RAVENNA HELD HER BREATH as her eyes raked over the front of the house. There was a small part of her that half-expected Caelan to be on the porch again, just waiting to chew her out. Another altercation wouldn't surprise her at this point, especially considering how her day had gone so far. The mere idea that he could still be mad at her made her heart flutter erratically inside her chest.

A relieved sigh bristled past her lips. The heart inside her chest began to slow its rhythm, despite the knot that began to twist within her stomach. From what she could see, the front porch was empty, aside from an ornately decorated walking stick that leaned against the wall just beside the door. As she neared it, she frowned.

Did Caelan have a guest?

She pushed open the front door and then paused. Amidst the usual symphony of songbirds and rustling leaves that occurred within nature, she could hear a faint, unfamiliar sound. The more she listened, she realized that it sounded like a heavy breathing. Someone was huffing and puffing, and muttering incoherently under their breath.

Her eyebrows furrowed. She stepped into the house, quietly closing the door behind her. The moment that she did, the sounds seemed to vanish. Confusion surged through her. Hesitantly, Ravenna started to walk toward the kitchen. As she got closer to the back of the house, she began to hear the huffing again.

She followed the sounds until she reached Caelan's study. Taking a deep breath, she carefully opened the door and poked her head inside.

Caelan stood in front of the window, his back to her. She moved further into the room and frowned. From what she could see within the window's reflection, his arms were folded across his chest and a wry smirk had triumphed against his typical stoic expression.

"What is going on?" Ravenna asked in a half whisper.

In his reflection, she saw his gaze shift, instantly locking with hers. His smirk seemed to grow tenfold, and instantly all of her worries vanished. He lifted a hand and beckoned her closer. A crease formed between her brows as she moved to stand beside him, her gaze flickering over the small garden that stretched out before them.

There was a muttered curse and then a soft thunk.

"I don't think that he realizes we've returned," Caelan said softly. When he noticed her confused expression, he inclined his head to the left. "I told you that he's always up to no good."

With a small frown, Ravenna tried to follow his gaze. It was hard to pinpoint the source of the sounds within the cluttered garden. The vegetation had always been slightly crowded, overgrown. There was so much going on all at once, that it was hard to spot something out of place. Despite a careful examination of the left half of the garden, where the carrots and cabbages grew, Ravenna pouted with defeat. There was nothing that looked amiss.

As she opened her mouth to speak, she noticed movement near the back of the garden. A haystack leaned against the wooden fence, slightly rustling as a figure emerged from behind it. Eyes wide, Ravenna watched as Henry the Thief shuffled toward the carrots and crouched down, out of sight.

When he stood again, several leafy green carrot stems spilled out from his pockets.

Ravenna pursed her lips. "How rude," she muttered under her breath.

A chuckle sounded from beside her. "He must not have found carrots at the market earlier," Caelan muttered. "Whenever he returns from the market empty-handed, I always catch him in my garden."

Her eyes narrowed. Henry had definitely been unsuccessful at the market earlier. She could still hear his heated complaints and petty insults inside her head. It didn't surprise her that the vendor hadn't lowered his prices for Henry, or at least work out a trade of some sort. With the way that he acted, it was obvious that most felt Henry needed to grow his own food. Or at the very least, work harder so that he could afford to purchase his own.

Ravenna glanced down at the massive bulge that had formed within his pockets. Henry had taken so many carrots that the material of his trousers had started to sag. Frustration sizzled through her.

She felt the talisman grow hot within her shirt. She watched as Henry paused and glanced downward. Shoving his hand into his pocket, he withdrew a single carrot -only to find it completely covered in ice.

A confused scowl twisted across Henry's face.

Ravenna watched with a sick amusement as Henry turned the carrot this way and that. He stomped toward the fence and hit the carrot against a post, struggling to break the thick layer of ice. The more he hit it against the wood, the more the carrot began to crack. Finally, it shattered into a bunch of small pieces, carrot and all.

A frustrated grunt echoed across the garden. Henry shoved his hands into his pockets again, this time pulling out all the other carrots. To his dismay, each one was completely frozen.

Henry threw them all to the ground. Eyes blazing, he looked around. The moment that his gaze landed on the window, and he discovered his small audience, Ravenna saw his eyes widen in disbelief. She smiled and waved at him.

Feeling quite smug, Ravenna turned away from the window. She found Caelan watching her intently. The amusement was still very much evident within his expression -however she could see the suspicion that swelled within his eyes.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "What? At least I didn't make them explode."

"No," he said. "But you managed to easily cover each individual carrot with a fairly thick layer of ice. That sort of spell requires a great deal of control, especially within the confined space of a pocket."

Her heart started to thump loudly. It filled her eardrums. She glanced back at Henry, watching as he tried to scurry out of the garden. He seemed to be having some trouble with the fence. "I suppose it did," she muttered under her breath.

Caelan arched an eyebrow. "Did you manage to find something in that spell book of yours? Or have you been practicing that defense spell I taught you?"

Ravenna blinked. "Both," she said quickly, glancing back at him again. He seemed to be focused on the hollow of her throat. For a moment, she feared that he had seen right through the material of her dress, to the talisman underneath.

"It's good to see that you are improving," Caelan remarked. His gaze lifted to meet hers. "I apologize for how I treated you last night and this morning. I don't really have an excuse for my behavior."

Taken aback, Ravenna wasn't quite sure what to say. She crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. "Well, if you think of any good excuses, be sure to let me know."

The amusement returned to his eyes.

Caelan moved away from the window, toward his desk. His index finger traced over the edge of a book. "I will be gone for a few days," he announced. "I was unable to find an ingredient in the market earlier, so I must go to the capital. It is vital for the spell that I am creating."

He glanced back over his shoulder. "Will you be alright by yourself for a few days?"

The knot returned to Ravenna's stomach and a small frown tugged at her lips. "You won't be gone for long, right?"

His eyes softened and he shook his head. "It will only be two or three days, depending on how long it takes to find the ingredient. I will enact several protective spells around the house, so you should be safe."

"Alright then," Ravenna said quietly. "When do you leave?"

"Tonight."

Thank you for your continued patience :) Remember if you ever want to read ahead, there are like a solid 20+ more chapters available on Tapas for purchase! <3