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I smiled and stepped forward to take it from him. “This smells amazing.”
He beamed at that, then brought me over to the nearest beast and showed me how to apply it. He watched all of us move through the motions of turning the spit and basting, made sure we were clear about how to lay the extra firewood on, then he nodded, apparently satisfied.
“Nothing’s happening today that will interfere with the feast?” Adam asked before he turned to go.
“I don’t think so. We’ll need to take the meals down to the cells at the end of the day though,” Sylvan replied.
“No one will fight you for that job,” he said with a shudder. “Alright then, stay put, and come and get me if there're any problems.” Then, he left.
Oh, there were problems alright.
“What the fuck do you have planned, Sylvan?” Brandon said, moving to close the gap between the two of them. Sylvan was broader in the chest, heavier built than him, but that didn’t make much of a difference.
“Nothing,” he said, pushing past my mate and taking up position by the spit. “I had to get the support of the servant classes somehow. They are the most plentiful and the most loyal, plus they have access to almost everywhere. A Volken seer pronouncing visions of their emancipation was the best way I could do that.” He turned the spit with practised ease. “I also hoped that it would be true, that you’d lead me to Branwen, that she would end…this.” He shook his head and then focussed back on the meat. “We need to get on the spits, do rotations to rest everyone’s arms. We’ll wait things out in the spit room until the day is over, then head down to the cells to see where everyone’s being kept. This is an intel gathering day only, remember, so let's not blow our cover.”
So, wait it out we did.
“Longest Night festival,” Aaron hissed to Finn as I passed by, slathering on more sauce. “There’s more and more shit going down, and somehow, we know less than when we walked in here.”
“Still got the car batteries and pliers?”
“We can’t torture him,” Aaron said, but he eyed the Volken seer as he sat down for a break. “But we do need to consider if this is just an intel mission. Get back behind the gate, report back, bring in a larger force.”
I watched Finn stiffen at that, the spit slowing, then stopping for a moment, and Slade looked at him from the other end. Finally, he nodded.
“That’ll be for you to decide.”
24
It was a quiet, but not peaceful several hours as we worked. I kept slathering the meat with the sauce each time it threatened to dry out while the guys kept it turning. It was strangely anticlimactic, as some of the guys sat around and smoked to pass the time as the others turned.
“Well, now, let's take a look,” Adam said, looking much redder as he strode into the room. “Mmm…you’ve done a good job.” He pulled a knife off his belt and sliced off a sliver, taking a bite. “Mmhmm, that’s good. Here,” he proffered a piece to me, “take a bite.”
I moved in almost shyly. The guys’ eyes were on me, as food was somehow tied up with mating rituals with Tirian men, but I took a polite bite. My eyes widened as the taste exploded in my mouth. It was like rotisserie chicken and barbeque ribs and some other tangy awesomeness all rolled into one. My stomach rumbled at that, thinking this was a damn fine start, and could I please have some more.
“The sauce seals in the moisture in the meat, keeping it tender, and the herbs bring out the flavour,” Adam said proudly. “This is why the Volken have never replaced me as cook. Come, you must eat. We get our meals in shifts around the different courses. The entrees are going out now along with the drinks, so come and eat while the serving staff are out.”
“What about the spits?” Slade said.
“The back ones are close, these others can be brought in to rest. If half of you stay to finish off the meat, the others will eat and then swap. No more sauce is needed,” Adam said.
“Aaron, Brandon, and Slade will go with Jules,” Finn said. “Stick by her side. We’ll stay here and finish off the meat. Maybe we should take our meals in here.”
“Yeah?” Slade said, eyeing the thin slot of windows high
up on the walls. “Be good to get away from this heat.”
“Yeah, but to anyone who works here, we’re obviously strangers. Let’s keep a low profile, even if it's a hot one.”
That settled, Adam steered me out into the kitchen as the guys brought in the massive skewers of meat, and deposited them on the workbench before going back for more.
“Through here,” he said, ushering me into what looked like a break room. There was a large table surrounded by stools, a couple of young kids in there, hunched protectively over their plates, and an older woman dozing in the corner. “Sit, sit,” he said. “I’ll bring you a plate. Help yourself to some water.”
I smiled at the kids as I reached for the pitcher, poured the water into a rough earthenware cup, and took a sip. God, it was cool and tasted faintly of lemons, which was bloody lovely after the spit room. I settled back against the wall, and my muscles relaxed as I watched the guys ferry the meat in. I took a deep breath, feeling really tired after all the excitement of the last few days, and closed my eyes for a second.
“What are you doing sitting down on the job?” They flicked open just as fast to see an irritated looking woman standing in the doorway staring down at me. “Well?”
“Adam told me to—”
