Zoe's only wish is to be able to run barefoot through grass, but she knows it'll never happen. Ever since she was born, she's been unable to touch anything living without it instantly dying. It's a curse she would do anything to get rid of, but that...
"We should go eat something," Felix said after I didn't know how long. The phone game had definitely made me lose all concept of time.
My stomach did the answering for me and rumbled. Felix laughed.
"Guess you agree," he smiled and got out of bed and held out his hand to help me. "What would you want to eat?"
"I don't know. I'm not that great with restaurant food. I always just cook myself," I admitted, and it didn't feel awkward. Showing how different and weird I was to Felix got easier and easier. It didn't make me want to hide anymore, and I wasn't afraid he would think any less of me.
"And what do you usually cook? You must have a favorite thing to eat."
"Lavender and honey sponge cake," I said with no hesitation.
Felix stopped on his way out and looked back at me.
"Lavender and honey sponge cake?" he repeated, the question mark written all over his face.
"Yes. Been a long time since I made it. But the honey makes it perfectly sweet and moist. And the lavender adds freshness to it."
"What else?" he asked as we started to walk through the hotel hand in hand. That had also become very natural. I felt no fear or anxiety anymore when we held hands.
"Fresh cheese with basil on bread just out of the oven. Chamomile tea with scones and marmalade. Wheat berry and strawberry salad. Filled tomatoes."
As I listed my different favorite dishes, my mouth started to water and then a sad realization hit me. I hadn't had any of those dishes in a very long time. When had I stopped making the food that made me happy and instead started making... Well, more often than not, just vegetable stew. It wasn't that stews weren't good, but it was fit for cold winter days. When had every day become a cold winter day?
"It all sounds wonderful," Felix commented. "I've always thought of myself as a decent chef, but I would never even come up with the idea to make any of those things."
"It is all easy to make," I smiled. "I'd happily cook for you whenever you want. Maybe not today, but tomorrow."
"Really?" His eyes brightened.
"Yes."
"I would love that. Just write me a list and I'll do the food shopping." Felix truly was like a spring breeze thawing my endless winter.
I shook my head. "Is there any market with fresh vegetables? I would just walk around and look and let the available vegetables help me decide what to make."
"What? Just improvise?" He sounded astonished.
"Yeah, it's the best way to cook."
We had gotten to the car and after we had put our seatbelts on, Felix drove off. Judging from that, he seemed to have decided on what new type of food I would get to try that day.
"Can I cook it at yours? Will your father be there?" I asked and felt a chill fall over me and that chill turned to ice when he answered.
"Of course you can! And no. He's away on a business trip for a few days."
"Oh, really?" I said and did my best to keep the panic out of my voice. "Do you know how long he'll be gone for?"
"Not sure. He never really is sure with the trips. Depends on how smoothly things go. The longest was a month, though this one should be rather short. But he left only yesterday morning and three days is the minimum he would be gone."
So one more witch could be dying as we spoke. I wondered who. Would it be one that I cared a little for, didn't care for, or detested? Maybe it would be the Priestess? Secretly, that thought made me feel pleased. Or Scarlet? I wasn't sure how I felt about that. And my father... He would be next.
But I had to know for sure that was what was happening. It could be a real business trip. There was no point in worrying before I was sure.
"What type of business trip is it? Like try to get a store to sell the jewelry?"
"Yeah," Felix answered in a very none committed voice.
"Oh, that's nice," I said and my voice sounded very insincere, far too chipper. I just hoped Felix was nervous enough about my questions to not notice. "Where?"
"South Carolina." And with that, it was sealed. Harry Jackson had gone away to kill another witch.
I could see a light, a realization, hit Felix. He hadn't made that connection before, but he made it then. The witches they were hunting lived in South Carolina, just like I did.
"I wonder if it's close to where I live," I said, to throw him off before any suspicion could settle in him. But it really was a minefield. I had to tell him. He needed to hear the truth from me so I could slowly explain. But how to even start that conversation? I wondered if he suspected anything.
I also really had to go home now. I had to warn my father at the very least. He could temporarily move somewhere else. Where though? It would have to be to some place that was protected from scrying, otherwise the coven would hunt him down and offer him to Harry Jackson like a pig for slaughter. But there weren't many of those places that he could easily access.
And then? Convince Felix witches weren't all bad and then, with his help, convince his father?
"Are you alright?" Felix asked as he parked the car.
To save me, my stomach rumbled again.
"Just hungry," I smiled and pushed the cascades of thoughts away, at least for a moment. I would spend the evening and tomorrow with Felix, focus on the happy and light. Then I would act and make decisions. But I just wanted a little more of pure bliss before the inevitable storm.
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