Christa’s Obsession (Obsessions #3)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Christa

Wanda had left the nook before Christa and was outside checking over her trees and the surrounding plants, something the girls explained she had stopped doing after the kidnapping. They were clacking branches, showing how happy they were for Wanda to be acting more like how she was before the attack.

Christa didn’t dwell on what couldn’t be changed, just focused on the happiness she felt through her bond from Wanda. Coming out of the nook, dressed in a vest top and shorts, she walked barefoot to the little area where Dougal liked to set up his fire pit. It gave Christa the best view of the whole orchard, and her blissful one.

A pillow appeared on the log as she went to sit. She had no issue living in a tree, but saw no reason not to have some of the other creature comforts she enjoyed. Like a little padding for her ample bottom, because no one liked to sit on hard surfaces when they didn’t need to. The morning sun was high enough in the sky to make the dewdrops on the leaves and blades of grass glisten in its light. Tiny rainbows inside each drop gave beauty despite their size, as did the tiny dryad wandering through the orchard, touching, stroking and encouraging the life around her to grow. Having not witnessed it before, Christa quickly became mesmerized at witnessing how a simple touch gave life to wilted flowers or leaves curling at the edges. How every plant swayed towards Wanda in greeting as she approached, looking as though she floated above the grassy ground.

The energy in the orchard increased. A delicate balance of nature working with Wanda’s gift. The green of her eyes deepened to that of the forest. Sun haloed her curls, which swished gently around her shoulders, and laughter tinkling at a playing flower tickling her wrist when she went to move on carried on the breeze.

Joy. She radiated it. Pure and simple joy.

Christa had, on some level, understood the way Wanda liked to live, yet witnessing her now in her true element, using her gift, struck how fundamental she was to the life of the plants, trees, and shrubs. She rested her elbows on her knees, cupping her chin, and followed Wanda’s progress, thoughts of getting breakfast for them both forgotten at the delight in front of her.

This was what the demons had stolen from her.

Don’t be sad. Look at her.

She could do nothing but look at the wonder of nature. The fears she’d kept firmly locked down after finding Wanda alone with the king had no place inside her. Whatever had happened the night before with Asmodeus and Wanda, her blissful one was not letting on. No, her questions had gone unanswered with a cryptic smile. They had been outside for hours and, with the trees stopping her from leaving the nook, she could only imagine the worst. Yet Wanda had been… relaxed, playful after. Now this.

Christa, who had cursed the king last night, this morning, sent up a gift of thanks for somehow releasing Wanda fully from the chains that held her hostage within herself and her trees.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Wanda called from the other side of the orchard, not stopping what she was doing.

Her lips tugging into a smile, Christa called back, “And how is that, my love?”

Wanda met her gaze, eyes crinkling at the edges as a wide grin spread like the sunshine appearing from behind a cloud. Bright and bold, it warmed Christa to her very core. “Like it’s the first time you’ve seen me.”

Christa rose, eyed her bare feet, and conjured a pair of sneakers. She wasn’t at the stage of thinking pebbles and twigs were comfortable to walk on. Avoiding them was harder to do when she seldom looked down at where she was walking when she had Wanda to stare at. “It feels like it.”

Wanda waited where she was, her dress skimming the ground and over her bare toes. “And why is that?” she questioned when Christa reached her.

“You look… free .”

The smile grew brighter, if at all possible, as she hooked an arm through Christa’s and walked towards the nearest peach tree. “I feel free, although that doesn’t quite capture the sense inside me.”

Christa brushed a stray curl from Wanda’s cheek when they stopped at the tree laden with peaches. “Do you need to find a word to encapsulate the feeling?”

“No. No, I don’t.” She reached up, and the branches lowered to stop her stretching. “I believe Dougal would enjoy some peaches today.” Wanda gave her a look of expectation. “A basket would be good?”

A moment later, Christa held one out to Wanda, who took it. “Thank you.”

Christa plucked several peaches from the branches and placed them in the basket Wanda held, considering how to broach what was on her mind. With how Wanda was, it made what she was about to suggest easier—she hoped—when it meant introducing Wanda to her family.

Dakata had nudged her demon, and she admitted to blocking the family because of how things were with Wanda. And yes, she’d gone beyond the nook to the house, but that was for a purpose, the bathroom. Christa shut down her train of thought when it was keen to head to the time spent there. It would derail what she wanted to talk about. She very much desired for her brothers to meet the most important person in her life. She’d never felt compelled to introduce girlfriends she had briefly dated before. This was different and regardless of how annoying her brothers could be with her as the only female, they loved her and she them.

“What is on your mind?”

Christa, about to place a peach in the nearly full basket, looked at Wanda. The only sign of concern was the wrinkle at the bridge of her nose. “My family.”

“You miss them?”

Wanda, like Christa, blocked her thoughts on the subject, so it was harder to get a read from her. “I do. I wonder if maybe it would be nice to invite them to dinner, or lunch, at the house. I could cook.”

“You cook?”

Wanda’s wide eyes made Christa laugh. “I love to cook. It can be very relaxing, putting on a playlist and making food that feeds the soul.”

Intrigue came through their bond. “What foods feed the soul?”

“A thick vegetable soup with homemade crusty bread. A chocolate fudge cake. Creamy sauces rich with wine and fish…” Christa’s belly rumbled as she continued to recite everything she loved to cook for herself and enjoyed eating.

Wanda wiped her lips, almost as if she was drooling. “You’re making me hungry, though I’ve never tried any of the things you mention. A creamy fish sauce, what is that like?”

Christa had to stop herself from asking what planet Wanda had been on, knowing that would be utterly ridiculous. Wanda had little contact with the outside world and freely admitted a burger was an adventure.

“You have never tried fish?” she clarified, just to be sure.

Wanda’s curls bounced as she shook her head. “Is it as tasty as a burger?”

The eagerness was hard to resist. “More so, and actually healthier.”

She gave Christa a bashful grin. “Could you make a meal with fish for me so I can try?”

“Of course. Shall I organize to have that for lunch with my family?” she persisted, going back to the original conversation.

There was no hesitation that Christa noticed when Wanda nodded. “Will you make it yourself? Can I watch?”

“Of course, and yes. You can be my kitchen assistant.” Christa liked the idea a lot.

“What does that entail?”

Christa took the basket of peaches from Wanda and, with a thought, she sent the basket to where Dougal spent most of his time in the forest. “Come on, I’ll give you a preview. I think I should introduce you to hot chocolate fudge cake. Cake for breakfast is most definitely a must.”

Christa struggled to keep from laughing aloud at Wanda’s serious expression as she eyed Christa’s bowl and then her own. “I think I’ve missed a step.”

Wanda had wanted to learn how to make a cake when Christa had set up the ingredients on the counter, so she’d conjured more unable to deny her anything, even when it turned out Wanda was completely inept in the kitchen.

The apron Christa had tied around Wanda’s waist to protect her dress was a war-zone of stains that she had smeared on the white fabric. They weren’t just on the apron. No, Wanda had smears of flour, what might be egg, and chocolate over one side of her face, leading from her chin down her neck somehow. There was flour and melted chocolate coating her curls from the amount of times Wanda forgot and used her gooey covered hands to push back her hair to better see what Christa was doing to follow the instructions.

The once pristine kitchen was an utter mess. Somehow Wanda had covered every surface in some sticky, floury or gooey substance. Some of which Christa actually couldn’t identify an hour into the lesson.

“No, it’s fine, we need to transfer the mix into the greased tins.”

“Are you sure mine looks right?” Wanda looked once more from her bowl to Christa’s, frowning. “Why is mine a different color to yours?” She jabbed at the mix with the wooden spoon as if that would solve the issue. “Mine is definitely paler than yours.”

Christa snort-giggled, doing her very best to hold back her amusement with how sulky Wanda sounded. “It's probably just not got as much chocolate in as mine.”

The frown deepened, and Wanda’s eyes narrowed. “I used the same amount as you.”

Christa bit her lip, hard, at seeing exactly where all the chocolate had gone that was not in Wanda’s bowl. She coughed. “It’s fine, my love. It will look exactly like mine when it’s baked.”

Wanda didn’t look convinced, and rightly so, but Christa didn’t have the heart to point out why. “So, use the stick of butter I cut in half and rub it around the baking tin. We have to make sure to cover the bottom and up the sides so the mixture doesn’t glue itself to the tin when it cooks.”

Wanda followed her instructions, butter covering not only the inside but the outside, too. Christa noticed Wanda liked to be very heavy-handed—with everything.

Christa went back to biting her lip when she offered to help and got her hand slapped away. “I can do it.”

Ten minutes later, Wanda pushed her tin into the heated oven, grinning. “How long do we have to wait?”

“Forty minutes. But we need to make the chocolate ganache next, for the center and the topping.”

Wanda’s brows arched up as she looked at the empty pile of packets sat on the table. “I haven’t got any chocolate left.”

Christa gave her a reassuring smile, conjuring more. What they’d already used was enough to give all the children of a small country cavities. She pointed at the counter. “We’ve got plenty.”

A look of relief followed as Wanda went over and picked up the three giant sized packets, clutching them in her buttery hands. “Where are your packets?”

It was too much, and Christa howled with laughter, going over to Wanda and hugging her, regardless of the mess she was in. All Christa could smell was chocolate as she nuzzled her curls. “I love you.”

Her neck arched back to look up at Christa with uncertainty. “I love you too, but why are you laughing?”

She didn’t resist and bent to give the messy cheek a lick, scooping off some of the chocolate. “Because I forgot how much fun it was to bake.”

“Oh…” The uncertainty disappeared, Wanda’s eyes sparkling with excitement. “What else shall we make after this?”

Christa kissed the tip of her floury nose. “Whatever you want.”