“I haven’t had it in so long,” she says dreamily.
I’m unable to suppress an enamored grin. “I am happy to change that.”
I tell her to wait in the living room, where she can curl up on the sofa while I make dinner. It is a simple meal I perfected all those years ago. It does not take long to brush up on the few but rapid steps needed to make carbonara well.
When the dish is done, not even thirty minutes later, I fill two wide bowls with it and join her in the living room so we can eat on the sofas.
“Wow, thank you so much, Norrell,” she squeals as I hand her a bowl. She immediately twists the fork into the noodles and scoops a heaping bite in her mouth. She hums her happiness as she chews exaggeratedly.
I chuckle at her silliness, part of her I have sorely missed. It warms me to see it again. “I did a good job it seems.”
“Mmm-hmm!” she agrees, her mouth still very full of that first bite.
Watching her eat fills me with deep contentment. I love making her happy, which can be as simple as making a much-loved meal. But there is so much more I wish I could do.
As we both dig in, the cats decide they will be more successful at begging if they split up, one of them claiming each of us. Vanny paws at my arm occasionally, rubbing the side of his face on me affectionately, as he begs for food. I do not give in, despite how cute he looks while doing it. I am unsure if she would want me to encourage him. After a few more bites, an eternity for the cats based on their reactions, Ada finally dips a finger into the cheesy, eggy sauce and offers it to Earl Grey. Immediately sensing his brother has succeeded, Vanny jumps to the coffee table and then positions himself on the other side of Ada to get his taste. Ada giggles as the boys lick the sauce away.
“So scratchy,” she murmurs as their little tongues move frantically and their purrs rumble endlessly. “They seem to love the meal too.”
After we polish off the meal, I stand up to take both of our bowls to the kitchen. As she hands me hers from across the coffee table, she reminds me, “Sunny is coming over tomorrow before her shift to check on the enchantments. It shouldn’t take too long. Don’t be surprised if you see her walking around. And the day after that is the election. I can’t believe the time has passed so quickly!”
My eyebrows raise in surprise. “I did not realize it was so soon.”
When I return from putting the dishes in the dishwasher and wiping up the counters, I sit down again on the sofa opposite Ada. “I will probably be working outside much of the day. So, Sunny will be free to do what she needs,” I assure her.
“She’s learned almost everything I can teach her, well, what Icouldteach her before everything happened. I’ll be sad when her apprenticeship ends. Even if my magick doesn’t come back, it’ll end next fall. If she wants to, I could recommend her to some colleagues who have similar specialties. But she seems ready to strike out on her own. There’s such artistry in her magick. Mine is so utilitarian in comparison,” she laments with a rueful laugh.
“I do not see it that way. You cast complex spells. It is why the charms and potions in your shop are in such high demand and why businesses here need your services to transform their materials into higher quality ones. Half of the materials used in that new development on Howling Road were spelled by you, I heard,” I remind her. She studied so much during that year at the academy after we met. Her magick was already in high demand by the time I returned to my clan.
She sighs, worrying her mouth into a thin line. “Werespelled by me,” she corrects. “Not anymore.”
I pause a moment to collect my thoughts. She watches me patiently, still knowing me well enough to recognize the look on my face when I have something to tell her. “Some progresswas made yesterday while interrogating the fae. Niven asked me specifically to talk to you about it based on what we learned. Darla was with us again. She had a vision this time, not just a hunch like before. The fae told us about two artifacts, both of fae making, that could expel the fae magick left in you that connects your lives. One can transfer life force between living beings and the other transfers magick. They sound dangerous, which is why they are hidden away. But Darla’s vision showed me traveling with these artifacts somewhere cold and snowy as I bring them back here.”
Her eyes widen and her shapely mouth is pressed flat, looking unduly worried. She stares at me for a long moment before asking quietly, “Are you leaving too?”
“Not yet. But at some point, I must retrieve those artifacts. I am not sure when that will be. My brother is talking to the elders about our need to obtain these artifacts if they are held by another clan. Their assistance in retrieving these will not be mandatory,” I tell her resolutely, so she does not worry about something else outside of her control.
“Fire and ashes, that all sounds so dangerous, Norrell!” she frets, rubbing her arms again.
“Nothing I cannot handle. It will be more of a negotiation than anything perilous,” I assure her, telling her a sanitized version of the most plausible truth. She does not look convinced. I am glad my mate cares so much for my safety though…
That thought almost undoes me, but I carefully blank my face in front of Ada. She is not my mate, as much as I wish she was again. Fire of the frost, that is a dangerous line of thinking right now. Too hopeful that I can overcome the long years of pain I inflicted upon her. The pain I witness in her every day.
As if the cats sense the shifting mood, Vanny climbs over Ada and stretches across the sofa with his feet pushing against herleg. Earl Grey hops over to me and curls into my side, a welcome distraction right now.
Diverting her attention away from the fae’s words and Darla’s Sight, I change the topic to something for her to look forward to. “What would you like to do for Yule this year? I will help you start planning for it.” My voice is too bright, and I know she will see through this tactic.
At first, her eyes narrow in suspicion but her face quickly softens, like she knows what I am doing and accepts it. She tilts her head, looking into the distance. “I’m not sure about Yule. With everything going on I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t even know if I’ll be involved in the coven’s rites this year.” She closes her eyes and tears line her lashes as she opens them again. “Usually, I invite Walt and Acton to celebrate with me. Sometimes friends from my coven will join as well. Ben and Cara might want to come over if they don’t have something planned with Ben’s parents. Though Ben’s parents would be welcome too…” she trails off, looking embarrassed. “Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. I can figure out invitations by myself. Do you think you’ll still be here?”
“I do, but only if you want me to be,” I answer honestly.
“Yes, that would be nice,” she confirms softly. Her lips curve into a gentle smile.
“We will make it a Yule to remember, whether or not you can join in the rites,” I comfort her.
“I’ll hold you to it,” she responds playfully, though it strengthens my resolve not to let her down.
“Gladly.” I will bring her vision of this year’s celebration to life however she wants it.
