After the water came to a boil, Briar added tea leaves into some kind of device and infused it. He then poured a cup and stirred in some milk and sugar before handing it to me. I sniffed it before taking a sip.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“Not as amazing as my favorite bean juice, but still damn good.” I took a bigger drink.
He smiled. It was a good look on him.
“Sorry I’m late,” Thane said as he burst into the clinic, blond hair sticking up in the back and eyes still pink from sleeping hard. “I’ll start making healing tonics right away.”
“Have a cup of tea first,” Briar told him. “I’ve already brewed the tonics.”
Thane’s shoulders relaxed, and he nodded. “Some apprentice I am.”
“It’s a learning process,” Briar said. “I have full faith in you.”
The younger male beamed and grabbed the cup Briar poured for him.
A while later, the three of us entered the medical wing. My eyes instantly moved to the back of the room where Maddox still slept. Wanting to let him rest as long as possible, I assisted Briar as he checked the other knights’ wounds and changed their bandages.
They didn’t look like the same bunch I’d seen the night before. Many of them were sitting up in their cots, chatting with us and with each other. Some smiled. The one who had been unconscious was awake and doing a lot better.
Duke and Quincy sat up, speaking about the attack. Quincy’s arm was bandaged and in a sling, but he seemed to be in better spirits, considering the pain he’d endured.
“You would’ve slayed them all,” Quincy said to me. “Evan the Small and Mighty.”
Duke grinned.
The air felt lighter. The warm sunlight streaming into the room probably helped. It was a new day, and all of them had lived to see it.
“I should make them breakfast,” Briar said as we exited the medical wing to discard the soiled bandages. He frowned at his workstation. “I also need to head to the apothecary for more supplies.”
“Let me handle breakfast,” I told him. “I may not be the best cook in the world, but it’s edible, at least.”
“More than edible if last night’s dinner is any indication,” Briar responded with a gentle gleam in his eyes. He nodded to the stove. “If you need anything, let me know. Otherwise, I’ll leave you to it.”
His confidence in me was reassuring. Made me happy too.
“I can help,” Thane offered.
“Nah, it’s okay. Go sit down and rest for a bit. I got this.”
What meal could I make that would feed a group? Something that could be cooked in a large pot, probably. After checking the small pantry, I found oats and decided on my famous hearty oatmeal. Okay, maybe it wasn’t exactly famous, but I loved eating it, so close enough. It was also quick and could feed multiple people. I also found eggs, bell peppers, and cheese and decided to make egg muffins, which were also easy and quick.
I found a large pot and got to work. As the oats cooked, I beat eggs into a bowl, chopped the peppers, combined the mixture, and seasoned with garlic and salt.
“You seem at home in the kitchen,” Thane said as he ground herbs.
“You think so?” I focused on the oats. “I guess I am. It’s always helped calm my mind.” Made me feel a little less alone as I got lost in baking desserts.
Briar returned with a bag of supplies and went over to the workstation, helping Thane with another batch of tonics. I watched, fascinated, as Thane held a vial, closed his eyes, and infused magic into it. The liquid glowed.
“Nice work,” Briar said with a nod. He then approached me and looked into the pot on the stovetop. He closed his eyes as he breathed it in. “That smells excellent.”
“Thank you.” I added a few spoonsful of honey and stirred it in. “If you’re good, I’ll let you have a bowl.”
His nose crinkled with a smile. “I suppose I should be on my best behavior, then.”
“There’s egg muffins too.”
