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“No.” Her eye twinkled. “I don’t think you’re capable of subtlety, Kahn.”

He lifted a shoulder, not denying it. “It’s easier just to say what I feel. I loved dinner. None of us were fans of those cherry Pop-Tarts. I should warn you the others are going to want your cooking now, too.”

“Aren’t they scared I’ll poison them?”

Kahn heard the edges to the sharp question. Belatedly, he realized their customs had hurt her feelings. Fuck. “It means a great deal in Light House culture when someone prepares a meal for us and we accept it.” He rushed to explain. “It’s a sign of love and respect and commitment.”

“Trust.” Randa summed up sourly.

“Family.” Kahn clarified. “We only do communal meals with family. …And during courting rituals.”

Randa’s lips parted in surprise.

“Thank you for sharing your table with me.” Kahn said very formally, just as his mother would have expected him to with the girl he had chosen. “It was an honor.”

“You’re welcome.” She whispered.

“I would like to cook for you in return.”

“You cook?”

“I try. At least I used to.” Kahn gratefully steered the conversation towards something less fraught. “It won’t compare to your food, but I learned some basic recipes for my sisters.”

“Okay, then. It would be nice to share a kitchen with someone again.” Randa gave a small smile.

“For me, it would be the first time sharing a kitchen. None of the girls liked cooking, so it fell on me to keep us fed.” He paused. “Prinny liked to bake, but that was a whole different problem, because she was horrible at it. The worst possible baker you could ever imagine. She once nearly poisoned the whole family with a red frog cake.”

Randa’s expression brightened. She enjoyed hearing about his sisters. He’d noticed that the night before. It struck him that she was lonely. So was Kahn, but at least he knew what it meant to have siblings, and his cousin Mara, and a House that cared about him. Randa had never had that experience.

“Was the cake shaped like a red frog or was it flavored with red frog toxin?” She asked with interest.

“Both.” A grin tugged at his mouth. “It was a hell of a birthday.”

Randa snickered the tiniest bit, and Kahn felt a rush of satisfaction. He had done that. He had made her happy, just for a minute.

“I didn’t know the Light House celebrated birthdays.” She edged half a step closer to him. “Most Kingdoms don’t bother, since Phases get so many. The Water House is very intent on having one for Gion, though. I’m supposed to make a penguin cake for it. Maybe your sister would’ve liked that.”

Holy shit! She’d moved towards him, just like Isaacs said she would. Kahn forced himself to stay still. “Prinny would’ve loved to see your cake. And she’d love Gion’s party at Happy Apple-whatevers, too. Especially if Isaacs is going to sabotage it somehow. Prinny enjoyed a good prank.”

His sister had never missed a chance to laugh. She’d died young, but she’d lived every single day she was here. Kahn found some measure of peace in that knowledge.

“I can’t believe I agreed to go to Gion’s party.” Randa rolled her eyes. “He and I are not on the best terms, so I thought participating could be a peace offering. But I already know Isaacs will ensure the whole thing turns into a disaster.”

“Fuck him.” Kahn had no idea why Gion and Randa didn’t get along, but he was fully ready to blame the smirking idiot in the sinister cape. Next to Isaacs and Saxon, Gion was the least likable Air Phase. Really none of them were particularly likable. “Gion’s always been an asshole.”

Randa shook her head. “It was my fault, not his. I was very desperate when I left Parald. I wasn’t acting rationally. I lied to Gion, pretending to be his Match.”

“You pretended to…?”

“He didn’t believe it.” Randa waved a hand, cutting him off. “It was so stupid. But Parald wasn’t growing bored as quickly as I’d hoped he would. And I was scared that he’d kill me, if I didn’t do as he…” She broke off, like she’d just said too much.

Kahn waited, his jaw locked.

She cleared her throat. “I think I’ll go to bed.” She quickly headed for her room. “Good night.”

Kahn took a deep breath. “My sister, Tonia, loved drawing.” He said, hoping his sisters could lead him through this. “I told you that, right?”

“Um, yes. You did.” Randa’s steps slowed. “You said she was an artist.”