Chapter 30

Elara

The table fell silent in the wake of Grace’s outburst, Zoe’s hand still hovering halfway to the cheese dish. Already, both girls’ lower lips were trembling, their big eyes shimmering with unshed tears after being yelled at.

I glanced at Alaric, hoping for some kind of a hint of reassurance or support, but his shoulders had sunk slightly, his usual weariness etched into every line of his face. He looked like he was too tired and downtrodden to even bother saying anything to his mother

I pressed my lips together, biting back the words that were lingering on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell Grace off for speaking to my children the way she had today.

But Alaric’s voice from earlier in the day echoed in my mind: “Don’t fight with my mother. It’s easier that way.”

Clearly, he knew a lot more about her than I did. He had spent his entire life with her, after all. If he wasn’t standing up to her now, then perhaps there was a good reason.

With a soft sigh, I turned to Zoe and Ella, who were sitting frozen, wide-eyed. “Girls,” I said gently, “why don’t we sit properly and show Grandma our best table manners?”

They exchanged a glance, but then obediently sat down and straightened their posture. “Yes, Mommy,” they mumbled in unison.

Grace sat back in her seat, clearly pleased, but the joy and laughter that had just been surrounding the table had already slipped away. The girls picked at their food, eating quietly without looking up.

It pained me to see their happiness stamped out so quickly, and I wasn’t about to let Grace have the last word—not like this.

“Hey, why don’t we play a game?” I suggested, forcing a smile. I ignored Grace’s scoff and continued, directing my attention to the girls. “It’s called Thorns and Roses. We’ll go around the table, and everyone shares one good thing—your ‘rose’—and one not-so-good thing—your ‘thorn’—that happened today.”

Ella’s face lit up at the thought of that. “Can I go first?” she asked eagerly.

“Of course, sweetheart.”

She straightened in her chair, her little hands folded in front of her like she was making a grand announcement. “My rose is the picnic! I liked making flower crowns and eating sandwiches.” She paused, frowning slightly. “My thorn is… um… oatmeal for breakfast. It wasn’t very yummy.”

Grace’s face tightened, but Zoe giggled, nodding in agreement. “Me too! Oatmeal is the worst. But my rose is spending time with Mommy and Ella today.”

“Well, that’s sweet,” I said, smiling at them and ignoring Grace’s glare yet again. “As for me…” I paused dramatically, tapping my chin thoughtfully. “I’d say… I don’t have any thorns. My whole day was lovely because I got to spend it with you two.”

The girls beamed at me, but Grace rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might pop out of her head and roll across the table. “How charming,” she muttered under her breath.

Unfazed, I turned my attention to Alaric. “What about you?”

He stiffened, clearly not expecting to be included in this game. His gaze flicked to his mother, who was watching him with that familiar critical stare of hers. “I don’t think—” he began, but the girls weren’t having it.

“Daddy, you have to!” Ella insisted.

I raised an eyebrow at him, my own silent challenge. His eyes met mine for a moment longer than I expected before he let out a resigned sigh.

“Fine,” he said, clearing his throat. “My thorn is…” He hesitated, as if weighing how much to say. “I had a lot of work to do today.”

“Boring!” Zoe chimed in, wrinkling her nose.

Alaric ignored her, his gaze shifting downward for a moment before he continued. “My rose…” He paused again, glancing briefly at the girls, then at me. “I… am also happy to have spent the day with my family. It was a lovely day.”

My heart gave a small, unexpected flutter at his words. Family. It was just a word, but hearing it out loud made my chest tighten. I dared to glance at him, catching the faintest trace of warmth in his eyes before Grace’s sharp stare quickly broke the spell.

“Well, now that we’ve indulged in enough nonsense,” Grace snapped, clearly unimpressed, “perhaps we can finish our meal without any more distractions.”

The girls obediently returned to their plates, their happiness dimming yet again. I focused on finishing my own food, quietly vowing to find a way to make tomorrow better for them. This couldn’t be their new normal. I wouldn’t let this bitter old woman snuff out my daughters’ lights.

Later, after dinner, I tucked the girls into bed. Zoe insisted on curling up beside Ella again, each of them holding their teddy bears. “Goodnight, sweethearts,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads. They murmured their goodnights, their eyes already drifting shut as they snuggled into the blankets.

As I closed the door behind me, I lingered for a moment in the hallway, relishing the quiet. Grace had long since gone to bed, claiming that we had an early day tomorrow—whatever that meant. I didn’t want to go to bed just yet, so I could enjoy my solitude without a witch looming over my shoulder.

But then my thoughts turned to Alaric, and I wondered if he was still in his study, drowning himself in work. He had mentioned that he had a lot of work today. Maybe too much.

Deciding to check on him, I made my way to the kitchen and prepared a cup of tea. It was a small gesture, but after everything today, it felt like the least I could do. And it would give me an excuse to go into his office.

The light was still on in his study when I arrived, and I knocked softly before stepping inside. He was hunched over his desk with veritable mountains of papers spread out in front of him.

“I brought you something,” I said, holding out the cup.

He glanced up, his eyes briefly softening as he took the tea from my hands. “Thank you,” he said. “You didn’t have to.”

“You shouldn’t overwork yourself,” I replied, ignoring the way my cheeks heated under his gaze. “It’s late.”

He leaned back slightly in his chair and exhaled. “I’ll be fine. Don’t wait up for me.”

I hesitated, my heart skipping a beat. “I… wasn’t planning on it,” I said, feeling the flush spread further as I quickly turned to leave.

“Elara.”

His voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned back, meeting his gaze, which was softer now, almost hesitant.

“Thank you,” he said again, his voice strained as if saying it was a bit of a struggle for him. “For making today so nice for the girls, despite everything.”

The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard, and I didn’t know how to respond. My throat felt tight, and my words got caught somewhere between my heart and my lips.

“You’re… You’re welcome,” I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

Before he could say anything else, not that he seemed to be planning on it, I turned and hurried out of the study with my heart pounding in my chest. By the time I reached my room, my cheeks were still burning, and I quickly crawled under the covers and pulled the blankets up to my chin.

As I lay there, my mind replayed the events of the day on loop. And somewhere in the haze of my thoughts, I found myself picturing Alaric’s face, the faint warmth in his eyes as I brushed the glitter from his cheek.

With that image lingering in my mind, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.