Page 34 of Rage of Her Ravens

“Aren’t you having any?” I asked when he handed us the plate.

He shook his head. “We ate below.”

“Below?” I asked.

“There’s a clear stream below the mountain,” he said. “We’ve already scanned the area for threats. We’ll take you there after breakfast.”

I nodded at that, then swallowed back my unease, realizing Draevyn was probably at the stream.

Nikkos handed me a bladder of water. “Sorry, we only have water.”

“Water’s fine,” I said. It’s not like the girls and I were used to anything better. We occasionally drank tea when my father was able to get some from the satyrs, but the tea leaves were usually stale.

We shared the water, and I took the smallest piece of bread while my nieces gobbled theirs down, not even waiting for the fish.

The bread tasted far better than my mother’s hard oat cakes. The honey was sublime, mildly sweet with a hint of lavender, and the fish was seasoned perfectly with a delicious flaky and buttery crust. After we finished breakfast, I gathered my cloak and my mates rolled up their bedrolls and started putting out the fire.

The girls stood, dusting crumbs off their dresses. Then they grasped hands, sharing serious looks, and I knew they were speaking telepathically. Elements help me, they were plotting something.

Tugging her sister behind her, Aurora went to Blaze, grasping his fingers while offering him a shy smile. “May we please have more bread and honey?”

Blaze smiled down at her, patting her head. “No, sorry. We have to conserve until we get home.”

I heaved a sigh when both girls pouted.

“You’ve had enough to eat,” I reprimanded.

Aurora hung her head. “Yes, Auntie.”

Blaze went back to putting out the fire.

But then Nikkos knelt beside them, pure kindness reflecting in his eyes. “We’ll be at our estate in a few days, and Cook will make us cakes, tarts, and all kinds of pies.”

The girls perked up at that. “Really?”

He smiled. “Yes, really.”

Aurora scratched the back of her head. “What’s a tart?”

He gave me a funny look as if my nieces had been raised by trolls. “It’s a sweet pastry.”

“What’s a pastry?” Ember asked him.

He slowly stood, pity reflected in his eyes. “Trust me, you’ll like them.”

Aurora crossed her arms, her brows drawn in an adorable but serious expression. “Will there be tea?”

“All kinds of tea,” he answered.

“Will it be stale?” Ember pressed.

Blaze laughed, and Nikkos shot him a glare before turning back to my nieces. He scratched his chin, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “No, why?”

“Pappo only gets us stale tea,” Ember answered.

Nikkos gave me a sort of hopeless look. I could only shrug while hiding a smile behind my hand.

“I promise the tea won’t be stale,” he said to them, “and you can sweeten it with cream and sugar.”