“Drilling,” I interjected.

“?drilling earlier, you were thinking?”

“No. Then, I was just drilling.”

Ergon entered. Four silently moving servants followed in his wake. I purposefully kept pacing, but Avril straightened in her seat, moving her feet off the arm of the chair and slipping them under the table.

“We took into consideration some of your suggestions.” Ergon bowed politely over Avril, who gazed up at him. “I hope you find our lunch selections more to your taste.”

“I am sure it will be delicious,” she assured him with a friendly smile. “Breakfast was delicious.”

“You are too kind. Your expression said otherwise.”

“I just didn’t expect such strong seasoning.”

“Not everyone shares Master Whispier’s tastes.” Ergon didn’t even have the presence of mind to look uncomfortable expressing a less than flattering opinion of my preferences. In fact, he smiled graciously down at my companion.

“If you objected, you should’ve said something,” I snapped.

“We have no objections, Master Whispier. Our food is prepared separately.” He turned and bowed to me with his customary reserve. “Your meal was prepared as you prefer.”

Ergon and the others retreated, and suddenly Avril and I were alone again. “What is wrong with the way I season my food?”

“Nothing.” She shrugged. “If you wish to sear your tastebuds to numbness, it is your own prerogative. I prefer more subtle seasoning.”

She picked up her fork and loaded it with a bite. Then, after appearing to taste it with her complete attention, she smiled. “Delicious. I will have to let Ergon and the cook know.” Loading another forkful, she glanced up at me. “If you are finished thinking, I recommend eating. Aren’t some of your underlings due to return with their reports this afternoon?”

“They are.” I pulled out my chair and sat. “And I am fully capable of eating and thinking at the same time.”

“I never thought you weren’t.” She blinked at me innocently, but I was not deceived.

We ate in silence for a few moments.

“Are you always this disgruntled?” She suddenly asked.

“No.” I stabbed a bite of meat.

We ate in silence for a few minutes. Then a soft plunk of something small striking the table next to my plate brought my attention into sharp focus. My fork stilled.

With a delicate ping, a pea bounced off my water glass and landed in the cheese sauce, coating my broccoli. I lifted my head.

Avril hastily picked up her fork, but not before I saw her wipe her fingers on the linen napkin in her lap.

My eyebrows lifted. “Testing the bond?”

“Naturally.” She shoveled a bite into her mouth and chewed with apparent innocence.

I set down my utensils. “Peas are hardly weapons.”

“Unless they are poisoned.” A gleam of something playful flickered in her dark eyes, but no further trace of amusement made it through her expression.

“I doubt they are poisoned. My cook has been employed by me for decades. If he meant me harm, I suspect he would have made more of a move before now than poisoned peas.”

“Maybe he suddenly has a motive.”

I closed my eyes. “What possible motive would he have to harm me?”

She opened her mouth, but a soft thump of someone landing heavily on the floor behind me interrupted. I reached for my magic. The spell for summoning my weapon tingled my fingertips before I rose and turned to face the new arrivals.