Chapter 44: I Brought Another Girl Home

"I get that she’s scared, but why is she coming home with us?" Katrina asked, walking to my side. "Wouldn’t it be better if she stayed at the healers longer?"

"You heard the woman. They can heal physical wounds." I looked to my other side. Elise walked next to me, holding my shirt tail. "There isn’t much they can do for emotional damage."

"And Sam is a big softy for a cute face," Damara teased, leaning forward. "You can’t even deny it at this point."

"I can’t wait to show her movies!" Micro-Sarah blurted, landing on Elise’s shoulder.

She shuddered a bit before giving Micro-Sarah a soft smile.

The walk back to my place went by quietly. The loud market noise faded away as we navigated the residential streets. The sun dipped lower and cast stretched shadows across the dirt road.

Elise kept her grip tight on my shirt the entire time, matching my pace and stepping exactly where I stepped. Katrina walked a little ahead of us, her tail swaying with a relaxed rhythm, while Damara took up the rear to keep watch.

By the time my house came into view, the evening chill had settled in. I fished my keys out, unlocked the front door, and pushed it open. I stepped inside and gestured for the girls to follow, letting the familiar warmth of the living room wash over us.

"This is home," I said, using my hands to gesture outward. "Mi casa su casa."

Everyone shot me a glance.

"...I mean, make yourself at home."

Elise, after looking around the room, let go of my shirt and walked around the living room. Lowering herself down onto a couch, her face lit up.

"It’s uhh... soft," she murmured, leaning back into the cushions. "Very, very soft."

"Could you all make sure she feels safe? I wanna make some dinner. Get something warm in her belly."

"No problem," Katrina shot back. "Make sure it’s meaty!"

Flashing her a wide grin, I walked into the kitchen. Ignis was currently unloading the dishwasher with brutal efficiency. Noticing me, his eyes shifted in their sockets.

"Good evening, Sire. If I can be so blunt as to say, you seem to have a thing with bringing women home with you."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "You could definitely assume something like that, yeah," I said, laughing a few times after. "What? You don’t like them?"

"I say keep going," he answered. "More people equates to more duties for me."

"You like working?" I asked, grabbing my phone from my pocket.

"It is what I was created for. I don’t merely like tasks. I crave them," Ignis explained, placing the last plate into the cabinet. "I shall go tend to a room upstairs. I’m assuming Miss..."

"Elise."

"...Miss Elise, is staying the night?"

I nodded, and he disappeared up the stairs. Looking at my phone, I opened the Celestial Market. Exiting out of the pop-up advertisements for exercise machines, I made my way to the grocery tab.

With a few clicks on my screen, I had my ingredients. Grabbing a large pot, I began unpacking the crates that materialized on the counter.

I grabbed a heavy chef knife and went straight to work on a pile of carrots, celery, and onions. The rhythmic thud of the blade against the cutting board helped settle my racing thoughts. I scraped the diced vegetables into the hot pot, letting them sizzle loudly against a splash of oil.

Crushing a few cloves of garlic, I tossed them in next. I chopped up a pile of red potatoes and thick cuts of stew meat, throwing them in to brown before drowning the entire mix in a rich bone broth.

I stirred the pot slowly, lowering the heat and watching the soup simmer. The smell of garlic and beef drifted through the kitchen, finally wiping away the lingering stench of the stagnant cave.

Setting a small ceramic bowl on the counter, my focus shifted to Elise. After starving in a flooded cell, heavy vegetables and thick meat would just make her sick. She only needed something warm and easy to digest.

Using a metal ladle, I scooped the clear liquid from the top of the pot, leaving all the solid chunks behind in the stew. The hot broth quickly filled her dish to the brim.

For the rest of us, I loaded four large bowls with heaps of beef, potatoes, and soft vegetables. I placed everything on a serving tray, grabbing a handful of spoons before walking back out.

"Dinner is served," I said, placing the serving tray on the dining room table. "Hope you all like it," I added, placing bowls at each of the chairs, setting their spoons next to them.

As I placed the last bowl in its spot, the flood of women entered the room, their faces lighting up as they all took deep breaths.

"Smells fantastic," Damara said, shooting me a grin. "Thank you!"

"What is it?" Elise asked sheepishly, finding her spot next to me. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Before I could answer, her hand shot out and latched onto my shirt again. *This is going to take some getting used to.*

I pointed at her bowl. "You have a savory broth. I figured something easy but filling would be best for your recovery. Try it. Tell me what you think."

She let go of my shirt just long enough to pick up her spoon. Blowing gently on the steaming liquid, she took a cautious sip. Her eyes widened, the rigid tension in her shoulders fading away almost instantly.

A soft breath escaped her lips, bringing a bit of color back to her pale cheeks. She took another spoonful, much faster this time, slurping down the savory flavor with a small smile of relief.

Katrina completely ignored such careful manners, practically burying her face in her bowl to hunt down the thick chunks of meat. Her tail swished happily behind her chair, thumping against the wooden legs with a steady rhythm.

Damara ate with slow precision, blowing on her diced potatoes before taking a bite, watching Katrina with a look of mild amusement.

Micro-Sarah fluttered down to the edge of my bowl, dipping her tiny hands directly into my soup to lick the broth off her fingers.

The clinking of spoons against dishes filled the dining room. Elise shifted slightly closer to my side, resting her head against my arm as she finished her meal in complete silence.

Once she was done, a white glow illuminated around her neck, leaving behind a thin collar. Elise grabbed at it frantically, trying to pull it off.

"What is this!?"