind of say over whether they came back to their home or not.
Rowan shook her head. “It was our home, and I think it can be again. But you … You belong here, I can tell. You love it here.”
Terlu wondered if she’d seen her outside, thinking that very thought as she looked out across the sea. It’s so true that even a woman I just met can see it. She wondered if it was as obvious how she felt about Yarrow. She’d never been good at hiding her emotions; she felt them across every inch of her skin. Blushing, she set the basket with the remaining honey cakes on the worktable and turned to view the workroom.
In the wake of Yarrow’s relatives’ arrival, the workroom had been transformed—drying laundry hung on strings that crisscrossed the room. The table was covered in stacks of recently cleaned dishes, as well as a pile of lettuce heads. She thought of Yarrow, going to check on the lettuce harvest. It looked as if one of his relatives had already been there. She wondered how he was going to feel about that. A mound of mushrooms was in a basket in the sink, waiting to be washed. Blankets and quilts and pillows were everywhere—every inch of the workroom had been used for sleeping.