Scorched by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #7)(24)

“Oh, yes,” Janta said proudly. “Tinari is quite the reader. She might well become a librarian herself someday.”

Tinari made a face, and I bit back a laugh—I hadn’t realized she’d been listening. “Why don’t I take her off your hands for a little bit?” I suggested. “There’s another little girl in the kitchens who is about Tinari’s age who could use some company, too. And besides, it doesn’t look like I’m needed much here,” I added, gesturing at Pillick. He was already busy going through the magazines, marking appropriate articles with pieces of paper and setting them aside, while discarding others that were useless. He didn’t seem to want to share the task, and I got the feeling that he didn’t trust me—he wanted to scour each piece with his own two eyes.

“Yes, I think that’s an excellent idea,” Janta agreed. “Tinari, why don’t you accompany Miss Baine for a little bit? You can come back to your books later.” I’ll keep an eye on Mr. Pillick, she mouthed, and I smiled in gratitude.

Tinari held my hand as we walked to the kitchens, practically skipping in excitement—despite her love of books, she must have been awfully bored being confined to the library all the time. I knew I would be. She chattered a mile a minute as we walked, asking me about my travels to Garai and telling me about the new things she was learning every day with Janta. She might not have many friends yet, but Tinari was well cared for, and it did my heart good to see her that way.

As we descended the stairs to the kitchens, the heavenly scent of baked apple pies wafted up to greet us, and my stomach growled in anticipation. We entered the kitchen to see Mrs. Tandry barking orders to the rest of her kitchen staff, who seemed to be baking up a storm. There were sweet and savory pies, breads, rolls, huge roasts of ham and beef, and more.

“Oooooh,” Tinari exclaimed, her eyes going starry as she beheld a stack of chocolate tarts. “What are these for?” She reached for one with her small hand.

“They’re being sent to Shiftertown and Maintown, for the volunteers assisting with the rebuilding,” Mrs. Tandry said, swatting Tinari’s hand away before she could grab a tart. Her dark hair was secured beneath a white cap, her rounded cheeks were ruddy from the heat of the ovens, and her apron was coated with flour. “Got to keep those men and women well fed if we want them to continue working at full strength.”

“I agree,” I said, looking around at the piles of food with astonishment. I noticed several of the kitchen staff were already wrapping the food and packing it in boxes. “Did you come up with this on your own, Mrs. Tandry?”

“I sent a letter to Lord Iannis with the suggestion, and he seemed to think it was a good idea,” Mrs. Tandry said proudly. “He allocated us enough gold to allow us to provide food to the volunteers for several weeks.”

Liu chose that moment to pop out from behind one of the islands, and I grinned at the sight of her. She looked adorable in her apron-covered frock with flour smudged over her cheek. Her long dark hair was secured beneath a white cap, leaving her thin face unframed. “Miss Baine!” she cried, rushing over for a hug. “Have you come to visit me?”

“I have,” I said with a chuckle as I returned the embrace. “And I’ve brought you a new friend, too.”

Liu pulled back to inspect Tinari. The two girls stared at each other for a few seconds, assessing. “I’m Tinari,” Tinari spoke first, sticking her small hand out for Liu to shake. “I live with Janta, the librarian.”

“I’m Liu.” Liu looked confused about the hand for a moment, and it occurred to me that Garaians always bowed. But she figured it out quickly, then shook Tinari’s hand. “I work here in the kitchens with Mrs. Tandry.”

“Do you really get to stay here and make cookies all day?” Tinari asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

“Yes,” Liu said proudly, grinning. “I even get to eat them sometimes.” She grabbed a tart off the plate before Mrs. Tandry could stop her, then broke it, offering half to Tinari. “Here. I know you want one.”

Mrs. Tandry rolled her eyes, but a smile twitched at her lips as the girls instantly began chattering away. “You’d think she’d be the size of Hawk Hill by now, with the way Liu eats,” she said, turning to me. “I’m not sure where she puts it all.”

“I’m glad to see she’s filled out a little,” I observed, smiling. “You’ve taken good care of her.” When Iannis and I had bought Liu from her father, a poor Garaian farmer, she’d been little but skin and bones, dressed in rags and dirt. Now she was clean and well-fed, her skin glowing with health and her eyes shining.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Mrs. Tandry said, blushing a little. “She’s a joy to have in the kitchens, and whip smart. In fact, she’s quite gifted as a cook, and I suspect she’ll be giving me a run for my money in a few years.” She let out a little sigh.

“But?” I asked, suspecting there was a downside here.

“Well, it’s just that Liu doesn’t know how to read, and it’s an important skill to have as a cook.” Mrs. Tandry brushed some flour off her apron, spraying my leathers with a fine cloud of the stuff. Oh well, it wasn’t as though Liu hadn’t already gotten it on me. “I would teach her myself, but I don’t have the time. She has an excellent memory, so once she learns a recipe, she doesn’t need to refer to it again, but she needs someone to read everything aloud the first time.”