“I’m not sure what it’s called, but it was a favorite.”
“Izzy! Tomorrow we’re going on a field trip,” Meryn said excitedly.
Neil jogged over and sat down between his brother and Pip. “We’re going to that bakery?”
Meryn nodded. “It is a journey that must be undertaken.”
Zoe wished she could go too. Spending the afternoon with Meryn and the twins sounded fun.
Something must have shown on her face because the next thing she knew, Meryn was turned back to her. “You have to show us da way.”
Zoe looked from Gage to the queen. Both were nodding before the queen spoke. “Zoe, you’re not a prisoner here. I am not expecting you to work yourself to exhaustion. In fact, I insist on you taking it easy tomorrow with Meryn.”
She turned to Gage. “Darling, don’t worry about me. I need to participate in more drills using the goggles. Enjoy your day with friends.”
“Friends?” she whispered.
“Duh,” Meryn said, popping a chip in her mouth.
“Duuuuhhh,” the twins and Pip repeated, making Zoe laugh.
“I’d like very much to participate in your religious excursion.”
Meryn’s face scrunched up. “Sometimes, you sound more formal than the vampires or the fae.”
Zoe thought about it a moment. “It could be because I was raised by scholars.”
Kendrick plopped down in his chair. “Outside the Magical Academy, the Fire Temple is one the best centers of learning in Storm Keep.” Turning to her, he leveled his gaze. “Day after tomorrow, pick an anchor witch, and I’ll walk you through the process.”
Zoe felt flustered. “I couldn’t ask anyone to trouble themselves…”
“I’ll help,” Kincaid and the twins offered together.
Gage turned to the witch. “I thought the palace made you nervous? But you’ve been spending a lot of time here.”
Kincaid ducked his head. “It’s not that bad. I’m learning a lot with the twins.”
“He is,” Aiden agreed. “So much, in fact, I’ve excused him from drills for the time being.”
Gage smiled. “Good for you!”
Zoe thought about it a moment. “If Kincaid is willing, I think it might be easier for him to help since he has some fire magic.”
Kendrick nodded. “Good choice.”
Kincaid looked nervous and pleased. “I’ll do whatever I can to help. You’re my unit brother’s mate. I’ll keep you safe.”
Zoe sat back and turned to the queen. “I was able to, as you probably heard, check on the first spell center today. Everything was clearly etched and working perfectly. It may take a bit longer than expected, but I will try to get through them as quickly as possible.”
“It’s already making a difference,” Ari said from across the table.
Zoe frowned. “The lights aren’t any brighter.”
He shook his head. “No, but seeing you working for hours on the lights made a huge difference to the people. Priest and I heard them talking when we made our rounds today. You, my dear, are being likened to a living flame.”
“It’s this robe Gage picked out. I normally don’t wear red,” she rambled.
“I think you look amazing in red,” Amelia said soothingly.