Page 47 of Of Poison & Pumpkins
A beat passes. Another. “Oh.”
I hope she doesn’t have a concrete answer because I realize my question is absurd. There’s no way of proving that I can stop her fears. I don’t have the magic ability to prevent heartbreak in the future. Unless …
“Rynnlee, I can use my spell to grant you a wish, to make sure your heart doesn’t break!”
She freezes.
“Listen, it’s a perfect idea. The wish will only last a few weeks, but at least during that time, you’ll know for a fact that I can’t hurt you. If you hate every speck of me once the next ritual comes, you can break up with me, but you’ll never be heartbroken. It’s a win-win.”
I’m so desperate. I concentrate on the scarred tissue at my palm where I sliced my flesh open for the last Ceremony and welcomed in my magic.
“I, Elias Gabriel Thoren, do hereby promise to fulfill Rynnlee Eve Pozinne’s greatest wish when she chooses to use it.”
“Elias! How could you!?” she yells and jumps off the bed. “You idiot! How arrogant can men possibly be to think a woman’s biggest wish is to date them?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Quiet! I’m talking!” Her volume increases, and I stand too. “You didn’t ask my permission first!” She throws her hands in the air. “What if my greatest wish is to murder half the penguins in the arctic?”
“Why half?”
“OH MY GODDESS! Are you kidding me?” she screams, her voice echoing off the barn’s walls. For the first time, I consider that she may have the wrath to rival the thunderstorm.
“Take it back,” she roars.
“Can’t.”
I bite my lip to keep from smiling because I don’t regret it at all. I’d use all of my magic to make her dreams come true, whether she likes it or not. Plus, Rynn happens to be adorable as kittens on catnip when her forehead creases like that.
With a loud “hmmph” she crosses her arms over her chest and flops onto the bed again.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why? It’s my magic. Aren’t you the one who has hated regulations and control of our magic? It seems a bit hypocritical that you’re upset with me for using my spell how I see fit.”
Her nose scrunches up in fury. “You wasted it on me. Because if my greatest desire comes true, it’ll have nothing to do with you.”
“That’s okay. This was the right choice.”
“Uugh.” She collapses onto her back on the bed, both legs dangling off the front. Under her breath, she mumbles something in complete irritation. At least I caught the tone.
“I don’t know what I want most.”
“You don’t?” I slide onto the bed, laying next to her so we’re both staring up at the ceiling. “The number one thing?”
A unicorn neighs from the stables as I wait for her answer.
“For my shop to always find success. Or for Tinsley and Maya to never see hardship again. Or to never have to speak to my family again. Or never have to return to Indiana. Or for all animals to live safely in freedom.” Rynn pauses so long I thought she’d fallen asleep. “And there’s a small chance my wish would be to find trust and love someday.”
I swallow, unsure how to respond. Because she stressed the word ‘someday,’ which means not now. Or soon.
“I know my greatest wish,” I whisper.
Part of me wants Rynn to ask me what it’d be, and the other part hopes she already knows. When she stays silent, it’s too much to bear.
“You, Sunflower. You’ve always been my greatest desire.”
The door connecting our massive room to the stables slams open against the wall with a loud thud. Viv appears, wet and worried.
