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What a crazy day I wondered if Valek would still consider my news a cause for celebration So ined a little boy with bright blue eyes and black hair The sca trouble at every turn Janco would soon be the favorite uncle, and Junior would probably learn how to throw a knife before he learned how to dress hiirl with curly black hair She’d be in the er Ari would spoil her rotten And she’d learn how to pick a lock before she could read

I arrived at the kitchen Laughter and the clatter of dishes vibrated through the double doors A spicy roasted meat aroma enticed me onward Steam puffed from buckets of water as the staff scrubbed pots I’dthenear the door and waved learavy splotches and other stains

"Did you stop by to say hello or to scrounge for food?" he asked

"Both And to thank you for the delicious sweet cakes The best you’ve evernew, didn’t you?" I sat on one of the stools

"Yup Guess what it is" A devilish grin spanned Saest person ever assigned as head chef for the Corief pressed on my heart for the previous chef, Rand A friend who had betrayed me, and then saved me

"Lemon juice?"

"A, you’re no fun" He pretended to pout

"Then you should ask someone asn’t trained as a food taster Why did you add it?"

"The le the batter to bubble, and it hter and fluffier"

"And yu left over from supper?"

He opened one of the ovens built into the stones above the huge hearth that do a protectivescent of braised beef

Sa servings and slid one over towith a fork "Nice to have company while I eat"

"Thanks Do you alait this late?"

"Yup This way I know everyone’s fed and no one’s gonna interrupt me"

The meat just fell apart and melted in my mouth Sammy chuckled at my unladylike moans

"This is fantastic What’s the occasion?"