“She sounds wonderful.”
“She was. She was also stubborn, and like someone else I know, she was never satisfied. I just wish I had her talent.”
“For flowers?”
“For magie.”
Understanding shocked her face.
Horror flushed through Nik’s veins. The words had simply slipped out. He’d become too comfortable, and now she knew how weak he really was. How pathetic.
“It’s not easy,” she said.
His head shot up. There wasn’t a hint of pity in her gaze.
“Do you know how many loaves of bread I had to make before I could even manage to make someone feel happier? Three hundred.” She snorted. “It took an entire year of making the same damn recipe again and again to get it right.”
There was nothing in his life he could imagine repeating obsessively in order to perfect. Well, almost nothing.
“I’ve come to terms with it.” He shrugged. “Lafontaine taught me that power doesn’t always have to be from magie.”
“That’s progressive of him.”
“He’s one of the few Souverains trying to make this city better. He has a plan to change the whole system, El… Elouise.”
He longed to say her name. Herrealname, but doing so would risk destroying this careful bridge they’d built tonight.
Chantal was partly right. Elara didn’t deserve to know the truth, butmaybe if he fed her parts, she would stop fighting him, and they could finally work together.
He pressed on. “He wants to make it so everyone—regardless of magie—has a Société and a skill. When children are old enough to learn, they’ll be inducted into a trade where they’ll be sheltered, clothed, and fed.” He couldn’t stop the excitement creeping into his voice. In two weeks, everything he’d ever done would pay off.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“He can only accomplish this if you help vote him in as Grand Souverain. The title doesn’t exist yet, but with it he can make real progress.” He set his cup down and touched the drawing of Café Divin. “You need him as much as he needs you. If you become Souverain, you can support each other.”
She didn’t immediately recoil, which was a good start.
“What we’ve been doing isn’t working,” he added.
“Are you saying we should work together?” she asked.
“As much as it pains me to say it, yes.”
“Then I want full control of my bakes.” She held up her hand. “It’s theonlything I can control in this situation, and I’d do pretty damn well if you just quit mucking with my recipes. The crowd loved me.”
“They might inform the Counseil’s decisions, but they don’t make them.”
“Then help me sell my ideas to them. The magie can change, but the flavors are mine.”
“You still need to lie low. It’s down to five contestants now, and they’ll get rid of two more in the second round. Maybedon’trelease an entire zoo or have plants eat the Counseil this time.”
Elara released a dramatic sigh. “Fine.”
Then she held out her palm.
“Your hands are sticky,” he grumbled.
“Little mess never hurt anyone.”
