At Kiela’s direction, they positioned them in the back room around the bed. When they’d finished, Caz and Meep scampered into the garden to plunge their roots into the soil, while Kiela made mint tea and worried about Radane.
Larran slid the final crate into place and emerged from the bedroom. “If you’d like, I could make you bookshelves. Now that you aren’t leaving.”
I’m not leaving.The realization blossomed like a rose in the sunshine and completely distracted her from everything she was worrying about. She smiled at him. Bookshelves! That was the most perfect thing anyone had ever offered her. Better than jewels or a feast or a palace. He smiled back at her, and she felt as if the world were singing around her. “Yes, that would be nice.”
He smiled back. “All right then.”
Maybe thiswassomething that could last. How often did you meet someone who offered to build you bookshelves? As Kiela watched, Larran headed outside, whistling, to fetch wood and tools.
Heaving a sigh, Radane plopped down on one of the chairs. Startled, Kiela half jumped. For almost a minute, she had forgotten that the ex–imperial investigator was here.
“While I appreciate that you did not let your talking spider plant drown me,” Radane said, “I still have my little problem.” She pulled out her ruby pendant and held it in the air so it caught the sunlight. “Can I buy your spellbook?”
“It belongs to the library!” Kiela said.
“It seems to belong to your bedroom.”
Kiela shook her head. “I can’t sell any of them. That’s not how it works.” She was their caretaker, not their owner. “How are you even planning to use that spell? You can’t stay invisible forever. A hidden life isn’t the same as an ordinary life.” Besides, Radane would need to keep the ruby to cast it, which made it an insincere offer. “What you need is a way to start over, and I think—”
She heard footsteps outside.
“Hello?” Bryn’s voice was bright and cheery. “Are you open? I don’t mean to be one of those demanding customers who’s always popping in after hours when you’re trying to get a decent amount of chores done, but I’d like to buy more raspberry jam.”
More jam already? Kiela came around the corner. “Hello. Yes, of course.”
Leaning on the window counter, Bryn beckoned her closer and whispered, “Are you in trouble? Say the word, and we can be out of here. I’ll hide you.”
“No, I . . . You would hide me?” Glancing over her shoulder, Kiela saw Radane’s elbow sticking out beyond the jam shelf. “I don’t need help, but . . . Come in. I’m making tea.” She opened the door and let Bryn inside. “Out of curiosity, why do you think I need help?”
Bryn waved her hand at the shelves, the garden, and the cottage. “Just concerned.”
Understandable.She wondered if Bryn had guessed the full story and knew what was in the crates. Just the existence of the Pine Cone Coven was enough to condemn Kiela and Caz, if Radane had been a true imperial investigator.
Coming around the corner of the shop into the kitchen, Bryn saw Radane, and she halted. “Oh.” She turned to Kiela. “Are you sure . . .” She let the question trail off, with her offer of help implied. “I can come back later. Or stay. Do you want me to stay? Of course you do. You offered tea. Yes, I’d love a cup of tea.” Bryn sat down in a chair opposite Radane as if she were making a point.
Kiela said to Radane, “I trust Bryn.”
“You’re saying I should too?” Radane asked.
“You either trust us, or you keep running. It’s your choice. I’ll give you a copy of the invisibility spell, of course, and you can keep your pendant, but where will you run to?”
Bryn looked from Kiela to Radane and back again.
As the kettle whistled, Kiela picked up a towel to hold the handle. She poured hot water into three teacups and then distributed them on slightly chipped saucers to her two guests, who were watching each other as warily as two winged cats who didn’t want to share a roof.
“I don’t know where to run,” Radane confessed, “or even how. My ship sank.”
“You could buy another,” Kiela said. “But we’re already on one of the outer islands. I don’t know if you’ll find a better place to hide than this. Plus, no one knows where your ship went, do they? They don’t know it sank, or that you survived.”
“Wait—do youwantme to stay?” Radane said. “After—” She shook her head in obvious confusion. “Why would you want me to stay?”
Because Radane said she wanted a life like this. Because Caltrey had gifted Kiela with a future that she’d never even imagined she’d want. Because this was a good place with kind people who cared about one another. Because there was a unicorn in the woods, mermaids in the coves, and the best raspberries she’d ever tasted.
Also because if Radane stayed . . . then she couldn’t tell anyone outside Caltrey that Kiela, Caz, Meep, and the spellbooks were here. It was practical as well as kind.
“It’s safer for me if you stay,” Kiela said.
“Ahh.” That clearly made sense to Radane.
