When Addison pulled into the driveway, she was relieved to see that Maura’s car wasn’t parked in front of the old Victorian home. She wasn’t quite ready to tackle her mother and grandmother at the same time.

But first, she needed to see to the garden.

Once she reached the familiar brick path, she slipped out of her sandals, and with her first step onto shadow garden soil, something inside her uncoiled. Had she been less stubborn, she’d have come home last night just to let the garden ease the ache in her heart.

There were very few places where Addison felt like she belonged, and kneeling in the shadow garden up to her elbows in dirt was one of them. Here, Addison felt connected to a magic deeper than her family gift. Here, it didn’t matter that the power in her was unpredictable, that her unwillingness to own up to that wildness within her had lost her the love of her life.

In the heart of the garden, it was only Addison and the black and gray plants, their roots prodding at her fingertips, their leaves whispering their thanks for each insect she pulled free from their stems and each weed she tugged loose from the earth.

Though she still felt a sense of peace, she worried at her lip. She sat in front of the hedge of rosemary that served as a barrier between the rows of cabbages, brussels sprouts, and broccoli as though the shadow garden itself knew the herb would repel the cabbage moths that could obliterate a crop. The darkness had faded from the rosemary’s leaves, the tips almost white beneath the morning sun.

“What happened?” she asked the garden around her.

Though the plants shifted, they offered no answers. She wormed her fingers beneath the soil. The roots were slow to greet her. When they finally brushed her fingertips, they felt tired, like they’d pulled all the nutrients from the soil in one quick burst and it left them weak and wanting. Just like what she’d seen in her vision.

She stood, brushing the dirt from her hands, and started for the house. She eased the back door open and set the kettle on in the kitchen. After the water started boiling, she poured two cups of tea.

“Good morning.” Kaden’s voice came from behind her.

Addison startled. She turned, eyes wide. She knew Kaden’s car had been at the tea shop, but she hadn’t really expected to find him in her grandmother’s house. “Good morning?”

Kaden laughed softly and pointed behind him, toward the living room. “I slept on the couch.”

Addison nodded slowly. “I’m going to wake Sleeping Beauty. There’s tea on the counter.”

She slipped past Kaden and padded down the hallway to her mom’s room. She raised her fist and knocked. When there was no answer, she tried again. “Mom?” she called, knocking louder.