“Can a tea be soft?” Ash asks.
“It can, as I’ve just discovered. Would you like to try it?”
“I imagine it’s more expensive than Irish breakfast.”
I narrow my eyes, smiling. “You picked a cheap tea on purpose.”
“I happen to like Irish breakfast. But when we made the agreement, I just wanted an excuse to see you every day.”
“I liked it better when you two were fighting,” Rowan scoffs. “I need some air. I’ll be back in an hour.”
The owl flies upstairs, and a few seconds later, I hear the quietthunkof the pet door flap.
Ash smiles like he won.
“Stop it.” I laugh as I round the counter to stand in front of him.
He catches my hand, pulling me closer as he looks at me from the stool. We’re almost at eye-level when he’s sitting. “Stop what?”
I’m not expecting it, and this affectionate closeness makes me tingle all over. Ash groans softly, watching my sparkles like they’re a drug.
“Competing with Rowan,” I say.
“I wasn’t,” he replies innocently. “I’m just happy to get you alone.”
I look down at our clasped hands, biting my bottom lip. “Is this a thing we’re doing now?”
He squeezes my hand. “I’d like it to be.”
“What are your plans for the day?”
“I just want to spend as much time with you as you’ll allow.”
“You know, for coming off as prickly, you’re actually sort of romantic.”
He wrinkles his nose like he’s not sure he likes that, making me laugh.
“When we’re done here, I need to start looking for a dust pendant,” I say. “Will you help me?”
Ash’s face becomes solemn. “You cannot be serious about this.”
“Rowan can’t live the rest of his life as an owl.”
“You know this isn’t your responsibility, don’t you?”
“Laverna made it my responsibility.”
“You can’t walk into an alchemy supply store and find a dust pendant, Kit. I don’t even know where you’d begin to look.”
“Could a mage create one for us?”
“I assume so, yes. But magic is a slippery substance. You’ll need to find someone who knows how to contain it in its raw, extracted form. And those people don’t set up public shops.”
“So, Ansel wouldn’t know how to make one?”
Ash frowns. “Ansel is a sorcerer. I think you’d need an enchanter or a magicsmith. You could talk to him, though. I don’t know where else you’d start.”
“You make the magic sound sort of dark.”
