Chapter Seven

By the time I returned to the others, the situation outside was already under control. A line had formed alongside the building with several strong-looking Adventurers standing at a distance, watching over everything. I found Rafe, Jason, and Iris standing about halfway back and they didn't hesitate when I waved for them to leave the line. I didn't dare approach after the line guard glared at me in warning.

"I thought we were going to eat," Jason whined before I could say a word.

"We are. I talked to Frank, the man who's been helping me with paperwork here at the Guild. He doesn't want me standing in line, so he said he'd get us a table."

Even as I explained, a worker in a Guild supporter uniform ran up to meet us. "Chef Albert!" he exclaimed. "We're so excited you came! I'll take you in right away. It'd be a disgrace if the Miracle Chef waited in line with everyone else."

"Hey, don't give me such a strange title," I replied. "I'm just a normal chef with different experience."

The worker gave me a look saying it was impossible, then blatantly ignored my comment as he escorted us into the building. We were placed at a corner table where we wouldn't be surrounded on all sides by roughneck Adventurers.

Rafe demanded I take the corner seat for myself. His mother took one of the wall seats, Jason took the other, and Rafe placed himself between us and the rest of the Guild. It was a sweet gesture, although I didn't know how I felt being the most protected member of the party. I made Jason switch with me, putting him in the corner. Rafe grumbled under his breath, but let me have my way.

Once we were done playing musical chairs, I ordered wine for myself and water for Jason. Rafe ordered a beer while Iris followed my lead with the wine.

"I can't see the menu," Jason complained.

I discussed the options with him and Iris, pointing out my contributions and Janet's. Everyone seemed dead set on having chicken and dumplings and sharing a round of sides. I wanted to try something local, but I was already standing out enough. I ordered the same thing as everyone else this time around, making a silent promise to myself to try some meat next time.

As the dishes started to arrive at the table, I turned to Rafe and asked, "What's the protocol for eating out like this?"

"There's no protocol," he replied, his brow furrowing in a way that said I'd asked something weird again. "Just grab what you want and eat it."

Family style, then. Or, since none of us had personal plates except for the bowls of chicken and dumplings, maybe it have been better described as communal style.

Jason reached out and tugged on my sleeve to get my attention. "Can you ask for a fork? I want to try the apple."

I glanced at the apple he was referring to. From the looks of it, it'd been peeled, sliced, and boiled, but the hot steam rising from its surface made it clear it was too hot to touch. I was surprised at the light drizzle of honey on it, although maybe I shouldn't have been. The Head Chef had mentioned once that he knew how to make a pie.

Retrieving a fork and spoon from my Item Box, I handed them over to Jason and said, "I guess you haven't noticed, but people don't usually use silverware around here. You'll need to start carrying your own set. Do you have an Item Box?"

"How do I find out?" he asked.

My brain stalled on that one. Had the Oracle at the Sanctuary not read Jason's status? I hadn't tried to use my Analyze skill on anyone, but maybe I could do that. Then again, if it was so easy, why had the Oracle needed a crystal ball? A crystal ball had been used when I had my Guild tag made, too.

"Children have to go to the temple to get their status checked the first time," Iris said as she hesitantly dipped a corner of onion bread into the large bowl of cheese sauce we'd been served. She bit into it and her face lit up with pleasure.

Since her mouth was full and she was distracted by the flavor—it didn't seem like she'd start talking again anytime soon—Rafe picked up the explanation. "The statuses of children are sealed until they come of age. Only a Priest and a parent are permitted to view them. It wouldn't be a bad idea for you to go, either. If you take a nice tribute, the Gods may take pity and help your memories return."

"I think I've remembered everything I need," I replied. I'd been slowly building up a backstory in my head that mixed truth and fiction, knowing I wouldn't be able to fake amnesia forever. "Jason and I are from a very distant land called America. It's further away than you probably think, so returning would be impossible. As you can probably tell from our differing features, we're not blood relatives. Jason's mother was my neighbor and often entrusted Jason to me. I can't tell you why we left there, but the thing you might find interesting is no one in America used magic. I couldn't use it, either, until I was reborn here."

"Do you have a significant other waiting for you in America?" Iris asked between bites. Of course she'd want to know that, but the curious expression on Rafe's face said he wanted to know, too.

"No one worth mentioning. I dated a few guys—I suppose that would be what you consider courting—but none lasted. Most of the time, it turned out they were only biding their time with me until someone more attractive came along."

Iris choked on her pretzel and had to scramble for her wine. Rafe stared at me in disbelief.

"He looked different back then," Jason suddenly piped in. "His face was more fat and his skin was pebbly. My mom said it was because of acne when he was younger."

I immediately reached up to touch my face in search of the pockmarks that made me look ten years older than I was. I couldn't feel any. It was shocking. The rest of my body had been normal when I checked, so I hadn't even considered the possibility my face had changed.

Jason noticed my surprise and said, "Oh, man, have you not look in a mirror since we got here? If you think I look different, you should see yourself. You could be an actor."

"I guess I got out of the habit of looking. I've never been the vain type and I've had a lot of other stuff on my mind."

I fell silent as several things started slotting into place. The number of guys dressed up at the dismantling warehouse suddenly made sense. The catcalls. The reactions of the women Iris introduced to me during our stroll and the number of strangers who called out while I was out walking by myself. I thought the people here just had odd tastes, but maybe not?

"You're pretty good with that," Rafe said to Jason, trying to fill the gap in conversation. He gestured to the spoon Jason was using to eat his chicken and dumplings. "Could I try?"

Jason paused with a spoonful of dumplings halfway to his mouth. "You want to use my spoon?"

Rafe's face fell in disappointment at Jason's reaction. "Is that not good?"

I rolled my eyes and decided to jump in before the situation was misunderstood. Iris and Rafe probably thought Jason was saying they were too low-class to use them. "We don't have healing magic or lifestyle magic back home," I explained to Rafe and Iris, who listened with great interest. "We're taught sharing utensils spreads sickness through the transmission of something called germs in your spit. But if you'd like to try, I have spares."

I pulled out a set for the three of us and passed them out. I'd intended to eat by slurping so I wouldn't stand out even more, but I saw no reason to hold back if everyone else was using them. Iris, who'd been quietly studying the way Jason wielded his utensils all this time, used hers like it was natural.

She laughed between bites, commenting, "My, my, eating like this makes me feel so fancy."

Rafe had a harder time. The dumplings kept falling off and he couldn't seem to keep more than a few drops of liquid in his spoon.

"We're taught to use them from early childhood," I said, seeing he was getting frustrated. "You shouldn't bother with them if they make you feel uncomfortable. Meals are meant to be enjoyed. If you suffer through it, it'll make me a failure as a chef."

"If you think this is hard, you should try chopsticks," Jason said.

I glared at him, silently tell him he wasn't helping.

"What's chopsticks?" Rafe asked.

"There's a subculture back home where people arrange two thin sticks in one hand and use them to pick up food. It can be very difficult to learn, especially if you weren't taught from an early age."

"Al tried to teach me, but I'm not good at it," Jason commented. "The food always falls before I can get it in my mouth."

"I'm not good at it, either," I admitted. "I can eat with chopsticks, but my hand cramps up from holding my fingers in a weird position. I usually just ask for a spoon or a fork when that happens. It's better to go with what's familiar when you're hungry. That way, you can enjoy the food while it's still hot."

Rafe Cleansed his silverware and returned them to me. "I'll get my own and practice," he said. It sounded like a promise.

I smiled at him as he held up his bowl like he was making a toast and slurped from it in his usual manner. After that was settled, we were able to enjoy the rest of the meal normally. Our conversation danced from one subject to another, allowing us to get to know Rafe and his mother while simultaneously letting them get to know us.

Eventually, the subject turned to my work and I couldn't help the tired sigh that escaped.

"Did Belfry cause you trouble?" Rafe asked, his tone turning dark.

"No, Belfry was great. I'm not sure I can explain the issue, but you'll probably see for yourself tomorrow. I'm thinking I should spend the day at home. Jason's asked for my help making lemonade and he wants fried chicken for lunch, but I was asked not to cook here at the Guild until the chaos settles down. It'll give me a chance to take care of some shopping, too. There's many things we're still lacking."

"That shopping," Iris said with an excited gleam in her eyes. "Would you leave it to me?"

I felt a sudden pang of homesickness. Iris really did remind me of my Aunties. Their first love was feeding people and their second love, unabashedly, was shopping. They were the type to start buying Christmas presents in February and the men in the family knew better than to tighten their wallets when their women wanted something. Not that they would—the men's giving natures had to be just as strong as the women's, else they wouldn't survive in my family.

"That would be helpful," I replied gratefully. "I have no experience haggling and I'd probably waste a lot of time finding what I want to get. Shoes, for example. The boots Jason and I are wearing need to be returned to the Sanctuary, but there weren't any stalls in the market and I don't know where the shoemaker is located."

"I know the perfect place to go. Erik does really good work and I can probably convince him to throw in house slippers for free if you're wanting to buy sets of town shoes and work boots."

"That sounds great. We should make a full list when we get back. We also need sleep clothes, towels, our own soap and toothbrushes—all kinds of things."

"Now's a good time to stock up on what you need," Rafe commented. "Prices will go up when the dungeon closes in a few days."

"What?" I said, startled. "The dungeon closes?"

"Has no one told you about how the dungeons work?" Rafe asked around a sip of beer. I shook my head and he sighed. "It's an important thing to know since it affects our work. To start, the dungeon is often called the Gods' Item Box. Inside is a different field controlled and managed by a different God. Level one is Lilith's Garden, level two is Orion's Pasture, level three is Asmodeus' Paradise, and so on. Each field is endless. An S-rank scout once spent four weeks walking in one direction across Orion's Pasture and never reached the other side. He reported that the deeper you go, the stronger beasts become and the more often you'll find rare species and materials."

"What happened at the end of the four weeks?" I asked, mesmerized by the image he crafted. It was nothing like what I'd imagined when people mentioned the dungeon. I'd known there were open sections—being told mustard grew on level one made that clear—but I'd thought of them as smaller pocket areas or jungle-filled caverns like those found in stories where people tried to drill to the center of the Earth. This sounded more like entire alternate dimensions.

"At the end of four weeks, the dungeon closed and he was sent back to the Sanctuary," Rafe said. "The dungeon runs on a cycle. It's open for four weeks so people can explore, then closed for four weeks while the Gods replenish the contents of their Item Boxes. That's why our work at the workshop is so important. If we don't dismantle enough meat each month, there won't be enough for everyone in town to eat while the dungeon is closed."

"I don't like it when the dungeon is closed," Iris said. "There's many Adventurers who'd prefer to never come out of the dungeon and they make all sorts of trouble when they're forced out. Oh, but there's amazing people who show up, too. I wouldn't mind catching another glimpse of Sir Havensford."

Rafe snorted. I didn't know why he had that reaction, but I assumed Sir Havensford was less impressive than Iris believed.

"Anyway," Rafe said, "People will start flooding out in the next few days with their loot, so it's going to get busy with Adventurers dropping off beasts and monsters and the rarest materials. If we're lucky, someone might even drop off a dragon. The number of workers we have available should increase after the dungeon doors close, so it should only take us a few weeks to get through everything in the warehouse, including anything we have backlogged. And, if all goes well, we'll have a few days off to relax before they dungeon reopens, half our staff disappears, and smaller game starts flooding in again."

"In that case, I might take all of tomorrow off," I replied, my eyes going wide when I realized there would be a whole month where Adventurers wouldn't be able to collect anything. Rare stuff like dragons might appear, but common goods like flour could vanish if there wasn't enough stockpiled. I needed to warn Janet, too. "I'm going to need to stock up on ingredients. I'm glad you said something."

A small, pleased smile rose on Rafe's face. It wasn't as destructive as a full smile might have been, but I found myself quietly applying myself to my food to hide my reaction.

We didn't linger after the last of the food was gone. The waitress refused to take my money when I tried to pay, so I left a small silver coin on the table as a tip and followed everyone out. The return trip was pleasant with Iris waxing eloquently about the chicken and dumplings. I belatedly realized she had no idea I'd taught the recipe to the Guild, although I was pretty certain she'd figure it out eventually.

Jason walked alongside her, filling her ears with descriptions of his favorite foods—primarily junk food, although it sounded like some of mine and my Aunties' cooking made the cut. She was very interested in everything he had to say. It didn't matter that he was only fourteen and, naturally, he soaked up her attention.

Somehow, I ended up walking next to Rafe. We walked side by side, silently watching our loved ones converse. It was nice—domestic—and I thought it was something I could get used to doing. It almost felt like we were a little family. The only thing missing was—

"You should be mine," Rafe said suddenly, his tone low to keep his mother and Jason from overhearing.

I barely managed to keep from choking, although it was difficult to breathe after hearing those words.

A pained expression filled Rafe's face when I didn't respond. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Frank said I should give you some time to settle in, but I just couldn't keep silent. I felt like if I didn't speak up now, I'd lose my chance to say anything at all. I'd be grateful if you considered me, even a little, in the future. I might not be able to offer you much, but I can promise I'd cherish both you and your little brother. And I'll do my best to make sure you never regret staying here instead of returning to America."

I chose my response carefully. "When you say I should be yours, do you mean—"

"Marry me," he said bluntly. It was a punch to my stomach.

I tried to laugh it off, but my voice came out strained. "That's what I was afraid you meant. I'm not saying no, but it's hard to answer when you ask so abruptly. I barely know anything about you."

"How are these matters handled in America?" he asked.

"Usually two people date for a while to see if they like each other, meaning they set a date to meet together for meals and outings like the one we had tonight. This can be non-exclusive where you can date more than one person until you find a good match, and then you can agree to be exclusive so you focus only on each other. The next step would be moving in together. It used to be you'd have to get married first, but it's a lot more common in modern times for people to live together before marriage. It lets you see each other's hidden sides. On a date, it's easy to present yourself in the best possible light. It's not as easy when you're around someone all the time."

"And this type of courting is something even commoners do in your homeland?"

"Most people do. There will always be some who defy convention, but it's best to slowly get to know each other through dating and work your way up to marriage. It's said the best marriages are between best friends. You can't really be best friends with someone you just met."

"What of betrothals and arranged marriages?"

"They're illegal," I said. "People, especially kids, aren't bargaining tools. Stripping anyone of their right to choose is no different than slavery, which is also illegal. We believe marriage is a celebration of love and people should have the freedom to fall in love with whomever they want. That said, my family could be very vocal if they thought I was dating someone unsuitable."

"Would I be unsuitable?"

I grinned, thinking of Rafe surrounded by my big, crazy family. "I think they would have liked you. You have a steady job and your co-workers respect you. That says a lot about the type of person you are. I don't think you're the type to raise your fist to someone without a damn good reason. At the same time, you were quick to step up and protect your territory when I wandered in yesterday."

"Sorry about that," Rafe muttered.

"It's understandable. You were willing to hear me out and that counts for something. But, aside from all that, I think they would have liked how you just dove straight in. Most men in my homeland turn into cowards around the ones they like, fearing rejection, yet you jumped straight to 'marry me'. That kind of confidence is sexy."

I couldn't look at him after saying that much, so I turned my head and searched for some kind of distraction. "What about you?" I asked. "I noticed you have a surname. Any betrothals I should know about?"

"I was betrothed once," Rafe said, surprising me. "It was to a very nice girl I was friendly with, but the betrothal was canceled when I told my father I preferred men. He was negotiating with the family to have me betrothed to the youngest son when my father went into the dungeon and was reborn. Afterward, he couldn't remember my mother or me. He couldn't remember how to do business. Our household slowly fell into ruin. My mother decided it would be best for all of us to start over, so we sold everything off and severed ties with my father. She bought the boarding house where we've lived ever since and my father moved across town to put some distance between us. Naturally, the betrothal negotiations fell through. No noble house wanted to be attached to our misfortune. I often wondered what we did to deserve such punishment, but now I don't think it was a punishment at all. It put me exactly where I needed to be to meet you."

I wasn't immune to flattery. I ducked my head to hide my blush, grateful when I realized we were already back to the boarding house. Iris and Jason had already gone inside, leaving the door open for us. I checked the time. It was barely past seven—far too early for me to hide in my room.

As soon as I stepped inside, Iris took over and quickly ushered Jason and me to the bath in the backyard. I had a feeling she wanted us out of the way so she could talk to her son alone.

The backyard wasn't large. It was long and thin with tall privacy fences separating it from the neighbors. The fence ended several feet from the town's massive stone walls. The walls were taller than any castle wall I'd ever seen and the size of the stone blocks suggested it was thick. A narrow alley ran between the yard and the wall, providing a path for trashmen to use in moving around town.

The tub itself wasn't far from the back door, set to the side to keep from wasting available yardage. My first impression was 'hot tub'. The barrel-sized bath rose three feet off the ground and could easily fit six people inside. A groundwater pump hung over the rim, making it easy to refill, and a set of attached wooden stairs made it easier to get in and out.

Iris showed me the side control panel where the embedded magic circles could be triggered to cleanse and heat the water without requiring a large input of personal magic.

"I'll send Rafe with towels," she said as she bustled back inside. "Enjoy!"

I glanced at the now-steaming water, then over at Jason. "It looks like we're expected to get in together. Are you okay with that?"

Jason shrugged. "I heard half the town skinny-dips together at the public bathhouse. I prefer taking a bath with you than doing it in front of a bunch of strangers."

He didn't hesitate to strip down and climb in the water. Was I making a mountain out of a molehill? Maybe I was. The bath certainly was large enough. We could sit on opposite sides and never come in contact.

I decided, if Jason wasn't going to worry about it, then neither was I. I stripped down and climbed in after him.

The water was hotter than I expected. I hissed as I lowered myself in, giving my body time to adjust. Jason didn't seem to have the same problem. He ducked his head under the water until only the top of his white hair showed. It took me nearly five minutes before I could follow suit, dunking under and vigorously scratching my head to dislodge whatever dirt had accumulated in my hair since I was summoned to this world. When I rose back up, I raked my hair back out of my face and sighed, relaxing on the bath's built-in bench.

The hot water was heavenly, loosening muscles I hadn't realized were tight. I tilted my head back to look up at the stars and—

"Holy shit," I gasped. Jason looked up, too, and we both stared in awe. A massive supermoon and two wide, white strips stretched across the sky like God's highway. I was amazed I hadn't noticed earlier, especially when I thought about our walk home from the Guild. With the light reflecting off the moon and the white bands, we'd been able to see clearly in the dark even though there hadn't been any streetlights.

In my defense, I'd been distracted. Noticing the giant, honking ring around the planet had been low on my list of priorities.

"Persephone's Footpath is bright tonight." I jumped at Rafe's voice suddenly coming from behind me. When I glanced over my shoulder, he held up a stack of towels to explain his intrusion. On top of the stack was a tray with bar soap and hand-towels. "Is it okay if I bring this over?" he asked.

Swimming, I told myself. We were just swimming. There was no reason to be shy. I jerked my head to tell him to come closer.

He put the stack of towels at the bottom of the bath's stairs and set the soap tray adrift in the water. It floated on the surface far too steadily. I assumed it had a magic component.

"Who's Persephone?" Jason asked as he claimed the soap and hand-towel to begin washing without needing to be told.

"She's the Goddess who rules over the cycle of life and death," Rafe said. "It's by her Grace Adventurers are sent to a Sanctuary when they die in the dungeon rather than being sent to final judgment."

"Is that mythology?" Jason asked. "We were learning some at school back home, but I don't remember anyone named Persephone."

"You're probably more familiar with her husband, Hades," I said. "He's said to be the ruler of the Underworld, so he probably shows up in some of your video games."

Jason nodded excitedly, telling me I was right.

I continued, "The story goes that Hades fell in love with Persephone at first sight and he reacted like a cave man, kidnapping her and taking her to the Underworld. While she was down there, she ate something—I can't remember what—and it cursed her so she couldn't return to the normal world. Persephone's mother, the Goddess of the Harvest, got really pissed off and covered the world in ice until Hades returned her. They talked it over and came to an agreement where Persephone would return home to the normal world for half the year and spend the other half in the Underworld with Hades. People in ancient times used the story to explain why we have different seasons. The world turns to cold when Persephone is away and it thaws when she comes home to her mother."

"I've never heard that story," Rafe commented.

"I'm not sure how much of it's true," I replied. "I might be remembering some of it wrong, too. It's been a long time since I read up on my mythology. Most of the people in our homeland worship a singular, unnamed God believed to have created everything in existence. We don't have magic, so we don't interact with divine beings like the people here do. Very old stories like the one about Persephone are called myths because no one believes them."

"Hey, hey," Jason said, jerking on my arm to regain my attention. "What about Crotus? I learned in school that he's the God of Crafts."

"I'm sorry, I've not heard of him." Glancing over at Rafe, I asked, "Want to enlighten us?"

Rafe grinned at my invitation and he leaned on the edge of the tub as he spoke. I took the opportunity to take the washcloth and soap from Jason, building up a lather I could use to wash my hair. The rest of my body would have to wait until I had a little more privacy.

"Crotus is a Beastkin like you, Jason, except his form takes after a stag instead of a hare. His crest is the bow and arrow, which he invented, and his favorite tribute is anything handmade. If you'd like to see what he looks like, I can dig out my old zodiac and show you."

I froze. Had I just heard what I thought I heard? "Your what?" I asked.

"My zodiac. It's a learning tool used to help teach children about the Gods and Goddesses."

"Just curious, but are there twelve Gods?"

"There's seven Gods and five Goddesses. But, yes, twelve in total."

"These crests you mentioned. Is there a bull?"

"That's Cerus, the Goddess of Conflict. She's a Beastkin with the horns of a bull."

"Two fish?" I prompted.

"That's Persephone. The circling fish represent the cycle of reincarnation."

"A ram?"

"Ares, the Goddess of Magic. She's a ram Beastkin with golden curls. I thought you weren't familiar with our Gods. How do you know their crests?"

"We have a zodiac too, but it's something quite different. I don't have the words to explain. Jason, if I'm right, you've probably heard of the Crafting God, Crotus. Back home, we called him Sagittarius. He's a centaur with a bow and arrow."

Jason's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh," he said. His face instantly wrinkled in confusion. "But mom said the zodiac signs are based off constellations. How does that work here? They can't even see the stars. The ring is too bright."

I thought maybe the power of belief gave life to the constellations on Earth and they were sent here to rule, but that didn't explain Persephone. She was a Goddess in both worlds.

"I think this is one of those instances where we have to admit we're humble humans who don't know anything about what's going on in the greater cosmos. I don't know what your mother taught you about religion, but try to keep and open mind. The Gods and Goddesses aren't myths here. They actually come down and visit and talk to people. You don't want to offend any of them by shooting your mouth off about things you don't know."

Jason bobbed his head in understanding. "Mom said you should respect other people's religion, even if you don't agree with it. As long as they don't use their religion as a reason to do bad things, it not for us to say what's right or wrong."

"Can I ask what the two of you believe?" Rafe asked curiously. "Is it that Nameless God you mentioned?"

Jason shrugged. "I never thought about it. I used to go to Sunday school, but Mom wasn't a fan of Churches. She said, if there was a God, he wouldn't be the vain type who only gave us life to worship him. She said I should live my life the best way I could and everything else would work itself out."

Rafe turned to me. "What about you?"

"I'm the same as Jason. I try not to think about it too much and focus on living my life. I celebrate holidays with my family, but it's more out of tradition than religious observation. You'll probably hear me refer to God in some instances. It's more of an ingrained habit from childhood than actual belief. I don't think I'll be able to break easily. Is that going to be a problem?"

Rafe shook his head. "Astraea, the Goddess of Balance, teaches that respect must be mutual, even in matters of belief. Crios, the God of Justice, also teaches that belief isn't something that can be forced upon another person. It's something meant to be built over time with proof gathered with one's own experience."

"Can I get out yet?" Jason asked, having lost interest in the philosophical conversation. I smiled at him and nodded.

As Jason climbed out, I noticed a long ridge of short white hair running down his spine. Thankfully, it didn't end in a tail like the ones I'd seen trailing behind some Beastkin in the marketplace.

Rafe held out a hand, helping the teenager climb down the stairs, and handed off a towel for Jason to dry himself. Then he bent down again and pulled a lightweight shirt out of the bottom of the towel stack. "This might be too big for you, but it'll be more comfortable than sleeping in your tunic," he said as he handed it over. Jason immediately pulled it over his head and I had to laugh at the result. Rafe's night shirt was nearly a night dress on the short, scrawny bunny boy.

I made a mental note to put sleepwear at the top of my shopping list.

"I brought pants, too, but I think it'd be pointless for you to try them on," Rafe said.

Jason stretched his arms out, checking to see if anything was exposed when he moved. When nothing was, he replied, "This is okay. Thanks, Mister Rafe." Then he turned to me. "Remember, you promised lemonade in the morning."

"I haven't forgotten. It's still early, but go ahead and try to get some sleep. You'll want to get an early start if you want to set up a stall in the market."

Rafe turned to me, his eyes darkening as soap bubbles slid down my back. "I'll give you some privacy to finish," he said in a strained tone. "Would you like some wine when you get out?"

I was glad he didn't offer me beer. I hadn't tried any yet, but I knew it wouldn't be any good. There was no foam on it, so it wasn't carbonated and they didn't have refrigeration. Flat, warm, non-carbonated beer did not sound refreshing. The warm wine at dinner had been hard enough to drink. At least here at home I could chill it with Ice Magic.

And, maybe with some liquid courage, we could finish our earlier conversation where he'd asked me to marry him.

"Wine sounds good," I replied, my own voice turning hoarse. "I'll be out soon. Just let me rinse off."

If I raced through the rest of my bath once he was gone, I don't think I could have been blamed.

The thin lounge clothes he'd left for me actually fit. They were a little loose around the shoulders and thighs, but that only served to make them more comfortable. I ruffled the towel through my hair, drying it as I headed through the house in search of Rafe.

I found him in the living room. He wasn't alone. Iris was there with a quill, paper, and her own glass of wine, eager to get started on my shopping list. Rafe threw me an apologetic grimace behind her back.

It was nice to see I wasn't the only one disappointed.