Chapter 32

" B og Troll!"

The roar seemed loud enough to shake the walls and rattle Maeve's cobbler tools and collection of swords, though not half as loud as the peals and snorts of shared laughter that followed as a bewildered Coren froze, his game piece clutched in his hand, as though he'd been caught pilfering from a vendor stall at the market.

The moment he set the piece down, Maeve kicked it over with her large troll-shaped piece, and flashed him a victorious grin. "You're dinner now, my pesky mortal!"

Coren swallowed. "That was genuinely terrifying."

Evelyn's shoulders shook as she tried and failed to get her giggles under control. Even Trudy had mirthful tears in the creases at her wise eyes .

"It happens to all of us eventually," Lorcan told Coren, the table creaking as the large goblinkin leaned forward to offer a sympathetic look.

"That's right, mortals! And don't you forget it," Maeve crowed, still holding up Coren's villager game piece as a trophy. "Now, who wants pie?"

Erwin's hand shot into the air. Trudy smiled at the young man's eagerness. "Then you'd best go give her a hand."

Coren caught Evelyn's eye and smiled as the others swirled into action around them. Maeve's kitchen was in no way big enough for three people, let alone five, so they remained at the table.

"It's nice to have another couple around for game night," Maeve said. "Now Trudy can make fun of Sio and me half as much. You know, spread it out a bit."

The elf scoffed, but Evelyn caught a hint of a smile as she handed Erwin a plate with a generous slice of pie.

Sio chuckled from her place at the other end of the table.

A month had passed since Lady Kilgour's clandestine visit to Shieglas, and Ivor now sat on the throne, officially crowned the rightful king of Calendra. To Evelyn's surprise, the news did not change much of anything as it pertained to daily life in the harbor, as folks more or less accepted it and moved on. If anything, people were happier than before. Between the blight being lifted and the possibility of impending war no longer a concern, the mood was lighter than ever in the bustling city, even as the weather turned cold and winter settled in.

Jarvis was dispatched to another city, and a royal healer had been sent to serve in his stead—a woman whom Evelyn knew quite well, as she'd served at Crownvale for a time. Fenella was supportive of Evelyn's work, and the two were able to consult on a regular basis to ensure the needs of the people were being met. With Fenella's arrival, Evelyn was able to focus on her shop, and business was humming along quite nicely.

The post was slower as winter made the roads and mountain passes more difficult to navigate, but she'd heard from all three of her fellow royal witches since Lady Kilgour's visit, and was relieved to find them all well and feeling hopeful for the future as they, too, made plans for a life outside Crownvale's high stone walls.

"Here you go, Evelyn."

She glanced up and smiled at Erwin's freckled face as he placed a plate of pie on the table before her. "Thank you."

They ate the decadent dessert and discussed the upcoming solstice, and when the pie was devoured, Coren and Evelyn volunteered to wash up.

Sio stoked the fire while Maeve tried to talk the rest of them into agreeing to a second round of Bog Troll. She'd nearly succeeded when a knock sounded on the door. The cobbler cut a menacing glance toward the sound. "That better not be that grungy Captain Farrow looking for his boots," she grumbled, already getting to her feet. "If he thinks he can drop off little more than a pile of leather and a pair of soles and expect me to work a miracle in three days' time, he's got another think coming."

"Um, actually, I think it might be for me," Lorcan said, awkwardly getting to his feet.

Maeve stopped short of the door and turned, a question on her face. "You're receiving visitors in my house?" she asked, a bemused tone to the inquiry.

Sio glanced over one broad shoulder, still poking at the fire. "Technically you don't live here, my love."

Maeve flapped a hand through the air.

Another knock sounded.

"Well, someone had better answer the blasted thing!" Trudy exclaimed.

Maeve stepped aside, making a sweeping gesture toward Lorcan, and the goblinkin cleared his throat and hurried to the door. He opened it and everyone craned to get a look at the elf woman standing under the awning. She glanced up at Lorcan, then around at the rest of them, and swallowed as she tucked a strand of fiery-red hair behind one pale, pointed ear. "Um, hello."

"Oi! Roisin, what are you doing here?" Maeve asked.

Lorcan looked as though he wanted to vanish beneath the worn floorboards. "I-I thought she might like to come to our game night. You see, we're sort of?— "

Roisin smiled up at him and stepped inside. "We're together. Lorcan and I."

Maeve's mouth dropped open. Sio chuckled and rose to her full height. "That so?"

"We've been keeping it quiet," Lorcan said. "As she's technically my boss…"

Roisin closed the door, then reached and placed her small hand inside his. "For another week, at least. After the solstice, Lorcan will be taking over his own crew."

"What?!" Maeve clapped Lorcan on his large shoulder. "Why didn't you tell us? That's amazing!"

"Well done, Lorcan," Sio added, coming to stand beside Maeve.

"Congratulations," Evelyn and Coren added in unison, only to grin at one another.

Trudy swore and shook her head. "This is far too sweet for me. Between this mess and the pie, I'm feeling rather ill. So, if you don't mind—" She cut a path through the shop and took her leave. "I have a nice pipe waiting for me at home."

Maeve snorted a laugh as the door closed. "Ignore her," she told Roisin, then snagged the elf by the hand and tugged her toward the table. "Now, Roisin, tell me, have you ever played a game called Bog Troll? Something tells me you'd be quite good at it."

As the days shortened and the nights grew longer, Evelyn found herself spending more time at Coren's cottage. She had not formally moved in—despite Coren's frequent reminders that she was welcome to—but kept enough of her belongings there to avoid packing and unpacking every visit, and most evenings after closing the shop, she would go into the back garden behind the Row, hop on her broom, and head for the woods.

On the Tidesmorn before the solstice, she flew over the small clearing with the enchanted tree and found Coren waiting for her, the tips of his nose and ears pink from the frosty air. Nareen stood dutifully beside him, watching Evelyn with interest.

"There you are!" he said, grinning up at her as she directed her broom toward the ground.

They had not yet found a way for Evelyn to let herself in through the round door, and Trudy explained that as the magic was bound to Coren's family line, she likely would not be able to make the incantation work. At this revelation, Maeve pointed out they could marry and try it then. To which, Evelyn had nearly choked on her tea.

"Sorry I'm late," she said as her boots met the soft ground. "I had to stop at the post office and send the solstice gifts. I'm hoping they arrive before Merielle leaves."

"Ah." Coren waited for her to swing off the broomstick, then leaned in and kissed her. Nareen wagged her tail. "Well, let's get you inside. I've already got a fire going, and I may have stopped at the bakery on the way home from making deliveries."

"You know the way to a witch's heart! At least, this witch." She grinned and looped her arm through his. With the other hand, she gave the broom a firm shake, changing it back into a staff.

Coren spoke the incantation and the arched door revealed itself, and Evelyn thought that even if she saw it a hundred times, she would still feel the thrill of wonder each time it appeared.

The weather in fairy was more mild than outside it, but while the snow and frost had not yet reached the enchanted hollow, there was plenty of mud as it rained constantly. Unfortunately, Nareen had a fascination with mud puddles, and Coren grumbled every time she came padding inside only to leave a trail of paw prints in her wake. Evelyn thought that if he hadn't already declared his love for her, he surely would have after she showed him her array of cleaning spells.

"It turned out Odessa, Merielle, and Tansy were one step ahead of me," she said as they stood in the entry of the cottage and removed their cloaks and mud-splattered boots. "There was already a parcel waiting for me, and two letters, as well."

"That's quite nice," Coren replied, already heading toward the stove to heat the kettle. "What was in the parcel?"

"I haven't opened it yet." She reached inside her satchel and wiggled a bit of magic along the pocket. The paper-wrapped gift was tied with twine and a sprig of holly, lending it a festive look.

Smiling, she set it on the table and then retrieved the letters. The top one was in Odessa's hand, but the second was from Everspring Glade.

As Coren puttered about the kitchen, Nareen at his heels in case he dropped a tasty bit from the basket of baked goods, Evelyn sat at the table and opened the letter from her former home.

Evelyn,

I trust this letter finds you well. We received a letter from Catriona Kilgour, informing us that the treaty between the crown and the covens has been nullified. It seems that our new king has his allegiance elsewhere, and while we do not yet know what to expect of his plans for Calendra, we are relieved to hear you are safe and well.

We feel the covens must be more unified than ever before, and this includes you. Please know that there is a place here for you in the Everspring Glade should you ever decide to return .

Regardless of the path you choose, you have the gratitude of the coven and we trust Caele will watch over you.

The letter was signed by Rona, with the four other coven leaders lending their names beneath hers.

Evelyn folded the letter and returned it to the envelope.

For once, the sting in her chest at the mention of her former home did not pierce through to her heart. She doubted she would ever completely forgive Rona and the other coven leaders for sending her to Crownvale, but as she slipped the letter between the pages of a book and set it on the shelf, she smiled to herself, glad she'd decided to make peace.

Coren brought her a plate laden with small hand pies in an assortment of pinks and reds and purples. "I wasn't sure which one you would like best, so I bought one of each."

Evelyn smiled as Nareen pressed her nose against her leg. "Thank you. I don't know where to begin!"

A tapping sounded on the window, and they looked over to find Archie hopping back and forth on the ledge, eager to get out of the rain.

Coren hurried over and opened the window, and the owl swooped inside toward the fireplace. While Evelyn split her time between fairy and Shieglas, Archie preferred to stay in fairy for the most part, though he occasionally slipped out when Coren left in the morning, and turned up at the shop. He also never missed a dinner at Maeve's house, largely because Trudy always made sure there were scraps of meat set aside for him.

"Even the mice are hiding from this mess!" the owl exclaimed as he flapped his wings in an effort to dry them. Then, spotting the pastries, he swooped back across the room. "What's all this?"

Evelyn laughed. "Hand pies. Coren bought them."

The owl craned his head around, giving Coren a disapproving stare. "All of them are berry."

Coren held up one finger, then returned to the basket and retrieved a glass jar with a paper label and a red ribbon tied around the top. "A little solstice gift for you, Archie."

" Hoot !"

Evelyn grinned. "So, you're equally skilled at charming owls as you are of witches?"

Coren chuckled. "What can I say, I'm a man of many talents."

Evelyn's cheeks warmed at the look he gave her, a secret meaning in his eyes and the corners of his smile, which had gone decidedly wicked.

Thankfully, Archie was too distracted by his gift of orange marmalade to notice, as he pecked at the lid.

"Oh, Archie. Come now, you're acting like a common chicken!" Evelyn said .

The owl gave an alarmed hoot, his wings flapping. "What did you say?!"

She giggled and tore open the letter from Odessa.

Evelyn,

If this arrives as intended, you should find a small gift from me, Merielle, and Tansy. It's not much, but we wanted to send you something as a solstice gift, as this is the first one in some time that we are not all together.

As you can likely imagine, things at the castle have been quite overwhelming. On the heels of the coronation, there is now to be a solstice celebration, and I've barely had time to prepare!

Merielle will leave right after the solstice, and I feel as though I miss her already. Tansy is holding off until spring, her heart set on returning to the Meadows. As for me, I suppose I will eventually go back home, at least to visit, but I was thinking that perhaps when winter passes and the snow melts from the roads, I might first come and visit you in Shieglas, as it sounds as though you've found your place.

Evelyn smiled and looked up from the letter to where Coren stood at the stove, swiping at the impatient owl, who demanded his new marmalade be opened posthaste.

She tucked the letter away with the stash of others she'd collected since leaving Benenfar, then set about untying the twine from the thin package. Inside, she found a pair of fine gloves, the back of each embroidered with a stunning gildenmoth, nearly identical to the ones stitched above the pockets of her cloak. A swell of emotion rose in her throat as she tried them on, and watched the firelight glint off the golden threads along the wings.

After a moment, she removed them and reverently set them inside the package to keep them clean. "Sounds like we might have a couple of familiar faces coming to visit us this spring."

Coren arched a brow in silent question.

"Whoo?" Archie trilled. Then, realizing Coren was distracted, he leaned forward and dunked his head into the jar of marmalade.

"Odessa wants to come visit," Evelyn said, her smile growing all the wider as she added, "And I imagine she'll bring Sorsha, too."

Archie's head bobbed up, his golden eyes wide with alarm.

"Sorsha?" Coren asked.

"Sorsha is Odessa's familiar. She's a fox."

"She is not a fox!" Archie countered with an irritated flap of his wings. "She's a flea-riddled monster with fangs and bad breath!"

"Archie doesn't care much for her," Evelyn added, still grinning.

Coren inclined his head, a smile twitching at his lips. "I'd gathered as much. "

"I suppose it's a good thing you haven't decided on the chicken coop, then," Coren added. "Might be best to wait until after the fox leaves."

Archie's head spun nearly all the way around, his eyes wide. "Chickens?!"

Coren winced. "Right, forgot I wasn't supposed to mention that…"

"What fresh betrayal is this?" Archie screeched. "And so near the solstice!"

"Sorry," Coren added.

"It's all right," Evelyn said, plucking one of the small pastries from her plate. "He was going to find out sooner or later."

Archie flew to the windowsill and scowled down at them. "That's it! I'll not stay here and put up with this mistreatment! You know, things were much better before you came along," the owl fumed, directing this bit at Coren.

"Careful, Archie. You don't want to insult your new marmalade supplier."

That got the owl's attention. His eyes narrowed. "What's this?"

"He's planted four saplings already," Evelyn said. "With two different varieties of oranges."

Archie hopped a bit closer, his talons barely clinging to the sill's edge. "Is that so?"

Coren hitched one shoulder. "Evelyn said she could use the citrus in her spellwork. Not to mention, with the apothecary so busy, I figured I needed a new hobby, lest I get in her way. So, I've decided to branch out into making preserves."

Evelyn smiled at him. The idea of growing weary of his company around the shop seemed more than a little ridiculous, but he was excited about the venture, and she knew it would endear him to her prickly familiar. Not to mention, make her own breakfast meals all the more delightful.

"I see," Archie said. "And do you have the proper recipe?"

"Well, that's where I was hoping you might come in, but if the chickens would be too distracting?—"

"No, no!" Archie quickly interjected. "I suppose I could overlook the presence of the foul beasts. Though I would insist on them being kept far from the orange trees. Quite far."

"Of course," Coren replied with a measured nod, as though this were the most serious deliberation in all of the nine kingdoms.

Evelyn laughed softly to herself and bit into the first tiny pie, relishing the burst of sweetness across her tongue. A flicker at the window caught her eye, and she turned to find a gildenmoth fluttering past the glow from the fairy moss lantern.

The words from Odessa's letter rang back to her, and she smiled.

She had indeed found her place.