“He has a cat?” Twino blinks at my side. His remark goes ignored.
“I can’t believe you.” I sigh and shake my head, at both dog and man.
“Consider it payback for stealing my cat,” Kaelis says in a way that tells me he is definitely not over Priss liking me best.
“He has a cat and youstole it?” Twino now looks between us.
“What’s going on?” Ren stands at the entry to the kitchen, flour-dusted apron tied at his neck and waist. His eyes do little more than drift over me, but they stick on Kaelis. He speaks flatly: “You.”
“Not exactly the warmest welcome.” Kaelis straightens away from Gilly.
“Out.” Ren points to the door with a wooden spoon that I think he has half a mind to throw at Kaelis’s head.
“Excuse me?” The prince’s composure nearly falls with his surprise.
“Whatever is going on, we want none of it. We’re retired. We’re baking cookies. We’re drinking tea on the terrace. We read books now and actually get to the end because no one is here trying to get us to go on some crazy heist that damn near kills us.” By the end the words are blurring together. Ren shakes the spoon at the door. “Out.”
“Ren—” Twino starts.
“Don’t you ‘Ren’ me with your beautiful big brown puppy-dog eyes. You are almost as bad as him.” Ren’s spoon swings from Twino to the dog and back. “You said we were done. Youpromised.”
“I’m just here to visit,” I say calmly.
“Respectfully, I don’t even know you.” Ren doesn’t sound respectful in the slightest, and I fight a laugh.
“Yes, you do,” Twino says. “It’s Clara.”
Ren blinks. Mouth falling open and then closing. For a second I think he’s seen through my disguise. But then he says, “Twino, I’ve been telling you that you need to get your eyes checked.”
“No, it’s her, it really is her,” Twino emphasizes.
“If you’re really her, prove it.” Ren folds his arms, spoon still at the ready.
“I’m going to bet that you already have a pot of lavender on your terrace growing flowers for Jura’s scones that you’re clearly trying to re-create, but you’ve absolutely used too much clove in your spice blend,” I say readily, pleased with more proof of my disguise. “I also hope you bought the right sugar—the large granules, not the fine-ground kind, because—”
“Because the top needs the crunch, and the fine ground won’t achieve the same results,” Ren finishes in time with me. We share a smile, both remembering the time when he made that very mistake on a trip to the store. Poor man was sent out again by Jura, in the rain. But warm scones made the hassle worth it. “Itisyou.”
“In the slightly new flesh,” I say, then quickly add, “And don’t worry, I really amnothere for anything. I just wanted to see how you both were. A social call for my own peace of mind.”
He smiles in a manner that tells me he believes me. “Let’s show you around.”
Gilly dutifully follows his new masters as we wander the house. On occasion, he stops by Kaelis for scratches. But I never get anything more than side-eyes and feel more betrayed with every step.
There are bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. The lower floor is reserved for entertaining. The front three rooms are two parlors that flank the foyer, and a large kitchen and dining area behind them that spans the width of all three and connects to an equally wide terrace where plants happily grow. I readily cast a Seven of Coins to help promote growth and double the yield of the container garden.
That’s where we ultimately settle: at a little table situated by the open doors of the terrace. I can already tell Twino’s seat from the rest. It has a side table piled with books and journals. The dog curls up contentedly at his feet as Ren brings us tea and a plate of not-quite-right but oh-so-delicious scones.
“Everything’s beautiful,” I compliment them easily as Ren sits.
“It’s been nice.” Twino nods.
“I’m thinking of opening a small tea shop.” Ren carefully stirs two sugars into his almost-overfull cup. “Share Jura’s recipes with the world, once I perfect them.” He takes a scone, nibbling off an end and following with a heavy sigh. “You’re right, too much clove.”
“It would’ve helped if she’d written them down.” I take a bite as well. It’s just barely off. Close enough to ache. Far enough to not instantly take me back to my friend.
“I offered to help him with the Six of Wands,” Twino says. The card offers success in a minor task, but—
“I want to do it on my own,” Ren insists.Just as I suspected would be his answer.“Jura did it without magic; I want to also.”
