The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 33

Char woke the next morning to the smell of hot food drifting out of the kitchen. Good food. It almost smelled like Mother's cooking. He pushed the blanket back and followed the smell to find Rath sitting at the kitchen table, excitedly shoveling mountains of hot, steaming food into his mouth.

"I didn't know fairies could cook!" he exclaimed, his words garbled by food.

Char rolled his eyes. "Don't talk with your mouth full. They've already got one patient. I don't need them worrying about you, too, when you start choking."

Rath swallowed his mouthful of food. "And they take requests, too. Try telling them to make something. I haven't been able to stump them yet."

Char took a seat, looking over at the fairies flitting around the stove and oven. It was hard to tell exactly how many there were with their quick movements, but he guessed there were only about five.

"Is that why there are fifteen different dishes on the table?" he asked, surveying the spread.

"Don't worry. I'll eat it all," Rath said, and then he stuffed an entire poached egg into his mouth.

Char shook his head. "Don't make any more food. He's just taking advantage of you," he told the fairies.

Not that they seemed to mind. There was a lightness about them, a frivolity as they zipped to and fro. A stack of pancakes and a breakfast casserole joined the rest of the food on the table, and then the fairies hovered around Char and Rath, pushing a plate of this closer, removing an empty plate of that. They were genuinely happy to serve. Char wondered how much of that came from their nature and how much came from gratefulness and relief at being out from under the mage's thumb.

"Okay, maybe I went overboard," Rath finally admitted, leaning back in his chair and patting his stomach. "I am stuffed."

The fairies were already filling his plate again.

"Oh, gosh, no, please, make it stop," he groaned.

Char laughed. "You brought this on yourself. Go get the rest of the team. There's enough for all of them."

"Ugh, that means I have to move," Rath complained.

"No," Char told the fairies, stopping them just before they reached the door. "He can get them himself. You've done enough."

"You're no fun," Rath muttered, but he stood up and waddled to the door.

Char chuckled and pushed his plate away. The fairies pushed it back. "Sorry, I'm full, too," he said. "You guys seem happy this morning."

They twirled together, rising toward the ceiling and scattering across it like fireworks.

"Any idea when she'll wake up?"

One fairy drew a straight horizontal line, back and forth.

Char frowned. "Is that a no?" he guessed.

The same fairy shot straight up and dove back down.

"And that's a nod?"

It repeated the action.

"Okay, I think I've got it. Guess we'll just have to wait."

"Wow, that looks good!" Srot exclaimed, bursting into the kitchen.

"Have at it," Char said, standing up and stepping aside. Thrak wasn't far behind Srot, and the fairies were back at it, happily flitting about the table and filling their plates. Char left them to it and returned to the living room. The pillows and blanket were gone from the sofa, and Kelnor and Rath were sitting there, talking.