Heir of Dust and Wind

Chapter 32 - Pleasant Surprises

Thank the stars for Gainor's domestic skills.

"Good morning," Ava greeted him, smiling brightly.

When he turned to return her words, Ava's smile faltered.

The Dracaeni didn't look as if he'd slept at all. There were dark circles under his eyes, face still as pale and haggard as it had been before. And although there was a smile on his face, his eyes didn't shine with the lightheartedness that she had seen before.

She felt worry bloom in her chest. What had happened?

"It's alright, please don't worry on my account." Gainor looked away hastily, focusing on his cooking instead. But Ava felt as if he was hiding from her and felt her heart ache.

He shouldn't feel as if he needed to do that. If he was miserable she wanted to know, she wanted to help him.

He must have felt her eyes on him because he looked back up and tried to smile but it still looked strained. Despite his words, it made her worry even more.

"I just need some more time to recover after," he swallowed, clearly not ready to talk about what had happened to him. "You know," he finally mumbled, gesturing apologetically.

"Okay," Ava replied softly, although she clearly felt that it was anything but. Still, she didn't want to bug him until he was ready. She wouldn't force him to open himself or abuse her magic to peek inside his head, even to figure out what was wrong.

No, she certainly would never do that. For now, even if it almost caused her physical pain to watch him so miserable, all she could do was to wait until he was ready for that. Having breakfast together could very well be a step in the right direction for that.

"Tell me what I can do." Ava stepped closer until she was standing next to him, voice eager. And it wasn't pretence at all. She had always loved to cook and even more to explore the new recipe books which had been Mrs Kosnetsky's area of expertise at the bookshop.

Gainor's shoulders sagged with relief. This change of topic was certainly welcome and so he gestured towards a bowl of strawberries. "You can take those.

Ava started cutting them obligingly, her stomach noisy with hunger.

Much to her delight sudden sound lured a tiny smile on Gainor's lips, a real one this time, at her sheepish expression. She loved pancakes and she loved strawberries even more.

"Your residence really has good taste when it comes to breakfast," Gainor said while starting to make pancakes and she cut the strawberries in half.

It was another coping mechanism, Ava realised, small talk.

Before her life as a sorceress, it would have made her uncomfortable, but her time with Trygve and Orla had made it easier for her. Plus, being around Gainor didn't make her feel the least bit anxious, so she was glad to help him be a little more at ease.

"It's not that I had much choice in the matter, really." Ava started putting the strawberries in another bowl, that had simply appeared next to the first one.

Very convenient. Maybe the house was making amends for last night?

"The enchantment is the same for everyone, but Orla mentioned that the results differ because every sorcerer has a different affinity and a different character." Ava shrugged. "She said it influenced the results significantly."

Gainor simply nodded and they worked in silence for a while, the mouth-watering scent of freshly baked pancakes filling the kitchen.

"If this house reflects on your character," he said quietly when he was almost finished, "I'm very glad you chose to rescue me. I never really thanked you for that, by the way, but I want you to know that I am truly grateful."