Page 20 of Bound By Blood
He took it, set it down, and then sat on it gingerly. "Thank you." A pause followed. Then, he cleared his throat. "Would you tell me about your day?"
"It isn't particularly interesting."
He shrugged but continued to watch her, his amethyst eyes far softer now.
"Fine." She sighed. "I suppose we could talk about something. Even though my days are really just a whole lot of nothing."
She launched into a full account of her morning and all the chores and tasks, and he listened with very little commentary, his gaze fixed on her as if it really wasn't the most boring thing he had ever heard in all his life.
THE DANGERS WITH BLOOD FAE
It was hard for Erryn to fathom that anything she had to say could be that interesting, but Ryul continued to listen, occasionally asking questions about soup and cooking and people. Especially whether people around here were friendly or if they disliked strangers and whether a lot of people came through. Boring him with the tedious details of her chores and practices all the way up to the noon hour did not appear to dissuade him at all. She didn't tell him past that.
And when it was time to eat, he insisted again that she join him. She pulled her own stool up near the window, though she still wasn't close enough for him to reach through. It was a little awkward to sit on a backless stool with no table in front of her and eat soup. But she balanced herself carefully, with one foot hooked over the stool's rung as she took a bite. The soft white beans, rich pork broth, and pungent thyme reminded her of autumn festivals and all the different bean soups. Warmth spread through her, bittersweet and strong.
As she glanced up, she realized he was watching her. Then he smiled. The warmth spread a little faster. Her gaze dropped back down to the savory dish cradled in her hand, her palm protected by the thick bottom.
"It's good," he said.
"Good." She took another bite, savoring it and focusing on the smooth texture of the beans. It actually was. What made it nicer was being able to share a meal with someone. "Is this fixing your magic?"
"Can't tell." He shoveled a couple more bites. "Still good, regardless."
By the time she finished her one bowl of soup, he finished the rest of the pot and then fetched her more water so she could wash it out. She scoured and cleaned it as he asked more questions about soup making and where she got her recipes. Nothing important. But still pleasant.
Buttons ran between the window and the sink or counter, sometimes barking and sometimes dancing about as he begged for scritches and belly rubs.
Then an hour or so before dawn, he left. This time, Ryul bid her and Buttons good night and promised to return the following night.
When she crawled into bed, she found it a little harder to drift asleep despite her exhaustion. Was it just a game to him? Was he just toying with her?
Maybe.
You really couldn't rule that out with strangers.
The following day started with a lighter haze and slightly cooler weather. She spent more time out in the grass with Buttons, playing fetch and running alongside him. He leaped and jumped, sometimes straight into the air, his wings twitching.
"Are you trying to fly, baby boy?" she asked.
He barked and leaped again.
Sweeping didn't get done. Neither did shaking the rugs and a few other chores, but she set to the chopping and prepping. Soon, the kitchen steamed with heat and savory scents, banishing all traces of the morning's relative coolness.
Today required an extra pot of summer bounty because Eddie was coming to pick up the whole pot for her shut-in tour. In winter, she'd take two. Erryn didn't even bother to dish up the soup for that order. She just used the dented old pot that Eddie had given her back at the start, and they swapped pots for the week.
Traelan stopped in, earlier in the afternoon this time but after the midday rush. "I'll have some of that bean soup you were making yesterday," he said a little too cheerily as he rubbed his hands together briskly.
"Oh, I already sold it all." She avoided scowling or rolling her eyes as she picked up the wooden spoon and gestured to the biggest pot of simmering goodness. "But I've got extra vegetable. That's what you wanted yesterday, right?"
He chuckled, hands now braced against his silver belt. "Seems odd you sold out of it so fast. And there isn't even a dirty pot."
"Are you offering to help me wash the dishes? Very kind of you, but it's all right. I took care of everything." She gestured to the line of clean pots on the back counter. "So…vegetable, chicken, or summer bounty?"
"My, my, you are efficient. Summer bounty and vegetable."
"Mixed or separate?"
"Surprise me."
