Page 66

“My God…” Julius whispered in something like awe. “She was right.”

“Rye, can Kahn take all the food for himself?” Mannus whined in the Light Phase dialect.

“He just did.”

This was seriously the funnest dinner Isaacs had ever attended. “Randa’s got a real talent, doesn’t she, Kahn? I told her she should go to one of the humans’ cooking schools to learn more of their recipes. She’d enjoy it.”

“Those schools are too expensive.” Randa demurred.

Isaacs scoffed. Human money was easy to come by unless you were determined to make it hard. “For Gaia’s sake, I’ll pay for it. Your pride gets in the way of logic sometimes.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I can survive just fine on my own.” Randa continued to watch Kahn. “Um… Would you like some potatoes, Kahn?”

“What are those?”

She pushed a bowl of mashed potatoes towards him in answer, apparently fascinated by the Light Houses’ idea of table manners.

He reluctantly stopped inhaling his pot roast long enough to taste them. “…Goddamn.” He heaped about five pounds of mashed potatoes onto his already overflowing plate. “What the hell could this human cooking school teach that you don’t already know?”

Randa blinked.

“Why are you not eating?” Kahn plunked a giant scoop of potatoes onto her plate, as well. “You’re too thin. Eat.”

“I think you’re lovely, Panda.” Isaacs cooed. Although… Damn it, he cared more about her health than pissing off Kahn. “Perhaps, you could eat a little more, though.”

She gasped in dramatic outrage.

Isaacs quickly held up his palms. “It’s just I can feel that you’ve lost weight, since…” He stopped short.

Randa shook her head almost imperceptibly. The Air Powers felt it. She hadn’t told Kahn about Parald. That wasn’t good. A lot of people already knew. If the Light Phase heard it from someone else, it could be an issue.

“…since you came to the human realm.” He finished with barely a hitch, shielding her secrets, even though it was a bad idea.

Randa sighed in relief.

Kahn noticed his slight pause, though. Isaacs could feel a stillness in him, now.

Shit.

“If Kahn is eating, can we eat?” Daven implored. “I want to try the potato mash, too.”

Julius shrugged. “Ask Kahn. It’s his woman who made it.”

Daven was not going to ask Kahn. All four Light Phases were observing him as if he was a bomb about to detonate. It was probably the smart play. You could only push a man so far before he went over the edge.

And Isaacs delighted in crossing lines. Especially when it worked as a distraction. Diverting Kahn’s attention away from his small slip was the least he could do. And if it aggravated the Light Phase, so much the better.

“Well, I’m stuffed.” Isaacs sat back, like nothing unusual was happening. “Almost, anyway. What kind of dessert are we having today, Panda?”

“Apple pie.” She said faintly, her attention back on Kahn and his massive appetite.

“Why, that’s my very favorite!”

“I know. It’s why I made it for you.” Her voice was sterner now, like she was catching onto his game. “That’s why I make it for you every week.”

“Just for me.” Isaacs said with a condescendingly contented nod in Kahn’s direction. “But you can have a small piece of my apple pie, Light Phase. I insist.”

Kahn muttered something particularly vile about Isaacs’ parentage. Having known his mother, Isaacs didn’t bother to take offense. Kahn was probably right about her.