Page 48 of Ashes and Lilies
“Well…” He seemed unsure but pressed forward. “What was that about earlier?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, tensing my shoulders.
“Damen told me that you were really upset,” Julian said.
Well, obviously. “I was just about to be kidnapped,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but—” There was a calm confidence to him as he touched my hand. “—did they do anything besides what you’d told Damen already?”
A chill passed through me, and I pulled my hands away. “L-like what?”
“Like,” he continued, and I didn’t have to look at him to know that he was frowning. But there was no way that I wanted to have this conversation. Still, he said, “Like, did they touch or hurt you in other ways?”
“N-no,” I answered, but who knew what might have happened? “They didn’t.”
I could feel his gaze on me a moment longer, and my pulse raced under his scrutiny.
“Okay,” he said finally. “You would tell me?” It was almost a question, but the way he said it sounded more like he expected me to promise.
“Sure.” I shrugged. “If it was something important.”
I peeked at him. There was an unsettled note in his eyes before he finally nodded. He turned on the radio. “Let’s go. This won’t take long.”
I nodded once more and touched my temple to the window. From the corner of my eyes, I saw him tap his finger against the steering wheel, almost as if he were trying to think of something to say, but then he stopped, frowning as he pulled out of the parking lot.
I allowed the mood of Julian’s eerie music to fill the space until he parallel parked in front of a row of buildings.
“We’re here.” Julian’s statement pulled me out of my musing, and the sad music ended as he turned off the vehicle. I glanced out the window and studied the row of quaint, brick storefronts.Wrought-iron fences lined the stone sidewalks, and displays showcased clothing, baked goods, restaurants, and—directly beside me—a plant store.
“Where are we?” I asked as Julian opened my door. The numbness that had spread throughout my chest began to fade. The building had a bright green door and a sign with the wordsThe Ivy Gardenin prominent cursive on a hanging shingle over a bay window. Outside were wooden tables displaying various growing things in little clay pots.
I loved it.
“We’re at a witch shop,” Julian answered as he helped me stand. “It’s owned by Hanah—Miles’s Jiangjun.”
I glanced at him and squeezed my jacket, which I was holding, against my chest. “Hanah?”
“Hanah Grier,” he replied. “You know her, right?”
I nodded. “She—she’s my adoptive sister. She’s older than me, and I’ve only ever seen her a few times.” And not recently. Arguments between my parents and her led to Hanah storming out one night, never to return.
“It’s possible that she may have no idea who you are,” Julian said, surveying the shop. “She doesn’t get along with her parents, and I’m almost entirely positive they knew.”
“Maybe,” I ventured. “Do you think she’s here today?”
Julian shook his head. “Normally, she works on the weekend and has someone else run the shop otherwise. But she lives on the second floor. I’ve no idea if she’s home or not, though.”
The knot in my stomach loosened. I wasn’t in the mood for this meeting quite yet. As my tension faded, the products themselves began to call to me.
“It’s cute,” I told Julian. When he didn’t start following me, I grabbed his hand. “Let’s go see what she has.” Already, I’d noticed some non-native species in the window.
We stepped through the door, and I made a beeline to the inside display.
“Just give me a minute.” Julian grinned. I released him to touch some of the baby lavender. “I need to go to the counter to pick up Miles’s order,” he told me.
My heart sank as I stared at him. I’d already placed one hand in the lavender and the other in the marigold. How could we leave now? I hadn’t touched everything yet.
Julian noticed, shaking his head. “You can stay here and play with the flowers. I’ll be right back. Just don’t wander away.”
