Page 12 of The Lone Wolf Café
“Well, I assume you know what to do,” I chuckled.
Mavro peered up at me with his eyeless little face and let out a reassuring squeak.
I walked to the stove and knelt to inspect the firebox. From my experience back home, one of the trickiest parts of baking in a wood-burning stove was keeping the temperature consistent. I’d learned over the years to choose longer, slower-burning pieces of wood, and sometimes I’d open the oven door to let off some heat.
There were stories from the mainland about the humans, how they had ovens that operated with just the push of a button. Humans had their own kind of magic, calledtechnology– from what I’d heard, it made everything in their lives quick and convenient.
As curious as I was about the human world, I still loved magical beings and their slower-paced life. Even if our wood-burning oven back home was finicky and had to be monitored, I had fond memories of chilly nights huddled around its soothing warmth. The kitchen was the best place to be in the winter, and I was proud of how far my baking skills had come without the use of human gadgets.
The firebox was already stocked with wood, although I noticed there was less of it and was arranged in an odd pattern, almost like a nest. Within a few seconds, Mavro skittered up my arm and leaped into the pile of wood, snuggling into the firebox like it was a cozy bed.
What’s next…? Oh.I walked to the counter.Charcoal.
I dug through the lower cabinets until I came across the box Rowena had mentioned. I smiled as I retrieved an unusually large piece of charcoal and passed it through the firebox into Mavro’s tiny paws.
“Okay, little buddy.” I smiled. I found it amusing that elementals needed to be given treats to perform their tasks. “Now, what’s next?”
Mavro wasted no time answering that question. He took a large bite of the charcoal, made a few gravelly chewing noises, and burst into an ordinary blaze of flames.
I was startled at first, since the creature literally exploded in front of me. But the tiny squeak emitted from the now-shapeless flames reassured me this was part of the process.
I sighed as I closed the firebox and walked to the counter where my ingredients were still waiting for me. It could take up to an hour for a wood oven to reach the desired temperature. Even with the help of a fire elemental, I assumed it would still be a while.
At least long enough for me to get these prepped.I placed all my necessary bowls, measuring cups, and other tools in front of me, taking inventory of what I had. I concluded there were enough ingredients to make at least a dozen scones, maybe more.
I just hope Rowena likes them.I sighed. My ability to get a job, make money, and survive in this world depended on it.
Chapter Four
An hour later, I carefully studied Rowena’s face as she took her first bite.
“Damn,” she remarked, breaking off another piece and popping it in her mouth. “You really are an excellent baker. These are even better than your original batch.”
That’s because they’re not a day old and stale,I chuckled to myself.
Rowena slowed her chewing and swallowed, a sad frown on her face.
“That’s the problem, though,” she sighed.
Panic gripped my stomach.What’s wrong with them?
“What do you mean?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice from being high-pitched.
Rowena paused, holding up the scone and inspecting it under the dim glow of the café lighting. “It appears to be a perfectly normal pastry. I thought having you bake would bring out some of the dormant magic in you… if you had any…”
“Magic?” This time my voicewashigh-pitched. “But I’m a human.”
Yes, a perfectly normal human. Not a werewolf. Werewolves don’t have those kinds of magical abilities.
“About that…” Rowena walked to the counter and set the half-eaten pastry on a tiny rose-patterned plate. “I’m sure you’ve always assumed you were human. But there’s a slight problem… you shouldn’t be here in the first place.”
“What do you mean?”
“This whole village is warded.” Rowena gestured toward the door. “No one except witches can get in or out.”
I could practically feel the blood halting in my veins.What is she talking about? I’m not a witch. Is my werewolf magic somehow letting me through? Gods, what if she finds out…?
My mind was reeling, and I clutched a sweaty palm to my aching forehead. I needed to quell my anxiety, or my ears and tail would pop out right in front of Rowena.
