Chapter 45
Lyssa
Back in the office
Lyssa Sage had been left behind with only a snail and an ogre for company.
It was a bad day with only those silver linings.
“Pour the gravy, Edwin!” Lyssa ordered, and Edwin responded by dumping a large cup filled with the brown liquid over the cookie dough.
“Miss Lyssa,” Edwin started. He was being careful.
Everyone was careful around her these days; life was more precarious than it had been when it was just Evie and her.
It was fuller now, but goodness it was so much messier, and Lyssa had realized the story she was living was no longer safe. For anyone.
“If there is ever anything you’d like to talk about, I have a wonderful listening ear.” He went to grab both ears and acted shocked when he found the left one. “Look at that! I’ve got two! Now you must tell me your troubles—we cannot allow such gifts to go to waste.”
Blossom the snail munched on another flower, seemingly unperturbed by the emotion Lyssa aimed at the cage. Wishing, only a little, to live so simply.
But only a little.
She was whimsical, not foolish.
And her feelings were far too big to contain in such a small shell.
Her mouth pinched, and she threw her arms around Edwin’s middle. “I’m so worried about Evie and afraid she won’t come home. What if she’s hurt? I’m sad and scared. But mostly sad.” Lyssa had never had difficulty expressing how she felt, no matter how uncomfortable or painful.
Edwin bent down to wrap his arms fully around her before separating to pat her head. “You’re allowed to be sad, little one.”
“I know that.” She sniffled, rubbing at her nose in a most unladylike way. Sniffling was probably a big no in the rules of villainy, but there were other rules she’d been raised to follow in life, and she would never forget her first teacher.
“Evie always told me crying was your body saying goodbye to the pain,” she said, lightly rubbing at her eyes. “But I don’t feel like it’s actually leaving. Nothing is going to help. Nothing can fix this for my sister.”
Edwin’s expression turned troubled. “It’s not always our jobs to fix bad things when they happen.”
“Then whose job is it?” Lyssa asked quietly.
“I’m afraid time is often the only answer to the worst pains. But we can find moments of joy to help carry us, and then eventually the pain becomes just an ache, and the ache becomes a memory.”
What a petrifying thought. Simply waiting for things to get better, not knowing if they actually would. It was true, Lyssa had never struggled with trusting that a scrape on the knee always healed, and a mean word stopped stinging when enough kind ones were thrown at it. But death? Betrayal? Loss?
A boom of thunder shook the forever-altered kitchen window. It was no longer the shining display of the sun on the book, as the rays of light only touched the empty field of grass, but it was enough, at least, to keep the rain at bay.
“Edwin, this was a silly idea. Why did you let me try to make beef cookies for the babies?” Lyssa frowned at the disgusting-smelling dough with a dubious look.
“Because, Miss Lyssa,” Edwin replied fondly, “you remind me of a young boy I spent a great deal of time with at my bakery. He, too, was kind-spirited; he, too, wanted to help in any way he could…” Edwin’s eyes softened, and he began, without question, rolling the gross meat-covered cookie dough into circular formations before putting them on the pan.
“He knew how important an act of kindness was, to help people. More important even than words.”
Lyssa frowned. “Words are important, too, Edwin.”
Edwin contemplated, eyes thoughtful when they returned to hers. “You’re right, Miss Lyssa. Words are important; they allow you to hold out hope while you’re waiting for that help to come.”
The cookies came together quickly after they’d returned to their task, rolling them in silence, waiting in even more silence until they were finished.
They then carried them together to the pen in the healer’s quarters, where Blade rolled a ball around for the two small animals.
They both chirped excitedly and ran toward the gate when Lyssa walked in.
And with them was…another ogre?
His blue hands were over the animals, palms aglow, shifting multicolored, glittering light through his large fingers and moving it about the animals with a stern look of concentration on his face.
“Hello, Blade. We’ve brought cookies for them,” Edwin said. The rain still came down, but it was only a drizzle now.
The blue ogre turned at his voice, and Edwin fumbled with his tray. Would’ve dropped it if Ms. Erring didn’t hurry over from the corner to help him steady his hands. “Are you well, Edwin?” Ms. Erring asked with concern.
“Hello, Edwin.” The other ogre’s indigo-colored hair was long and tied back at his neck, and he was dressed formally. The polish of his large boots reflected off his freshly pressed cloak, which he wore over a finely made shirt and trousers.
Lyssa peeked up at Edwin, who was frozen speechless. “Edwin,” Lyssa whispered. “Say hello.”
“Hello,” Edwin blurted suddenly, and Lyssa giggled into her hand. “That is…hello, Joseph.”
The other ogre, Joseph, slowly lowered his hands, but the light covering the creatures didn’t cease, instead remaining over them like a shield, like armor against the world.
“I was surprised when I received word your villain was searching for me. But I admit I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see you. ”
Blade’s lips parted as he nodded to himself. “I’m so happy I’m here for this.”
Ms. Erring shushed him.
“They’re resting now,” Joseph said by way of explanation. “I was merely offering them some protection for their innocent souls.”
Tatianna came in with Clare, both holding large buckets of water and ramming into each other when they saw Joseph, spilling half of it on the ground.
“Mr. Joseph?” Tatianna gaped.
Clare’s hands went to her mouth. And then both were screeching, running toward the ogre and throwing their arms around him. “Look at you two!” Joseph laughed. “How you’ve grown!”
“You all know one another?” Lyssa asked, feeling a bit like a tea lid spinning off the top of the pot.
Tatianna linked arms with Joseph, escorting him to one of her cushioned chairs. “Joseph used to live in our village, studying some ruins down by the ocean. He was a wonder. I can’t believe you came. Trystan was so sure no messages would get to you. Has he seen you?”
“He escorted me in but departed shortly after. He seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.” Joseph’s violet eyes flashed back toward the door. “Alexander?”
Kingsley had wandered in with a grin so wide, Lyssa couldn’t help but join him. “Hello,” he murmured.
“I’m happy to know the rumors I’ve been hearing of you living as an amphibian were false.” Joseph pulled Kingsley into a back-slapping hug.
“Give it a few hours,” Kingsley suggested with a half grin, half wince.
“I’m surprised.” Edwin found his voice. “I’m surprised Trystan left in such a hurry if he was in need of your services.”
Joseph shrugged. “I was able to tell him everything he needed to know rather quickly. I’ve been a magical scholar longer than all of you humans have been alive.” He chuckled.
Kingsley frowned. “What did you tell him?” His voice was lowered but still sounded grave.
Joseph locked eyes on Edwin. “You know…don’t you? I always suspected it.”
Edwin stiffened, shaking his head.
“Know what?” Lyssa asked.
Joseph’s expression turned serious.
“That Trystan is a Core Healer.”