Page 36 of Dragons & Dumplings
“Then it is settled. Mikhail will serve out his punishment here, and the fools who followed his orders will only be sentenced to a month or two in the Sauna.” The frost dragon chief looked rather pleased with himself.
“Very good. We would be happy to check in on him from time to time,” my dad added.
Moroz nodded. “A fitting punishment indeed.”
Choosing to ignore that comment, my dad then pinned his golden gaze on me. “Now thatthat’ssettled, you have some explaining to do, young lady.”
I started squirming in my seat, until Yuri sent a wave of cool magic dancing over my skin. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and met my dad’s eyes unflinchingly.
“Yuri came here to research Glacius, the founder of his fleet, for his book. At first, we did not exactly…get along. But Yuri helped me when he could have easily turned a blind eye, or even made things harder for me,” I began, my voice gaining strength with every word. “When he continued coming to the diner, we made a deal; I would help with his research, and he would help me create dishes for the Harvest Feast that could be enjoyed by those who don’t like spice.”
“Why don’t you try it before it gets cold?” Yuri gestured to the steaming food that lined the center of the table. “Your daughter worked very hard on perfecting it.”
“Here’s the new dish we debuted just for the Feast.” I pointed out one of the many platters we had made early this morning. “It’s smoked frost salmon with an ember-citrus glaze. Not too hot, not too cold, and bursting with flavor. Yuri was the one who came up with the idea.”
I watched anxiously as my parents served themselves and took their first hesitant bites. I watched their expressions closely as scrunched eyebrows gave way to thoughtful looks and then expanded pupils.
“You made this?” My mom raised her eyebrows at me.
“Yes. What do you think?” I held still, resisting the urge to fidget with my hair.
“I think it’s wonderful—the way the glaze brings out the flavor of the fish is fantastic,” she said slowly, as if she could hardly believe I was the one who had come up with it.
“The fish is cooked to perfection, and the seasonings on it and the vegetables pair beautifully, Mei-Mei,” my dad added warmly.
I beamed with pride. It felt like my parents were finally taking my cooking seriously, and that made all the late nights and early mornings feel like they were finally starting to pay off.
“Yuri helped me come up with something that both ice and fire dragons would like.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “I couldn't have done it without him.”
He pressed a kiss to my hair before resting his head on mine.
My parents shared another glance at the display of affection, but held their tongues. From my parents, that practically felt like a glowing endorsement.
Seeing that the food was clearly not poisoned, Yuri’s father also took a bite. His expression went from haughty and disdainful to shocked in a heartbeat. I was going to ask what he thought of it, but before I could he began to practically inhale his food.
“It seems the fire drake’s cooking agrees with you, Father.” Yuri’s lips twitched, as if he were fighting a smile.
Moroz paused, straightening in his seat and deliberately slowing down. After swallowing and clearing his throat, he said rather begrudgingly, “The food is palatable.”
Yuri leaned over and murmured in my ear, “That’s high praise, coming from him.”
“I suspected as much.” Honestly, I was surprised he hadn’t insulted it. But I would take what I could get.
It felt like we were making leaps and bounds of progress today. That made me hopeful for the future, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest.
“I’m impressed you were able to pull all this together so well,” my dad said slowly, his golden gaze sweeping along the banquet and all the people who were enjoying it.
“Perhaps it is time for you to join us in running the diner—as our partner, instead of as a waitress.” My mom smiled warmly at me.
I couldn’t remember the last time she had said she was proud of me, but I think this offer was her way of saying it. Workingwithmy parents instead ofunderthem was a vote of trust and confidence that I had started to wonder if I would ever be able to earn.
And now that I had… I swallowed down the lump in my throat as tears of joy pricked my eyes.
“I would love that.”
Yuri squeezed my hand under the table, but I caught the fleeting expression of longing my parents’ words brought to his face. Turning to Moroz, I watched as he loaded his plate with a second helping of salmon.
“Moroz, would you like to read Yuri’s book once he’s completed it?” Yuri stiffened beside me, but I kept my gaze on his father.
