Chapter 9
Lian
The wooden floors creaked, and for some reason, it sounded louder at night than during the day.
I winced as I stepped on what seemed to be another loose plank, hoping that it wasn't going to wake whoever was sleeping in the room beyond the door beside me.
I tried to go more quietly, not wanting to subject anyone else to the lack of sleep I was suffering from.
I was hoping that a cup of soothing tea would help.
I reached the kitchen, confused to see light coming from the door. I came closer, not sure why I was surprised to be staring at Pepper's back.
"Do you never sleep?" I asked without thinking. I didn't even knock first, which was very unlike me, but the inability to sleep had put me out of sorts.
She jumped and turned around, her hand going up to her chest. "Goodness, you scared me. I didn't expect anyone else to be up."
"Sorry. I didn't expect to find anyone else awake either. What are you doing?" I asked, looking over the kitchen to see if I could work it out.
She wiped her hands on her apron and gestured to the dough on the workbench. "I'm trying out a new recipe for a sweet pastry and I got my timing wrong. And it's more time consuming than expected as well."
"What is it?" I asked, curious what kind of pastry had her getting up in the middle of the night.
"It's a yeasted laminated dough. I need to fold it a few more times before it's ready." She hid a yawn behind her hand. "What are you doing up?"
"I can't sleep, I came to make myself some tea." I hesitated for a moment. "Would you like some?"
"Tea?" Pepper seemed surprised by my offer. "Yeah, I'd love some."
I was surprised by my offer too. I only ever shared my tea with my cousins but it felt right. I was spending a lot of time with Pepper after all, and not just for work. We were having a lot of conversations that weren't about my cousins. Perhaps we were becoming friends.
The weird feeling returned to my stomach even as I contemplated that, but I had no idea what caused it.
I thought more about it while I boiled my water and added water to the teapot.
It always felt decadent to use tea to rejuvenate myself, but my uncle would say it was part of my job to be in good health.
Nobody trusted a sick healer. And if I didn't get enough sleep, or enough tea, then I was going to be in trouble if Eva or Max needed me to heal them tomorrow.
While I waited for the tea to be ready, Pepper finished working on her dough.
It involved a bit of clattering, but I'd been spending enough time in the kitchen that I was growing used to the noise.
It felt better than being oppressed by the weight of having to be extra quiet so I didn't wake anyone.
She joined me at the small table with a tray with pastries. "Cinnamon roll? They might be a little stale but they'll still be tasty."
"Are these the ones you made for your little brother?" I asked, reaching for one. They were covered with a white glaze and sticky to the touch, but I could pick up the typical scent of cinnamon. I pulled a piece off and the inside still seemed fluffy and soft.
"Yes, I made way too many, as always. Our mum banned him from having anymore because he was having cinnamon rolls for breakfast, lunch, and dinner," she said, smiling as she took a big bite from the roll.
"He must really love your cinnamon rolls then," I said as I pulled off a piece and popped it in my mouth. As expected, it was still fluffy, sweet, and full of the taste of the spice.
She nodded. "He does. He's a really sweet kid. He's actually my half-brother. My dad died early so my mum has a new husband. It took some adjusting but we mostly get on well as a family. Baking reminds me of my dad though so that's why you can almost always find me in the kitchen."
"Oh. My father left when I was small. I barely remember him, if I'm honest. When I think about a father figure, I think about my uncle," I said.
"What about your mum?"
"We have some nice memories together, like making steamed buns, but she mostly paid attention to Eva.
They're the same kind of weather witch." I got out two of my handleless teacups and set them down, along with my tea pet, the little clay rabbit already having turned reddish-brown from all of the tea I'd poured over him over the years.
"I think Mum was always disappointed that I turned out to be a tea witch like my father. "
"It shouldn't matter what type of magic a child has, your child is your child," Pepper said, sounding very firm about it.
It was a nice thing for her to say. "Weather witches are very sought after," I said. "So I can understand why she was disappointed." I picked up the teapot and poured some of the tea over the teapot, watching it as it drained over the smooth surface.
"What's that?" Pepper asked curiously.
"A tea pet," I said. "They're good luck if you pour tea over them. They change colour over time as they absorb more of the tea. It's like a memory of all of the drinks shared with family, friends, and..." I trailed off, realising that I wasn't sure what other word to say there.
"I've never seen anything like it," she admitted. "It's very cute. And a rabbit. Your favourite."
"I love rabbits," I said as I poured us both cups of tea and held one out to her.
She reached out to take it, her fingers brushing against mine as she took it from me, causing the same fluttering feeling in my stomach I'd felt around her a few other times. I was sure it didn't mean anything.
I pulled my hand away and focused on my own cup, picking it up and blowing across the top of it so that it would be cool enough to drink. The fragrant grassy steam drifting from the top of it was instantly comforting, even if I wasn't entirely sure it was sleep-inducing. I welcomed it anyway.
Pepper tried some of the tea, humming appreciatively. "This is nice. Bitter but refreshing. Tastes different to what I'm used to."
"All tea is tea, but the preparation and ageing methods vary vastly around the world," I said, wondering where Purple Oak was getting their tea. I had heard about their treaty with a nearby nymph settlement to cultivate their own tea gardens, but they couldn't possibly be mature yet.
Maybe if we stayed here long enough and gained the trust of the Four Families, I might be able to visit the tea garden sometime. It would be very interesting.
Pepper finished her cinnamon bun and licked the glaze off her fingers, but there was a big glob on her nose.
"You've got something on your face," I said, trying not to smile. I didn't want her to think I was mocking her, but it was still a little bit of a comical sight.
"Where?" Pepper asked, moving her tongue around her mouth.
"On your nose. I don't think you can reach it with your tongue." There was no stopping the giggle that came from me.
She grinned. "Don't underestimate my skills.
" She tried to reach the tip of her nose with her tongue, but resorted to wiping it away with her hand when it didn't work.
"Fine, maybe I didn't manage that, but that doesn't mean what I said wasn't true.
I've got it on good authority that I'm very skilled with my tongue.
" Her lips quirked up into a smile as she said it.
I ate some more of my cinnamon bun, not quite sure what Pepper was talking about.
I understood what she was saying, but not why she was boasting about this.
Then again, I never understood why men bragged about their excellent bedding skills either.
According to Eva, that was just something people did sometimes.
"I've got long fingers," I said, holding out my hand as if to prove it. "My last partner enjoyed that very much."
Pepper burst into a coughing fit and fanned her face, looking very flustered. Almost choking would do that to a person.
I went over to her so I could pat her back, just in case there was something stuck in her windpipe. It brought me very close to Pepper and made me realise we'd never touched before. Not like this, anyway.
She smelled of bread and cinnamon, a nice combination that I could certainly get used to.
She looked up at me, her eyes wide and dark.
There was something about her expression that was making my mouth dry, but not in an unpleasant way.
She looked intense. Really intense, even if I wasn't quite sure why.
"Lian," she said, her voice coming out a little hoarse. Was that still because she choked on her tea, or was there another reason?
"Yes?" I said, freezing when I felt her fingers brush over the back of my hand. A touch could mean so many things, and I always had trouble figuring out the difference between them. Was this a friendly touch? A comforting touch that meant nothing? Or was she coming onto me?
Something clattered in the background when Snowie came in through the window, and it broke the moment and the tension hanging between us. Especially when the cat was carrying a mouse in her mouth, and Pepper jumped up to chase her away.
I went back to my own seat, still trying to figure out what just happened, still confused. And I didn't know what questions I could ask to clarify the situation. Perhaps it would be best if I could talk to Eva about it first, rather than potentially making a fool of myself with Pepper.