“And what is my role here?” Evangeline asks, body rigid, as if she already knows the answer.
I will not lie to her. I meet her gaze, fierce and determined. “You, dear Evangeline, hold our fate in your hands. You will either be the one who saves us, or the one who falls alongside us.”
Chapter 14
Evangeline
Niko’s words hang heavy in the air, suffocating me. Even Finnick, who has kept his jovial disposition since I’ve arrived, looks grave. All the fae appear scared, even if they won’t admit it. Their gazes bore into me with unbridled hope. Hope I will be the salvation their kingdom so desperately needs. That expectation placed upon me is hard to swallow, especially since I’m still not fully convinced Ender didn’t make a mistake.
I suppose Ender made the connection of my love for cooking and their need for food. As good as I am in the kitchen, I can’t magically make meals out of poisoned or rotten food. Well, technically, I could, but it would only serve to make everyone even sicker than what they already are.
“We don’t have to figure everything out today,” Niko says at last, his voice breaking the heavy silence that settles over the room. Around us, a collective sigh rises—not one of relief, for true relief wouldonly come when the kingdom is safe, but a small release to ease the suffocating tension.
Niko offers a kind smile, though it barely touches his tired eyes. I catch the same weariness in his gaze I saw in Zephyr’s. “You mentioned you were making breakfast?” His tone is gentle, almost hopeful for a moment of normalcy.
Despite myself, my gaze flickers down the counter to Zephyr. He’s ice-cold and distant. Not mean, per se, but far from welcoming. He will be tough to crack, but I hope eventually Zephyr and I can become friends. Only friends, since he made it very clear he doesn’t want to marry me like Niko does.
It’s going to be a strange entanglement.
“Eva?” Finnick gently touches my shoulder, startling me out of my wayward thoughts. “You okay?”
No, I’m far from okay. But there’s no use in voicing that when it won’t change my predicament. Instead, I simply smile. “I’m good. Let me just get breakfast out.”
Knowing food is scarce, I feel bad for using so many ingredients in one dish. But neither Lady Thalia nor Finnick stopped me, so I don’t think I overstepped. Which is good because food gets me into my element.
“I’ll get the plates,” Lady Thalia says, gesturing for Finnick to help her.
While they work on that, I turn and check on the casserole in the oven. It’s not a conventional oven that I’m used to. This one takes literal fire to burn underneath, which must be manually started to work. Finnick wasn’t the best teacher, but we managed. Using oven mitts—which I brought from home—I grab hold of thecasserole pan—which I also brought from home—and remove the dish from the heat, placing it on the counter. The sweetness of the berries and syrup permeates the air, causing my stomach to rumble.
“That smells wonderful. What is it?” a voice comes from behind me, hand brushing my back. It’s a ghost of a touch. A whisper. And yet it ignites my body with unexpected heat. Niko’s large body hovers just over me, looking at the breakfast I made. Does he know he’s touching me? Why does it feel so natural?
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Zephyr watching us. His gaze is searing, burning a path down to where Niko’s hand rests lightly on my back. Heat rushes to my cheeks, as if we’ve been caught doing something far more scandalous than a simple, innocent touch. Flustered, I take a quick step to the side, creating a much-needed space between Niko and me. Niko notices immediately, and his brow furrows in a deep frown.
Anxiety frays the edges of my mind, but I focus on what I know. The food. “You didn’t have much, and now I know why. I made do, though. I used some of the day-old bread and cubed it up. Finnick showed me where the berries are?—”
“We have more berries?” Niko raises a brow, turning to his brother.
“We did. But I ate some and gave the last to Eve.”
“You ate all those berries? Finnick, we had three crates full.”
“And now we have none! Want me to regurgitate them for you? And I didn’t eat all of them; I gave some to the people of the forest.”
Niko and I make a face. “No, that won’t be necessary. But I am forbidding you from the food pantry since you can no longer be trusted around our supplies,” he admonishes.
Finnick murmurs something that sounds unkind before plopping down on Zephyr’s shoulder. A rare smile appears on Zephyr’s face as he gently flicks Finnick. “Thought you were lighter.”
“Oh, shut up,” Finnick mumbles.
“Here you are, dear girl,” Lady Thalia says as she appears at my side, offering me a stack of delicate plates—the kind adorned with intricate patterns, far too elegant for everyday use and more suited for an elaborate tea party. I accept them carefully, along with a polished serving spoon she presses into my hand. Moving down the table, I begin dishing out portions onto each plate. A quick scan of the table reveals no powdered sugar, so instead, I sprinkle each serving with a light dusting of granulated sugar and a pinch of cinnamon for flavor.
And now my favorite part, which is arguably also the worst part. I wait to see if they like my meal.
“What is this?” Zephyr pokes a piece of bread as if it were a science experiment rather than breakfast.
Doesn’t really give me the boost of confidence I was hoping for.
“It’s called cinnamon toast and berry casserole. I…I tend to favor sweet breakfast over savory. It was something I made a lot when I was younger and we didn’t have much food in our house. If you don’t like it, you can tell me. I can take it.” I really can’t, but all good chefs have flops. Not everyone is going to like my meals, and I have to be okay with that.
