His eyes lit up. “I knew you could do it! You’re—” He cleared his throat. “That’s amazing.”
A shy smile tugged at my face. “Thank you. A phoenix warrior from Sivell visited me…” I told him, filling him in on the details of the bargain. I quickly wrapped up my story, getting to the most relevant part. “Anyway, I plan to attend this dinner party in a few weeks in order to rescue Eterna from captivity and fulfill my bargain.”
Corvin sobered, a quiet intensity seeping into his voice. “You’re planning to go there alone?” His face shifted, something that looked a lot like panic crossing his features. “I could accompany you instead. Think of it as another opportunity for me to fulfill my debt to you.”
An enticing image of the two of us dining side by side, shoulders pressed close, flashed through my mind.
I slowly shook my head, reality displacing the daydream. “It’s going to be dangerous. I can’t accept your offer. Not when it might endanger your life, even if it would be helpful to have someone watching my back. You’ve already done enough for me. Can you really still feel the debt between us? What exactly was Luciana to your father?”
“A good friend. And yes, I still feel bound to you…”
“Well, I would ask for more help around the garden, but you’ve caught me at an awkward time. I am in desperate need of a bath after my morning run.”
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
“Not yet.”
“Then let me cook for us while you bathe.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Corvin gave me a broad smile. “It would be my pleasure.”
We walked into the cottage, Nix following behind us. The kitchen was a relatively small space, but it had everything I needed to prepare a meal. It also contained a food pantrystocked with fish, vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Corvin’s eyes swept over the pantry with interest. “Is there anything you don’t like to eat?” Examining the cupboards, he selected several pots and pans, a cutting board, and a knife, placing them all upon the side table used to prepare food.
“I’m not too picky,” I answered, deciding I could trust him not to burn the place down.
He began to peel back the layers of an onion, shooing me away. “Leave it to me then. Enjoy your bath.”
I left him in the kitchen, grabbing a towel, some soap, and a change of clothes from my room on the way out the door, walking down to the lake to bathe. The water was cold, and I shivered as I lowered my body into its clear depths. But eventually, once I acclimated to the temperature, I enjoyed the feel of the water lapping at my skin. Soon, it would be cold enough that I would be compelled to collect the water for my bath first so I could heat it over the fire instead. My hair was still damp when I returned to the kitchen.
Corvin didn’t notice me right away. I stood watching him as he finished up cooking. Retrieving the pot above the fireplace, he emptied its contents, arranging a colorful array of roasted vegetables atop the fish fillet he’d already prepared, its surface nicely seasoned.
Nix lay on the kitchen floor, head resting on his paws. Either because he was warming up to Corvin or because he was still distrustful of his presence—I couldn’t decide which one. Corvin flicked his wrist, and I realized he was tossing Nix a small piece of fish every now and then as he cooked. Warmth slowly unfurled in my stomach.
I entered the room and took a seat on one of the kitchen chairs.
“Do you know any affordable clothing stores?” I asked Corvin, making conversation.
He continued cooking, his back turned toward me. “That’s a random question.”
“It’s for this dinner party. I don’t own any nice dresses. Not that I have much of an idea what to buy anyway. I mean, I know enough not to show up naked.” Corvin half turned, eyes sliding over me. “But I’ve never been to a dinner party before. I don’t want to embarrass myself by getting the dress code wrong. How mortifying would it be if they turned me away at the door because of my attire…”
“I would choose something you can hide a dagger in,” Corvin quipped. Nix made an approving noise from the floor. “Actually, I might be able to bring you something. I have a friend about your size. I can ask to borrow one of her dresses if you’d like.”
“Really? That would save me a lot of trouble.”
“Then consider it done. I’ll return with the dress.”
A while later, Corvin walked over to the table. He served me first, then returned to grab his own plate, containing an appetizing cut of grilled fish served over a bed of vegetables, a fragrant herb sauce drizzled over the top. “You don’t have any dairy. But I think I was able to whip up something tasty for you.” The food was certainly more gourmet than what I would have taken the time to prepare for myself.
“Dairy requires me to go into Dewwick Village. Kaylin never much cared for having animals on the island. She did teach me how to fish though,” I said, taking my first mouthful of food. “This is excellent, thank you,” I told Corvin as he sat down across from me at the table. I was being truthful. He seasoned the fish differently than I was used to, but the taste was delightful. And the vegetables underneath. Except for the mushrooms. I’d forgotten those were in the pantry. Not wanting to be rude, I ate a few, pushing the rest around my plate. Luckily, he included quite a few other vegetables in the dish as well that I happily ate instead.
“I was thinking,” Corvin said, “if I’m going to bring you a dress anyway, I should just accompany you to this dinner party.”
“I’m not so sure it’s a good idea,” I replied. It didn’t seem right to put his life at risk.
Corvin leaned forward, stabbing a mushroom off my plate with his fork. “What if he serves an entirely mushroom-based meal for dinner? Who will be there to eat them for you?” I blushed.So he’d noticed.“I guess I’ll have to take that risk,” I answered.
