Guinevere's Grail | ✓ [BOOK 2]

~ 15 ~

IT SMELLED LIKE HOME. The day Eurion left the South in search of Avalon's treasures, she thought she might return within the month. She didn't expect to find herself wound up in all this, and though she couldn't say she regretted ever leaving, she missed her home to the point of aching.

Her skin had grown pale over the course of her stay in Avalon, only a few shades darker than Kit's natural tan. She hoped maybe their visit would bring it back. The sun in the Islands was enough to burn Selene every afternoon, but it hardly touched Eurion. She missed the heat.

What she missed most, though, was the food. Avalon wasn't the best in the way of seasonings, they had to seek out southern-themed taverns, and Eurion was starting to long for the flavorful kick of her homeland's cuisine.

The small hostel welcomed her with the scent of one of her favorite meals, and she felt her mouth watering. She saw a familiar head of gray hair and a welcoming plump body standing before a stovetop, surrounded by dozens of ingredients and dishes.

"You make enough of that for me?" she said, a smile growing over her features.

Samma turned around with surprise, looking Eurion up and down. "My stars, it's been so long."

The short woman swept her up into her arms, holding her tight. Eurion hugged her back, tucking her face into her hair. "I missed you, Samma."

"Oh, I missed you, too. I was so worried, I thought maybe your thirst for adventure might've gotten too much and--" The woman pulled back, tearfully looking over Eurion. "Well, all I could do was pray that you might return one day."

"I'm here." She stepped aside, revealing her companions behind her. "And I brought company."

Samma eagerly squeezed their hands in greeting, even Morgana's frigid ones, ignoring his uneasy expression. "A pleasure to meet you," she said. "Oh, I always adore Eurion's friends. Call me Samma."

"Samma, this is Kit, Morgana, Selene, Giselle, and Lionel," she said, pointing to the respective companions. "We can't stay long, but we need a place to sleep tonight and perhaps a meal."

"Of course," she said. "I don't know how much I made, but I can make it work."

"Giselle and I don't eat meat, if that helps," Morgana told her, eyeing the meal on the stove.

Samma nodded. "I have rice, I think there is some fruit somewhere. I'll get you two something."

She disappeared around a corner, and Eurion led her friends into the front room. There were makeshift beds spread across the floor, empty of any guests, though a bag sat in the corner of the room. Other visitors likely stayed in the back rooms, which were more private and comfortable, judging by how much food Samma made.

Eurion watched Selene and Giselle settle in together and she felt a pang in her chest. The love she felt for Chalice wasn't the same kind of love the two women had, but it was just as deep. She missed the druid's warmth at her side when they slept beside each other. She could still feel their bony spine pressed against her back, hear their steady, quiet breaths.

It wasn't the kisses Selene pressed to Giselle's forehead that she envied, it was the way they were wrapped up in each other's arms as they leaned against the wall, legs entangled beneath a sheet. Eurion craved that touch, but even her old friends couldn't come close to filling that hole Chalice left behind.

Before she got the chance to dwell on her grief, Samma passed her a bowl, and all her pain was dampened by the smell of home. Eurion focused on the taste, trying to take her mind off of the pain and remember all the things she loved. She thought grief was supposed to get better over time, but forgetting seemed to get harder the longer she and Chalice were apart.