She glanced at her companion for confirmation. They nodded. “Yes. And stew, if you have it.”
“You’re in luck,” I said as I tucked the soggy towel into my apron. “Coming right up.”
I strode to the kitchen to prepare their order.
I scooped stew into two bowls—a smashed pumpkin andcorn medley with a thick, rich broth. It looked appetizing, but the smell threatened to make me sick.
My thoughts churned instead of flowing in a straight line. I felt like I was simply going through the motions of my day, though my mind continued to wander. It was somewhere far away.
It could have been the sleepless night, but I didn’t necessarily feeltired.
I just felt… off. Aside from the hangover.
I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. The ball was over… but what now? Life would just go back to normal? What was my new normal?
“You alright, boss?” Tandor asked as he shouldered past me to grab a bowl of stew for his own table.
“Yep. Why?”
“You’ve been filling those bowls for a while now.”
I set the ladle down with a thunk and scrubbed the heel of my hand over my forehead. “Just a bit off today.”
He chuckled. “You need to try some of Kizzi’s hangover tea blend—it’s magical. Literally. I feel right as rain.”
“And you didn’t bring me any?” I asked grumpily.
He stepped around me and back into the dining area, bowl of stew in hand. “Sorry, I forgot. Next time!”
Tea sounded wonderful right now—tea of any kind. But I didn’t want to bother Kizzi. I was sure she was still on edge from Raine’s dalliance around town last night.
The blue dragon had returned on her own and was simply waiting on the porch of Tandor’s cottage when the folk woke up this morning, sheltered from the storm. The creature stayed outside instead of going in, which was very unlike her.
I was just glad she returned safely.
The dragons were becoming braver and braver as the days passed, and while it was heartwarming to see them growing into themselves, it was also terrifying to watch them venture further. As they grew and changed, I wrote down every single detail in my dragon journal, but the changes still felt staggering.
It was almost like they didn’t need us anymore—they could fill their days with their own activities.
I sniffled, swiping the back of my hand over my eyes.
My Brambleby often explored with his siblings, but he still hadn’t shown any signs of manifesting a magical power. No flames, no ice, no water, nothing. And still very little energy.
But I loved him, and he was the most perfect creature in the entire realm—magic be damned.
Magic was overrated anyway.
I placed the ales and bowls of stew on a tray and hoisted it onto my shoulder, careful to keep it level, and marched back to the table.
The dining room seemed darker than before. Perhaps another storm was forming outside, obscuring the light of the dual suns.
“Congratulations, by the way,” the human said as I dropped off her lunch and turned to help the next customer.
“Huh?”
“Miss Moonvale. Very impressive!”
I smiled tightly. “Oh. Right. That. Thank you.”
