When we go inside, I smell immediately that Morgan has cooked for us again and I can’t help but take in a lungful of the delicious scents that make my mouth water.
Gods, he makes everything taste better than anything I’ve ever eaten before. Granted, I was a slave and the bar was low, but…
The table is already set. All I have to do is sit down and enjoy eating the food that’s been prepared, talk about my day, listen to theirs’.
It strikes me what a far cry this is from my former life…and how much I’d be prepared to give to keep it.
'You don't have to do this every night,' I say to Morgan, nudging him with my arm, though I do tuck into the delicious beef stew that he's made as well as the freshly baked bread.
'I like doing it,' he says, his eye catching mine. 'Cooking and baking. Quiet. Relaxing.'
I lean towards him.
'Are they still making you work on the cottage alone?' I ask.
'I'm afraid so,' he says. 'But I suppose that means it's quiet while I'm working there as well.'
I frown as I eat my stew. I’ve noticed that Morgan does much around Halsford to help the people here, and almost never seems to receive any thanks for his troubles. I don’t like it.
'They’ll see our worths soon,’ I say, and I hope it’s true.
After ensuring that Jak and Locke aren’t paying attention to our conversation, I lean in toward Morgan.
‘Someone was kind to me today,' I tell him quietly.
His eyes widen. 'Truly?'
I nod. 'Claudia. She came into the healer's rooms with her son, Orlan. I gave her a powder for the boy and, afterwards, Jak and I went to the Trading Post to get some herbs. Tavish was there. He was being a cunt to me, and she gave him aseverescolding.’
‘Good.’ Morgan clucks me under the chin and gives me a wink. ‘But where was Jak when all this was happening?’
‘He was close, but speaking with an old man and he couldn’t get away.’
‘I see.’ He smiles again, but his frown returns when he doesn’t think I’m watching.
He doesn’t like that Tavish was rude. I probably shouldn’t have told him, but I was excited that one of the villagers stood up for me.
‘Morgan?’ I whisper.
‘Yes, my little human?’
‘Did you do something to the man from the alley?’
His expression does change, but he doesn’t lie either. ‘Of course, I did. He hurt you. Would have done worse to you.’
His hand gives my cheek a feather-light caress that doesn’t go unnoticed by the others.
‘I’ll do whatever I need to do to keep you safe,’ he says quietly.
I nod. Not sure how I’m meant to feel. He killed that man. For me.
I watch him as I finish my stew. He’s so calm and thoughtful, and yet there’s a darkness, a terrible violence within him as well.
But I like it, I decide. Despite my promises to myself, my mantra, and all that’s happened,I like him.
After our dinner, he and I sit by the fire as is our new little custom. Jak and Locke go back upstairs as they’ve been doing over the past few days, still looking through Locke’s many books, but they've found almost nothing except a collection of vague references that don’t really say much at all.
Morgan and I talk in low voices while we’re alone during these hours, of everything, and of nothing at all.
