Page 161 of Season Warriors & Wolves

She jolted upright in her chair, a hand over her heart. “Who let you in?”

“I let me in, sweet Nia.” Throwing an arm around her shoulders, I gave her a little hug she liked for whatever reason. “Brought you a snack.”

Her eyes widened at the carrots so animatedly that I regretted not bringing her the whole fresh crate I bought at the market. Immediately, she dropped whatever plant she was grinding up. “With a spicy yoghurt dip?”

“With a spicy yoghurt dip,” I said, pulling a small jar from my pocket.

She hugged me again. I let her. She could have whatever she liked.

Once she settled on a stool to eat, I went through her notes. Neat and clear as always. Concise. Lined with pretty pen colours. Many visual aids were drawn beside the heavy writing. I was in the presence of a genius. “Any discovery?”

Her head lowered. “This is supposed to be the work of a Potioner, but minus the dark magic. I am no Potioner, not even a Magi-healer, Cai, I have no idea what I am doing.”

“Doesn’t look like it to me.”

She sighed. “Oryn said Macaria was going to send a Potioner to help me figure out some stuff, but she can’t get close to where I am working. This is no use. I’m wasting time for nothing.”

“Nonsense,” Snow said, skipping inside the room, touching every little potted plant in sight like she was some flower spirit. “Ohh, carrots. Yum.” She swallowed, her mouth pulling to a small cringe, not even hiding it. “I brought you some cheese and honey pastry from Samira’s.” She smugly showed me her tongue when our starved friend jumped up and down from happiness.

Nia squirmed in her seat, peeling the paper bag open and taking a massive bite on Samira’s specialty. “The future's looking brighter now. Scratch all that hogwash I said before.”

“Changing the world one hungry friend at a time,” I said, pinching Snow’s fatty cheek.

“Hands off,” her husband growled, suddenly overcrowding my space. He lowered a concoction of a grass-like assortment before Nia and then pried Snow to his side. “Hazelnut and balsamic vinegar salad. Your favourite.”

“It is not,” I said. Who the fuck had a favourite salad?

“It is,” Nia whispered for only me to hear and then ducked her head.

“Don’t let hunger get the best of you,” I whispered back.

“I am a weak woman, I’m sorry.”

During the whole ordeal, Snow had found herself right in front of some cacti, poking her finger on them. “She’s on the loose again,” I said to her husband.

He glanced at her and then at me. “So?”

“In about a minute—”

“Ah,” Snow yelped, sucking on her finger.

“A small miscalculation.”

“By fifty-nine seconds. Not small,” Nia mumbled, her mouth fully stuffed with food.

I sneered. “Eat your salad, Nia.”

“Why is this thing breathing?” Snow asked, still by the cacti, reminding me well why she did indeed need her keeper.

Thankfully he’d already taken her side, a little closer than necessary. Letting me see well how happy he made her. How easily he’d made that happen.

“An aqua cactus,” Nia replied. “Sort of breathes like a human when it is out of water. I used to make mud foam for your stomach with it.”

Kilian uncapped a water bottle and handed it to Nia. The bastard was a bit too nice for my liking. “Have you managed anything yet?”

“Not enough to test it.”

“You’re doing great, Nia, do not push yourself harder than you can bear. We still have the anima acissor if nothing can be done any other way. This is not a burden you need to bear alone. Do you understand?”