Though destiny had chosen Tavia for this particular quest, he was certain.
Lucius did his best to maintain an air of confidence, even though his internal emotions were raw. The only thing keeping him moving forward was his missing artifact. The one that had been on him the night Hacinda betrayed him.
Even thinking her name brought out a feral need to obliterate that trickster fae.
But he would not let one life-changing betrayal dampen his mood.
“Ahh, here we are,” he said, stopping at a café called Twinki’s Delights.
The front of the shop had windows from which one could admire the delectable dishes the patrons were eating.
Opening the door, he motioned for Tavia to walk in.
It was early, and the place remained relatively empty.
A tall, skinny fae with greenish skin and large, pointed ears approached them.
“Table for two,” Lucius said before the server could respond.
He didn’t recognize this fae, and Twinki’s Delights had been one of his favorite places to eat before he turned.
“Sure, right this way,” the server said, leading them to a table in the corner.
Ever the gentleman, Lucius pulled out the chair for Tavia, who sat.
“Thank you,” she said, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly as if she had never been treated properly before.
The waitressdropped two menus on the table. “Can I get you two something to drink?”
“A deep bodied red for me, and my wife will have . . .” he paused, allowing Tavia to speak for herself, but her wide-eyed, panicked expression made him think the options were too overwhelming. “One glass of honey apple juice and a hot whipped chocolate drink.”
“Very well. I’ll be back with those drinks.”
Tavia frowned and he wondered if he had already soiled the marriage. “My apologies. I wouldn’t have ordered for you, but you seemed frazzled at all the choices.”
“I am,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve never seen so many different kinds of cakes, pancakes, and soups. How do you choose?”
Relaxing back in the seat, Lucius admired the overwhelmed expression on his bride. “By selecting the ones that have your favorite flavors. Surely, you have some?”
“Chocolate. My father would always bring back some when he went to the village, which wasn’t often.”
There was a sadness when she spoke of her father, and though Lucius wanted to pry a bit, he decided to keep the conversation light.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten here, but you can’t go wrong with the chocolate scones. They come with a delectable fresh cream and berries.”
“What are you having?” Tavia asked, a sudden light in her worried gaze.
The waitress returned with the drinks. Lucius picked up the wine.
“This is enough for me,” he said before taking a long sip.
“Are you ready to order?” The server asked, taking out a paper pad and pencil.
Tavia nodded and gave her order exactly as Lucius had described it.
When the waitress left, Tavia stared at the two drinks before taking the hot whipped chocolate one. When her lips touched the sweet liquid, her gaze widened in delight.
Lucius chuckled, pleased that his new companion was so enthralled with a bit of chocolate.
