Page 14 of The Tea Witch’s Secret

Eva waited to speak until she was gone. "Well, well. Li-an. Good for you."

"What's good for me, and why are you saying my name weirdly?" I asked, even more confused.

"No reason," she said, chuckling as if there was something really funny going on. She reached over to poke at Max. "Earth to Max. Stop thinking about that gorgeous man with the hare you just met."

He pushed her away and flattened his hair. "I wasn't thinking about Hugo."

"Sure you weren't," she teased, pointing out his face. "Then why are you blushing?"

"Because I'm drinking," he responded, lifting the tankard to take a sip.

"You haven't drunk much, so that can't be the reason your cheeks are red," I pointed out.

That made Eva laugh even more, and even though I didn't understand what was so funny, I was still glad to be hanging out with my cousins. It was moments like this, when we weren't doing our jobs, that I could forget the imbalance between us and just enjoy feeling like I was a part of this.

Chapter 9

Lian

The wooden floors creaked, and for some reason, it sounded louder at night than during the day. I winced as I stepped on what seemed to be another loose plank, hoping that it wasn't going to wake whoever was sleeping in the room beyond the door beside me. I tried to go more quietly, not wanting to subject anyone else to the lack of sleep I was suffering from. I was hoping that a cup of soothing tea would help.

I reached the kitchen, confused to see light coming from the door. I came closer, not sure why I was surprised to be staring at Pepper's back.

"Do you never sleep?" I asked without thinking. I didn't even knock first, which was very unlike me, but the inability to sleep had put me out of sorts.

She jumped and turned around, her hand going up to her chest. "Goodness, you scared me. I didn't expect anyone else to be up."

"Sorry. I didn't expect to find anyone else awake either. What are you doing?" I asked, looking over the kitchen to see if I could work it out.

She wiped her hands on her apron and gestured to the dough on the workbench. "I'm trying out a new recipe for a sweet pastry and I got my timing wrong. And it's more time consuming than expected as well."

"What is it?" I asked, curious what kind of pastry had her getting up in the middle of the night.

"It's a yeasted laminated dough. I need to fold it a few more times before it's ready." She hid a yawn behind her hand. "What are you doing up?"

"I can't sleep, I came to make myself some tea." I hesitated for a moment. "Would you like some?"

"Tea?" Pepper seemed surprised by my offer. "Yeah, I'd love some."

I was surprised by my offer too. I only ever shared my tea with my cousins but it felt right. I was spending a lot of time with Pepper after all, and not just for work. We were having a lot of conversations that weren't about my cousins. Perhaps we were becoming friends.

The weird feeling returned to my stomach even as I contemplated that, but I had no idea what caused it.

I thought more about it while I boiled my water and added water to the teapot. It always felt decadent to use tea to rejuvenate myself, but my uncle would say it was part of my job to be in good health. Nobody trusted a sick healer. And if I didn't get enough sleep, or enough tea, then I was going to be in trouble if Eva or Max needed me to heal them tomorrow.

While I waited for the tea to be ready, Pepper finished working on her dough. It involved a bit of clattering, but I'd been spending enough time in the kitchen that I was growing used to the noise. It felt better than being oppressed by the weight of having to be extra quiet so I didn't wake anyone.

She joined me at the small table with a tray with pastries. "Cinnamon roll? They might be a little stale but they'll still be tasty."

"Are these the ones you made for your little brother?" I asked, reaching for one. They were covered with a white glaze and sticky to the touch, but I could pick up the typical scent of cinnamon. I pulled a piece off and the inside still seemed fluffy and soft.

"Yes, I made way too many, as always. Our mum banned him from having anymore because he was having cinnamon rolls for breakfast, lunch, and dinner," she said, smiling as she took a big bite from the roll.

"He must really love your cinnamon rolls then," I said as I pulled off a piece and popped it in my mouth. As expected, it was still fluffy, sweet, and full of the taste of the spice.

She nodded. "He does. He's a really sweet kid. He's actually my half-brother. My dad died early so my mum has a new husband. It took some adjusting but we mostly get on well as a family. Baking reminds me of my dad though so that's why you can almost always find me in the kitchen."

"Oh. My father left when I was small. I barely remember him, if I'm honest. When I think about a father figure, I think about my uncle," I said.