“Where’s Sorven?” Gramma Prisca ladled stew into one of the bowls.
Conscious that Cassia was still frozen at his side, chewing her lip nervously, Aevrin pulled out the nearest chair and gestured for her to take it. She gave him a surprised look, then moved her lips in a silent thank you and sat. He took the chair next to her.
“Fussing on Cobrid like a broody hen,” Mavek answered.
“Now, Iknowthat boy knows it's suppertime. If he polishes that dragon’s scales one more time, the poor duck will be shiny as a mirror.” Gramma pursed her lips. She handed the first bowl to Cassia, who took it in both hands with another quiet thankyou. Cassia had a somewhat skeptical look on her face as she peered into the bowl.
“Let him be. You know he’s in love with that dragon,” Aevrin’s father said, emerging back into the room with a plate of millet-bread cut into squares. “You want an ale, Cassia? You drink ale? Or nettle wine?”
“Water’s fine, Master Riveker.” She set her bowl down on the table and tucked her hands on her lap.
“Suit yourself.” His father took a seat at one end of the table with a shrug.
“You see if any of those clothes fit you?” Gramma Prisca asked Cassia as she ladled herself a bowl of stew and sat down at the head of the table, leaving the men to serve themselves. Mavek got up abruptly and left the room, returning with a mug of ale from the pantry keg.
“Not just yet,” Cassia admitted, glancing down at the tunic straining over her large chest and thick arms.
“Be sure you do. Sath, I heard back from that new buyer today.”
Aevrin ladled himself a bowl of stew. The color was mostly gray, but flecked with herbs, the scent rich. Cassia was prodding at hers dubiously with a spoon. Maybe she was a fussy eater, though they didn’t eat anything too complicated out here. Good, simple food; she’d see.
“Oh, yeah? What’d they say, ma?” Sathuel Riveker answered.
“So, they catch the guy yet?” Mavek asked Cassia as he handed her the plate of millet-bread. Aevrin watched the way Cassia flinched, so slight he wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t altogether focused on her.
“Lay off,” Aevrin growled to his brother.
“What? I’m just asking.” Mavek grinned wolfishly, clearly pleased Aevrin was annoyed. Cassia very carefully selected apiece of bread and passed the plate to Aevrin, who took it two-handed and fought not to stare into her eyes all the while.
“It was kind of you to give me a ride,” Cassia answered, ignoring the question entirely. “Thank you.”
Aevrin didn’t understand why she was protecting the asshole who’d harmed her. What was all the secrecy about, her unwillingness to even admit someone had hurt her? All he could come up with was that it was her sweetheart, and she was still in love with the guy even with how badly she’d been mistreated. What if the moment she left Riveker ranch she went straight back to a man who’d beat her and dumped her in the mountains?
That didn’t sit well with him, not one bit. Aevrin took a piece of millet-bread with a frown and a heavy sigh, then passed the plate on.
Feeling attracted to Cassia was dangerous, he realized. Sure, she was a beauty, minus the bruises and the bad fit of the clothes. But he didn’t know a thing about her, and she was fresh out of something bad. Something she was still loyal to, if she weren’t willing to point a finger at her attacker. It was heartbreak waiting to happen, because the odds of her staying were mighty slim. So he was going to focus on being a gentleman, and helping her back on her feet. And maybe, if something changed down the line…no,he thought firmly.Don’t go getting your hopes roped up. She’s not for you. She’s just pretty, that’s all.
“Most exciting thing to happen here all year. I wasn’t gonna miss it,” Mavek was telling her. “So, where you from, Miss Cassia?”
“East,” she answered, which was really no answer at all. Everything was east of here.
“Mavek. You rode the whole fenceline today?” Aevrin interrupted. He didn’t like the way Mavek was smiling at Cassia.
The front doorslammed shut.
“You’re late, Sorven,” Gramma Prisca bellowed.
“Sorry, Gramma!”
“You eating with us?” she yelled back as Sorven’s footsteps thudded upstairs instead of into the dining room.
“Be right down,” he called back.
“This family eatsdinner together.”
“Yes ma’am,” Sorven’s muffled voice said.
“Yeah, no holes in the wall,” Mavek told Aevrin as he fished around his stew for a good bite.
