Not letting the war follow her back into her home.
Theira wrenched her focus back to the table, fighting inexplicable tears.
Varius hadn’t met her at the door a second time, but only because he’d been making her lunch. Hecouldmake her lunch, and she could eat it without fear. He knew her well enough to know what she’d need, even when she hadn’t asked for it. And she’d thought he’d decided he couldn’t help her? She should have knownhimbetter than that.
She’d missed the welcome, but the feeling of finding him working in her kitchen on her behalf—she didn’t have words for this.
Varius set his tray down across from her. “Can I make you some tea?”
“No, thank you. I’ll get some myself in a bit.”
Varius narrowed his eyes, and Theira absurdly found herself flushing. The response had been reflexive, but it alsowouldbe more expedient for her to brew something herself than to try to explain to him how to make it properly.
She was suddenly getting the sense that he wouldn’t accept that answer for long.
If he were here for a long time, anyway.
“The soup is perfect,” she said instead, softer than she’d intended. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” Varius rumbled.
Theira suppressed a shiver. At his voice, and at the suspicion that he meant that literally.
She was welcome. With him. What was she supposed to do with that?
Her eyes snagged on his tray, and her breath caught.
Varius had reassembled the shattered mug—mostly.
He followed her gaze. “I thought I’d take stock of what we could do with this. It’s missing a big piece, though.”
We.
She was a First-Tier Adept Sorceress, the only one alive who’d eluded the best efforts of both Korossia and the Aurelian Empire, she was the Sorceress bloody Transcendent, and she wouldnotcry.
“It’s embedded in Kryseia’s heart,” Theira explained.
“Ah.” He nodded, like this was a normal thing to say to someone, and she supposed for them it was. “Well, normal glue probably wouldn’t have worked anyway. We’ll have to figure out something else. Do you have sorcerous glue?”
“I could make some.” Not something she’d ever considered.
Something new, she could use her skill for. Not instead of, but in addition to destruction.
A project she didn’t have to do alone.
“There was a pottery book in my room. I’ll take a look at that later, unless you have another idea?”
Beyond words, Theira mutely shook her head.
Varius nodded, like they’d decided on a plan of action. Theira’s head spun, but it was possible that was just due to dehydration so she ate some more soup in case that would help.
“So,” he said, and Theira breathed a sigh of relief—he was ready to talk business, a thing she knew how to do.
But he heard her exhale and paused, trying to work out what it meant.
Varius apparently, thankfully, decided not to press, though, because he continued, “What problems will this cause for you? Tychon didn’t interfere when you left before, even if he didn’t like it, but now that you’ve stood against him I can’t see him letting that go.”
Theira nodded, ripping off a chunk of bread to dip in the soup. “He won’t. But he’s also not so arrogant that he’ll come after me here, where I’ve had years to control the ground. Certainly not now that I’ve proved I’m ready.”
