Page 15 of Of Potions and Honey
“Woof!”
Blinking, Mira lowered her hands and peered into the sunny afternoon. A yellow blob by the fence came into focus, and Mira watched a fuzzy tail wag enthusiastically while two pairs of ears were raised in curiosity.
“Hey.” Mira listlessly waved at the dog. “Are you alone? You didn’t run off, did you?”
Poppy barked again, but before Mira could decide what to do about a lost dog, she saw Kayden emerge from behindthe untrimmed hedges of the empty house next door. He was wearing a loose jacket and a hat, and his usual tool belt was nowhere to be seen.
“Mira.” He stopped next to Poppy by her fence. “Is everything all right?” He gestured vaguely at his face. “There’s, um. I think it’s soot?”
“What?” Mira wiped at her cheek as she got to her feet. “Oh. That must’ve happened when I made the fire.” She trudged down the stairs and to the fence. “Are you taking Poppy for a walk?”
He laughed. “Poppy takes herself for walks, I’m just supervising.” He leaned on the fence, entirely unconcerned by the prospect that it, too, might fall down just like the gate had. “What were you doing?”
“Practising,” Mira muttered. “Not very successfully.”
“Practising what?”
“Potions.” Mira made a face and tried to bury the embarrassment at her failure. It wasfine. She’d never done this before, after all. “Not very successfully.” She sighed deeply. “I think I’ll call it a day. Not like I can do much until I clean the pot again.”
“Potions?” He glanced behind her at the shop extension of the house with its newly clean windows. “Wait, are you taking over the shop?”
Mira resisted the urge to squirm under his questioning look. “I’m trying to, anyway. So far, I managed to make a single thing, and it’s the wake-me-up. Not sure I can sustain the shop on that alone.”
He made a sympathetic noise. “You’re not a potioner?”
“No.” Mira scratched the back of her neck. “I used to sell clothes at a Golden River emporium.”
“Ah. Yep, that’s a big change, all right.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Maybe you could ask Yoni for some tips. She’s dabbled a little, she might have some pointers for you.”
“The woman who owns the greenhouse?” Mira asked, surprised. “I thought she was just growing the supplies.”
Kayden shrugged. “I know she’s read some books and experimented in her kitchen before. Seeing as her house is still standing, she might have had some success.”
Uncertain, Mira looked at the house, its pastel purple paint standing out among the brighter colours down the street. “I didn’t get the impression that she’s the type to just give advice like that.”
Kayden grinned. “Ah, you’ve met her? She does have a sunny personality. Once you know her. For a long time.”
Mira eyed him dubiously. “And that helps me right now how?”
He winked. “Maybe I can put in a good word for you. For old time’s sake.”
Mira huffed out a laugh. “It’s been twenty years and you didn’t even remember my name.”
“Psh! Who cares.” When the dog at his side began whining rather pathetically, Kayden looked down at her with fondness. “Yes, we’re going, don’t start.” He looked back up at Mira. “Do you want to come along? Clear your head a little? We’re not going very far, there’s a path into the forest just up the road that loops back down to the town proper. Used to be popular with tourists, so it’s not very difficult.”
“I don’t know.” Mira glared back at the shop. “I need to clean up and put the shop back in order.”
“And you can still do that later. A good walk clears the mind like nothing else. Right, you unholy creature?”
Poppy gave an affirmative bark, and Mira couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine. I could do with a break.”
She didn’t bother returning to the shop. She simply went to wash the soot off her face, grabbed her hat and keys, and locked the doors behind her before she joined Kayden and the impatiently prancing Poppy. Kayden rolled his eyes at her, but he was still smiling.
“No mistaking you for anything but a city girl.”
Mira gave him a puzzled look. “Why?”
“Nobody locks their doors here to go on a walk.”
