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“You’re awake,” he said. “I’d hoped you would sleep in.”
“With the sun so bright first thing, there was no way.”
“It’s different out here,” Colter agreed.
The kitchen filled with an awkward silence. Last night, we’d been so close, but it felt like a wall had gone up between us again.
“I’m making tea,” I announced. “If you’d like some.”
“I’m okay,” Colter said. “Norden, Andra’s helper, told us to have breakfast at the house at eight, so I’ll shower, and then we can go.”
I nodded, and Colter walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. I sagged against the counter and tried to figure out what I felt about having breakfast at Andra’s house. I hoped whatever we found out there would be more conclusive than whatever it was that was going on between me and Colter right now.
I drank my tea while Colter showered, then showered and dressed after him before we walked to the house together. We walked close to each other, but Colter was silent, and the strange awkwardness was still between us, like a third person in our little party.
“Good morning, children,” Andra said brightly when we arrived and knocked on her door. “Come in, come in!” She wore brightly colored robes today, and the effect was a lot more upbeat today, whereas yesterday, her appearance had been calming.
She wore a turban around her head, and her gray hair peeked out underneath it.
“Come, Norden put together quite a spread for us.”
We walked to the deck that jutted out into the water. The water lapped against the beams underneath the deck, and it gave the sensation of being out at sea.
The breakfast table was loaded with eggs, bacon, sausages, rolls, cheese and preserves, yogurts, and every kind of baked good I could imagine.
“This looks great,” Colter said and sat down, his eyes already feasting on the food in front of us.
“Eat, eat,” Andra said, waving her hands. “You’re my guests! Enjoy yourselves!”
We did just that. We dished food, and while we ate, Andra asked about our lives back in the city. She asked Colter about his family.
“It’s just me now,” Colter said tightly.
“You’ve lost them all,” Andra said softly.
Colter nodded. “You could say that.” He glanced at me, and I struggled to decipher his expression.
“He’s working on a big project,” I said. “We’re working on curing blood disorders for enchanted beings. I didn’t think that was a thing, obviously, until now.”
Andra looked sharply at Colter. “Blood disorders?”
“It’s a pet project,” he said and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Had I said too much? Was that classified?
“Are you picking up where your father left off?” Andra asked.
“Did your father do the same?” I asked, curious.
Colter had never mentioned his parents before.
“It was a very personal project for him,” Andra said.
“Yeah, and I’m taking it further, so it’s personal to me, too.” Colter’s voice was harsh, and he was getting hostile.
“It’s a very nice way to honor him,” I said.
I didn’t know much about Colter’s family, just that he didn’t have his parents anymore. Everything else I’d learned about him was through Rory or what I’d seen for myself.
Andra narrowed her eyes at Colter. She picked up on his strange reactions, too.
