Touch of Flame

Ravina had to allow Mara to use the peeler for a while and try different vegetables before she could be happy with her inventions.

“It works on all,” Mara said happily. “And it is easy to use.”

Ravina nodded. She knew Mara was speaking in comparison to using a knife but Ravina wanted to know the details. “Is it slow? Do you feel like it glides smoothly or is the edge not sharp enough?”

“It is not as sharp as a knife but it works. I am using more pressure,” she said.

Then she needed to make some changes. “How is the handle? Is it easy to hold or does it feel uncomfortable?”

“I have no problem with it,” she said but Ravina took her hand to see if there was pressure from the handle. Her skin sank in where the edge met, so a more comfortable handle was also needed so they could peel for a long time without suffering from pain. Even if they were dragons. She was inventing this for everyone.

Ravina turned to Boris. “We just need to make a few more changes so you can sell it for a price worth your effort and for making more people buy it.”

He nodded.

“I will make another sketch with the details.”

Mara turned to her husband with an exciting look. “Everyone is going to love this. We will make a lot of money.”

But Boris kept looking at Ravina. “You made the invention. You should take some of the money.” He said.

“I am already provided with everything.” She told him.

“Anything could happen. You are a human here and you could need the money anytime.”

“Well, then I will steal all the gold jewelry.” She joked.

He smiled.

“I would still like to compensate you,” he insisted.

“Maybe you can compensate me in some other way. I could need a smith in the future.”

“Anytime you need, I will be available.” He told her.

She gave him a nod and then she thought about what he said. She should wear a little more jewelry just in case. She was the enemy here after all.

Boris left and Ravina asked for a pen and paper and began to sketch under the sunlight coming through the window. As she kept drawing, her mind went back to Malachi. He was odd today and last night.

She remembered his words in the darkness, ‘you would’. She had never expected him to say that. He had suddenly asked about Ares but didn’t get angry. He bought her a gift of sweets, wrapped it beautifully, and had it delivered. What was going on in his mind? What was he doing? Did he misunderstand her sleeping on his lap? She wasn’t even aware of it.

She paused and leaned back with a sigh. Oh well, if it was a misunderstanding then she just made it worse by touching his hair. Who cares? She then told herself and leaned forward again to continue drawing. She had already made it clear that she was not going to be any mistress.

As she tried to focus on the sketch, her mind refused to stay with her. And he wore a robe… covering all the way to the front as if he was suddenly shy. What was going on? Was it because she gawked at him last night?

It was HIS fault for walking around half-naked. Did he think no one would look?

Ugh! She tossed her pen aside. He could keep his body and cover it up all he wanted! As if she wasn’t half-naked herself and he kept touching her.

While in a brooding state, she heard a lot of noise from the hall.

“Nako!” She called when she saw the maid pass by.

“Yes,” She stepped inside.

“What is going on?”

“We are preparing your new room downstairs. Malachi ordered us to make a room with an office.”

What?

She stood up from her seat and Nako hurried to help her walk to the hall. She found several men carrying furniture inside and disappearing into the room to the left of the hall.

“How would you like us to decorate your room?”Nako asked her.

Decorate?

“Do you like plants? Flowers? Any specific colors you want?”

“Any way you like,” she said still surprised.

“He must want you to have your working space as well. You are talented after all and it shouldn’t go to waste,” Mara spoke as she came to watch what was going on.

“Let’s go inside and see,” Nako suggested.

The room downstairs was a bit larger. On one side she got a big bed with bedstands. A nice dresser with a large mirror, and a dressing screen.  On the other side, she had a desk and a chair. And two large shelves on each side. In a corner, there were two sofas, meeting in the corner against each wall, and a table at the front.

“The placement is good,” Nako pointed. “Now we just have to dress the emptiness and put some color. Are you sure you want us to do it our way?”

She nodded. She would make it dull anyway.

“I love decorating,” Mara said. “But do we have what we need?” She looked over at Nako.

“Another delivery will be here soon and we can pick and choose,” she informed.

Ravina just stared at the room. Yes, something had happened to the man. Was he trying to convince her to become a mistress? Well, at least he was trying now. She had wondered before if he just thought she would accept it. But, he was still wrong if he thought this would convince her.

When the delivery of decorations came, Nako and Mara candidly chose out items they liked, turning to her sometimes and asking if their choice was alright.

Ravina just nodded, studying their choices. She had never cared for decoration and beauty so she wasn’t sure what was suitable. She let them decide what they thought was best.

Unlike Malachi’s decoration which was browns, rich greens, gold, and beige, they made her room into something else. Soft and feminine on the bed side, and cold, calm, and elegant on the other which was her office.

The bed was pearly white and soft pinks decorated with fur and rhinestones. At the window, there were vases with white flowers and roses.

The office was a dark brown and still mostly empty. “We should bring your things from the other room,” Nako said.

Mara hung some paintings on the wall that Ravina had chosen. One was the mountains and the other sunrise.

The two ladies had worked hard so once all was done, Ravina decided to share her sweets with them. She opened the package and found everything put together nicely. These ones she did not recognize but the ladies gasped.

“I want that one.”

“This one is absolutely delicious.”

They were excited. Ravina let them take the ones they wanted and then just picked one to taste it. It was very lush and melted in her mouth. “Oh, what is this?” She asked.

“That is a Kalfa. It is filled with cheese and dipped in syrup with saffron and coconut.” Nako explained.

It was very crunchy and delicious. Ravina ate a few, ignoring that it was time for lunch soon. She worked on her sketched some more and then ate lunch.

She began to feel drowsy, like every time she ate a lot. She wasn’t used to it. A nap, or would she have nightmares? She was afraid to sleep so she decided to find something to do when Georgia and Kayla came to visit her again. This time Brenna came with them as well and they brought the fortune teller.

“Since you can’t walk, we thought we would bring her here if it is alright?”

“Yes, of course,” she said and they went to sit in the parlor.

Ravina looked at the fortune teller. It was a young woman, looking like she was a mixture of human and dragon. Her skin was yellow and her hair a rich brown and very long. It reached below her bottom. She was dressed in a sleeveless long brown gown, with a thick black leather belt around her waist. Her name was Uzara.

She went down on her knees and began to place items she brought with her on the table. The candles she placed in a hexagon form and then with a snap of her fingers, they began to burn. Ravina blinked in disbelief.

Then she had some stones that she also placed in different positions around the candles and lastly she had sticks she burned that gave off smoke. She was quiet most of the time, her pale grey eyes only looking up to study them occasionally.

Ravina looked over at Georgia who gave her a reassuring smile.

“Alright. Who wants to start?” Uzara finally spoke.

The women looked at each other. “I can start,” Ravina said.