Page 9 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

“Oh hush, bug.” She swats her kitchen towel at her son. “No such nonsense.” She points her finger at me. “Enough now with the evasion. I won’t tolerate it any longer.”

I send her my sweetest smile. I have a lifetime of practice and know how to get on her good side.

“Don’t you try to charm your way out of this one—I mean it, Trouble. I’m quite cross with you.” She rests her hands on her hips, heaving out a breath. “Oh, come here.” And I find myself in her arms once more, grinning at Jared over her shoulder. He shakes his head, smiling, and mouths, “Suck-up.”

“Oh, and before I forget, your pay came in today. Trouble, yours is still coming to me, too. I already told you to clear that up, didn’t I?”

“And who else should the money go to?” I ask, raising my eyebrows. “My parents?” Jared chuckles behind me at that suggestion. “And it’s not like I need more than the bit I keep since the Aerie provides for us.” Jared nods.

“Can you tell me what I’m supposed to do with all that money?” She glares at me and then at Jared. We both shrug, grinning at each other. This feels like old times. “It will be waiting for you,” she declares, leading the way into the kitchen. Like I would ever touch that money after everything I owe her.

Another wave of affection and love washes over me when I step into the cozy kitchen and see the table set for three. Jared didn’t have the chance to tell her I was coming. I would bet my favorite dagger that she had the third plate on the table at all the dinners Jared went to by himself.

“I had a feeling today was special.” Nan bustles to the oven. “I made your favorite casserole and chocolate cake for dessert.” I groan in pleasure, which makes her laugh. “That’ll teach you not to stay away so long next time.”

We sit down and dig in as soon as she sits as well. Jared sends me a mischievous smile before turning to Nan.

“Mom, I think some olives would have added a splash here.”

“I don’t want to hear a thing about olives out of your mouth, young man.” She points her finger at him. “Every time the cook served olives, I knew there would be complaints about you two.”

Jared and I look at each other and burst out laughing.

“Come on, you can’t blame us. Those wineglasses made excellent targets, especially when people were mingling. And we were quite good at it, too.” Jared smiles at the memory.

“Oh, I never heard the end of your ‘accomplishments.’ The maids had quite a headache getting those stains out,” Nan scolds with a smile.

Jared and I earned somewhat of a reputation throughout the years, and many of the stories have Nan throwing up her hands in exasperation. But she laughs at them as well.

“You were always too curious for your own good. Your urge to get to the bottom of a secret or solve a puzzle drove your father crazy.” Nan smiles at me.

“Do you remember the catacombs?” Jared asks.

“How could I ever forget that?” I ask.

“It was epic.” Jared grins.

“It was terrifying,” I disagree. “When my dad made everyone leave, I thought I would spend the night down there alone.”

“You had no business being down there to begin with,” Nan throws in.

“If the damn door hadn’t slammed shut, no one would have known,” Jared says. “And maybe we would have found a treasure. Who knows?”

I grin and shake my head.

“Good thing you already were on the other side. No one would have thought to look for us down there. Father was furious,” I recall.

“Your mother pleaded with him, but he wasn’t to be swayed,” Nan says.

“But you got me out of there,” I reply. “Mists, the relief when I saw the light coming back.” I sigh, remembering my ten-year-old frightened self huddled in the dark.

“I planned to come back that night. I had already packed blankets, a lamp, and biscuits when Louis came back with you,” Jared throws in as if I didn’t know that.

I remember Louis’s crooked smile and the words that had sounded like the best ones I ever heard.

“Let’s get you out of here. I would rather not spend the night on this stone floor.”

“And in the morning, he sneaked me back down there. I rubbed a little dirt on myself, and no one was the wiser.”

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