“She plans to travel back to Loxley as soon as she feels well enough.”
“Good.” I nod, biting into my bottom lip. Ulric is more than capable of managing Loxley in our absence, but having my mother home, where I know she’s safe, will surely help the weight on my shoulders. Changing the subject, I rub the exhaustion from my eyes. “Have you and Evren been together long?”
Her smile broadens, intensifying her beauty. “A little over four years,” she says, gesturing to me to follow her.
We find a small gardening table and a few chairs near the back of the greenhouse. I dust the chair quickly to free it of dirt and sit down across from her.
“We met out of pure luck,” Tallulah continues. “Or perhaps the Mother had something to do with it. She works in mysterious ways, after all.” She chuckles, and I smile.
“And he said he was a hunter?” Relaxing into my chair, I glance around the small greenhouse. Windows line two walls while one is attached to the Jade Guild. White-washed stones make up the ground and not to mention the rows and rows of beautiful green plants and flowers. The puppies bump into a tower of stacked pots, nearly tipping them over.
“He was,” Tallulah says. I tear my eyes away from the pups to glance at her. She pulls a pile of long grass into her lap and begins weaving them, creating a tapestry of green, her fingers quick and nimble, as if they’ve done the task a hundred times before. “It feels like a lifetime ago.”
“Will you tell me about it?” I ask. “I could use the distraction, my nerves have been on edge these last few weeks as I’m sure you could imagine.” She smiles as she continues her weaving. “Besides, I must know the story of how you managed to make such a surly man bend his knee to you.”
Tallulah tips her head back and laughs, the sound bright. “It wasn’t love at first sight or anything like that.” She places the half-woven leaves onto the small table and faces me. “There was a lot of pain and fear between us. So much misunderstanding.” She frowns but only for a moment before her features relax again. “But somewhere in those weeks together, the fear of each other morphed into wondering instead.”
“What kind of wondering?” I pick at a loose hem on my shirt.
Tallulah sighs as she leans back into her chair. “The kind that sweeps you away. Wondering all the different alternatives in life. Like—” She bites her lip. “Like what if magick was never outlawed and hunted? It’s a terrible thing to be glad for, but would I have ever met Evren? What if I had never been forced to endure those horrible things, would I have found this love I thought only reserved for storybooks?” She laughs, shaking her head before picking up her leaves again. “I’m getting sentimental, forgive me.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” I say. “Your story is beautiful, just as this greenhouse is.” I gesture to the vibrant green plants and bright pink flowers proudly on display.
“Evren built it.” Her eyes scan the space. “It was his wedding gift to me, though I think it’s unfair because we never said we were exchanging gifts. I still owe him one.”
“You know, Sam,” she says, lowering her voice and leaning across the table, “it’s only a matter of time before you access that magick of yours. I know how painful it must be. How it must feel to have such a large part of yourself blocked off.” My throat tightens but I nod, allowing myself to be vulnerable with thisstranger. Just as Elora had been with me. “But when the Dyrsjel arrives, the Ceremony will happen for you. And when it does, we’ll all be here to help you find your way.”
“Thank yo?—”
“Lu!” Evren shouts, bounding into the greenhouse with a lead foot.
Tallulah and I both turn, the same wide eyed expression plastered on our faces.
“You and Sam need to get underground,now.”
It isn’t two seconds later and Evren is gone and Tallulah is grabbing my arm, leading me out of the greenhouse.
“Underground?”
“Yes,” she says. “Someone must be at the gate.”
“What of the puppies?” I glance over my shoulder at the four pups still wrestling with each other.
“Evren will see that they remain locked in the greenhouse.” Tallulah pulls me through a maze of tunnels. Twists and turns, up a flight of stairs and then back down again. My head dizzies, but before long, we’ve reached what I presume is the last level. An arched cellar door covered in vines opens easily and we slip inside.
My eyes struggle to adjust to the darkness of the space, my hands gripping the walls on either side of me for reassurance. Tallulah leaves my side and a few moments later, the room is filled with soft, warm light from a small oil lantern. Shuffled boots sound above us, some faint shouts in the distance.
Jarek.
I start for the door but Tallulah grasps my arm tightly. I turn to look at her.
“My mother!”
“She’ll be okay,” she says, reaching for me. “There is another safe room, just above us. I’m certain Evren showed her the way.”
My shoulders deflate.
“It isn’t often we get visitors, but Evren and Thaddeus insist I hide when we do.” She shrugs. “Just in case.”
