Page 54 of Unbound By Shadows
Selene’s eyes traveled from the left side of Brunie’s face, where the skin was smooth and pale, gently lined with age. The right side, however, was puckered and warped with scar tissue. It stretched from her hairline down to where her short neck disappeared under her collar, making her eye droop slightly and the corner of her mouthsag. It was clear Brunie must have suffered a terrible burn at some point.
“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too. You have a beautiful home,” Selene said, gesturing toward the house.
Brunie gave a delighted hoot. “You must be hungry. Craving a hot bath after all this travel, I’d say.”
“That would be wonderful.”
“Come in. Supper will be ready soon.”
Once inside, Selene was whisked past the wood-paneled living room and taken up a log staircase. Brunie led her into a small, neat room with a wrought-iron bed covered in quilts. After Brunie pointed out the bathroom down the hall, she called for Sam to take his “usual room” in the attic. This made Selene curious; how often had he come to visit this odd pair?
Once she was sure Selene was comfortable, Brunie bustled back into the kitchen. After unpacking a few things, Selene had enough time to brush her hair and wash her face before Brunie announced, “Supper’s ready!”
As soon as Selene entered the main room, she gaped at the spread laid out for them. An enormous roast of some sort sat in the middle, along with a huge basket of rolls. There was also a plate of fish, a tray of sliced fruit, a teapot, and at least eight large bowls of sides.
“Now Selene, I’ve done a lot of reading and made all the food humans prefer,” Brunie said with pride, pointing at each of the bowls, “We have porridge here, gingerbread, and that’s plum pudding. Over there are peas, poison-free apples, beans taken straight from the stalk, and radishes.”
“And the cakes, love. Tell her about the cakes!” Eldridge said, taking a seat across from Selene.
“And cakes! We know how your kind love cakes, so I made twelve.”
“T-twelve?” Selene sputtered.
A concerned look crossed Brunie’s face. “Should I have made more?”
“Oh no, I… ”
Sam seemed to sense Selene's reluctance and jumped in, “Humans don’t eat as much as the legends say. But I’ll finish off anything she can’t.”
Brunie made a sound like a goose honk, which Selene realized was a laugh. “Of course, you will! You always finished your plate, didn’t you? Now let’s sit down.”
“Dearest, if there’s anything left over, we can bring it to the Founder’s Day party,” Eldridge said. He looked to Sam, hopefully, “You are staying for that, aren’t you? Tomorrow night? I’m singing and Brunie’s baking.”
Eldridge turned his attention across the table to Selene. His eyes shone as he asked, “Do you like dancing?”
“I love it,” she said. “Although I haven’t done it in a long time.”
Sam turned to her. “Do you mind staying two nights?”
Now that she knew Sam’s friends were more like Aurelia’s cutest grandparents than a pair of bogeymen, the decision was easy. “Sure. I wouldn’t mind another night to rest. If that’s all right with—”
“We’ll stay,” Sam said quickly. Eldridge clapped, and Brunie beamed.
After Brunie carved up the roast and filled everyone’s plate, Selene took small portions of each dish as it was passed around. Although random, everything was delicious.
“How did you research these foods, Brunie?” Selene asked.
“From stories about your kind that the Queens have brought back. Books and songs sacred to your people.”
“What stories?”
“Oh, there’s one about a little girl and some bears, one about a lass with very long hair, another about some lost children and a house made of sweets.”
Selene suppressed a giggle, as the assortment suddenly madesense. She supposed she should be grateful Brunie hadn’t served her four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
Eldridge wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, “So, tell us all about what sort of adventures you two have had on your journey.”
Selene’s amusement disappeared as she recalled their most recent “adventure” in Iriswood. Sam shifted in his seat. Their mutual silence made the air taut.
