Lucas did start to eat at the reminder, and cleaned his plate in time for Robin to take a plain pancake from his stack and plop it into the remaining butter and syrup on Lucas’ big plate. “I’ll make eggs, after,” Robin promised.
“I can do it. You eat,” Lucas prodded, taunting him with that smile. Once Robin had taken a bite, he asked, “What are the rest of your plans for the day?” Lucas gestured with his fork. “Aside from whatever you’re doing in here? You said something yesterday about wrapping the gifts for the coven members? The gifts are all done?”
Robin nodded. “Nothing too grand, but enough that I won’t let down the label.”
“They shouldn’t have asked you, especially now that most of them know you’ve been sick.” Lucas took more time with the last pancake but it still vanished quickly.
“Ah, the gossip grapevine.” Robin decided not to mention that the two of them were probably also being discussed by now. “But their goodwill might be useful.”
Lucas was already at the stove, using the same pan since it was warm. “Extorting expensive handmade work from you? Those should be for people you like.”
“Some are!” Robin defended himself, then looked down to see only syrup left on his plate. His appetite coming back was probably a good sign, but they really were going to have to go to the store again today. He was exhausted thinking about it. “Persephone, for one. I like her.”
“Did any of them offer to pay or trade? Did Persephone?” Lucas was using up the eggs as well. Robin didn’t complain.
“Really, Lucas, it’s fine. I can knock out a boring scarf in no time at all.” It was true. “And of course, Persephone did. She was raised right.” He put his nose in the air.
Lucas reached for salt, and then black pepper and red pepper, before apparently remembering that even the spice rack was empty of most things. The eggs got black pepper and salt only.
“If you like,” Lucas began, his back to Robin, “you can tell them that, in the future, if they want something from you, they can go through me.”
Robin stopped and put his hands flat on the countertop. The gossip from that would tear through Ravenscroft like dry wild winds in the heat of summer.
The idea did make him smile, despite all sense and reason. “They would never approach you for something like that.”
“I know.” Lucas effortlessly slid two eggs onto Robin’s plate. “If you don’t want them, the birds will,” he explained himself, then turned off the burner and moved the pan and came back to the island to eat.
Robin ignored the food, tempting though it was. “You don’t like how they’re afraid of you. I wouldn’t want to make it worse.”
Lucas had no problem eating. “It is what it is, Blessing. And I have no doubt I will truly scare them in time—and also that they will still come to me if their need is great enough.”
“Is that… what you saw?” Robin couldn’t even blame it on being tired. Lucas paused to look up. Robin waved in apology or explanation but his mouth kept moving. “You saw something, didn’t you? An omen? About your future? That’s what you meant yesterday.”
Robin had no right to demand that when he wouldn’t even Look himself. That’s what Lucas’ silence meant, and the stare that made Robin almost hear him ask:And what would you see, if you were to use your gift?
Robin dug into his eggs and kept his eyes down. “Once those coven presents are wrapped and delivered, I think I’ll make a few more things—if I have time, for people I do like. Since the rest of my work is postponed until after their holiday anyway and since Yule lasts a little longer… why not? A pleasant surprise for some of them, I hope.”
“You know your work is valued, weaver.”
Robin, nicely, did not give Lucas a glare for the title. “Even the knitting?”
“Your choices are always perfect.” The careful compliment pleased Robin despite himself.
“Well…” He poked at his empty plate. “The Sight tends to come out, even when I don’t mean it to. Don’t look at me like that.” He didn’t raise his head but he assumed Lucas was watching him and probably worrying. “Denying a gift is pointless, or even harmful, I know, I know. I’ve heard it.”
“But not from me.”
The tone made him shiver in a pleasant, alarming way.
“In any event,” Robin carried on, determined, “today is delivering the gifts and… braving the grocery store and putting away firewood. And finishing the baking and cooking. And the cleanup from that. Almost nothing.”
Lucas ended that right there. “I’lldo the firewood, and any clean up or cooking you say, whileyounap.”
Robin couldn’t even pretend he wouldn’t end up napping. The grocery store trip alone would take a lot out of him.
“I have plans for dinner but lunch is all yours.” That seemed a reasonable concession. “Anything you want to bake for Yule, feel free. I’ve got shortbread dough ready. But it’s not really a dessert, if you wanted one to go with our dinner.”
Phrasing it that way made it sound more like an event. Like a date. Robin nearly winced.
