Page 79 of Woods of the Raven

“Really? He doesn’t look like any I’ve ever seen.”

“When he gets big, believe me, you’ll be reminded,” I said, inhaling whatever was in the bag he had with him. “Do you have cinnamon rolls in there?”

“I do,” he replied, smiling wide. He really was beautiful, but fauns were as a rule, and he’d lost none of that changing into his permanent human form. “And crispy bacon for the chief, as I’m sure you don’t eat meat.”

“You would be correct.”

“I also brought him eggs and biscuits, and I made avocado toast for you.”

“Thank you,” I said, opening the door for him.

He tipped his head as though listening, and just stood there and waited. “My intentions are pure toward all inhabitants of this charming…” It took a moment. “Oh, cottage. How lovely.”

I groaned.

He took a breath and began again. “My intentions are pure, and actually quite warm, toward all inhabitants of this charming cottage, as well as toward the domicile itself.”

“Just come in already,” I groused at him.

“Were you raised in a barn, because I was, and my manners are still better than yours.”

I sighed. Loudly. “The food’s getting cold.”

“What’s wrong with you?” He stepped inside, passing me the bag as he took off his polished ankle boots, and placed them on the same shoe rack Lorne had used the day before. Where these things kept appearing from, I had no idea but I was guessing that that cavernous storage room on the other side of the cottage held treasures I’d never be able to count. Once done, he reclaimed the bag from me and proceeded toward the kitchen. “Are you sick?”

“I’m not sick,” I muttered.

“You’re certain? Because you’re in a terrible mood.” He started unpacking the goodies he’d brought.

Lorne came far enough up the ladder to hold a book out for me. I darted over and took it from him.

“Hey,” he greeted Declan.

“Good morning, Chief,” he said happily. “I brought you breakfast. Do you like hash browns or grits?”

“Both,” Lorne assured him, grinning. “That was damn nice of you.”

“Well, you and Xander were both very kind to me. Come here. I have cinnamon rolls too. Are there more coffee beans to grind or—oh, I see them.”

“Where do you see them?” I asked, rushing back over to where he was.

He looked concerned as he opened the cupboard, where bags of coffee beans were neatly arranged. “I love this hand-crank grinder, those work so well, and it’s so hard to find good ones anywhere.”

At the table, Lorne was taking the remaining boxes out of the bag while Declan poured beans into the grinder, and as soon as the cinnamon rolls were out, I grabbed one and sat down to leaf through the book Lorne had found.

“Um, we use forks and knives at this level,” Lorne said, clearly repulsed by my caveman manners. He put a plate and utensils near me, then laid a napkin in my lap.

“Cloth napkins, Xander, how charming,” Declan mused.

I grunted and opened the book Lorne had found, which turned out to be a diary. “Why did you bring this?” I asked Lorne, seeing the old-fashioned penmanship on the pages.

“Because it fell off the shelf.”

That seemed reasonable.

“Do you have a kettle for the stove or—”

“It’s hanging over there by the fire,” Lorne directed Declan. “Use the mitt when you grab it so you don’t burn yourself.”