The sun hit Jane's face with a different, renewed kind of warmth as they stepped out of Ashley's restaurant, though it was lower in the sky than she had expected it to be. The meal had stretched far into the afternoon, the conversation winding through plans and possibilities until even Xand seemed satisfied.

  Jane had barely taken two steps when Bella caught her arm.

  "Jane." Before Jane could respond, she was pulled into a Bella-hug tight enough to squeeze the breath out of her. "I'm so glad. I'm so glad for you."

  Jane hugged her back, surprised by the intensity of her own reaction to her friend’s affection. "Bella, I'm fine. I was always going to be fine."

  "You were not always going to be fine. You were unconscious for an entire day, and your aunt had to fly across the kingdom to save you. Ashley had to get involved." Bella pulled back from Jane, keeping her hands on her shoulders. "You were sad, and now everything is fixed. We get to be happy about that."

  "Not everything is fixed. Dragons, remember? But you win. I’ll be happy.”

  "Good." Bella squeezed her shoulders and then released her. "I have to go. I need to clean up around the stall and buy supplies. You know how it goes. If I don’t get there on time, that old woman who cans vegetables gets all the good ones."

  "You could let her have the tomatoes, just this once."

  "I could also set my shop on fire." Bella was already walking backward, pointing at Jane as she went. "And don't you even think about reopening that bakery until the doctor clears you. I know you want to. You aren’t allowed. If you try, I will notice, and I will be very upset with you."

  "I wasn't going to!"

  "You were thinking about it." Bella turned and strode away, calling back over her shoulder. "Rest! Recover! Let your aunt handle the dragon! I'll see you tomorrow!"

  Bella's figure grew smaller as she hurried down the street, already moving at a half-jog.

  "She seems very nice."

  Jane turned to find Cecelia standing beside her, watching Bella and smiling. Her aunt looked better now. Food and rest had done their work, even if the shadows under her eyes suggested she would need quite a bit more of both.

  "She is nice. She's been good to me. Better than I deserve."

  "How did you meet her?"

  "She has the breakfast shop near my bakery. She fed me once and then just casually announced we were going to be friends. I don't think she actually asked. She just decided it was happening, and it happened."

  Cecelia laughed. "That's the best kind of friend. In my experience, anyway. The ones that decide for you are usually right. I’ve always just gone along with it. It saves a lot of trouble."

  "I just didn’t expect it to be that easy."

  "No? What did you expect?"

  Jane considered the question honestly. "I came here to get away from everything, but I had never made a friend before. I didn’t even know if I could do it. Bella got me started, and it didn’t seem too hard after that."

  "Good for her." Cecelia watched the last glimpse of Bella disappear around a corner, then turned to Jane. "If you have time, I’d appreciate your company. I need to go shopping."

  "Shopping?"

  "Clothes, primarily. And toiletries. I left everything behind when I came, remember. I have what I'm wearing, a backpack full of money, and almost nothing else."

  "Oh, my. You really just… left."

  "I did put in a call first to the city authorities. What was I supposed to do, pack a wagon? I received word that my niece had collapsed after singlehandedly driving off a water dragon.” Cecelia started walking toward the market district, and Jane fell in step beside her. "I grabbed my travel kit, some food, and some coin, and I left.”

  "Aunt Cecelia…"

  "If you apologize again, I'm going to turn you into a horse."

  "That isn’t how magic works!"

  “Try me. Now come along. Your aunt needs pretty dresses.”

  They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments before a seamstress’s shop came into view.

  "There.” Jane pointed out the simple thread-and-needle signage. “Doesn’t look too fancy, though."

  "Fancy is the last thing I need. Practical and comfortable will do nicely. Are you coming in, or would you rather wait out here?"

  "I'll come in. Someone needs to make sure you don't accidentally intimidate some poor shopkeep into giving you everything for free."

  "I would never."

  "You wouldn't mean to. It would just happen. You are a bit famous, Aunt. People get nervous."

  "I have no idea what you're talking about."

  Cecelia was smiling as she pushed open the door. Jane followed her inside, feeling lighter than she had in days.

  —

  The buying of clothes was at once more complex and more simple than Jane had ever imagined.

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  At the academy, she had mostly gotten by on school-issued robes, with just a few dresses and outfits for her days off. In Glenfall, she had been on her own entirely. Through little trips out during her spare time, she had slowly built up a collection of clothes she liked. That had taken a lot of effort, but it had been split up over several days, so she had managed it.

  Aunt Cecelia didn’t have that luxury. Jane initially worried they wouldn’t be able to get all of it done in time.

  Her aunt defied that expectation with a typical Cecelia-like display.

  “I need some comfortable clothes for today and tomorrow. They don’t have to be tailor-fit. After that, I need a full set. Dresses, underclothes, socks, and if you could source me some nice light boots for walking around town, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Ma’am, I’m glad to do all that, but it’s going to take some talking.” The old woman running the shop was already measuring Cecelia, who stuck her arms out for the process with little to-do. “Gotta figure out your preferences.”

  “Don’t worry about that. You’ve seen me, yes? Just use your best judgment. Make me whatever you think suits me.”

  The old woman frowned. “You are talking about a lot of money. If you don’t like the clothes, it would mean a lot of trouble between you and me. I couldn’t take them all back.”

  “Understood. That’s just fine. I buy several sets of clothes a year. I’ve long since stopped being picky.” Reaching into her pouch, Cecelia took out a hefty handful of coins and plopped them down on the counter. “These are yours, absolutely, with no argument. Just do your best.”

  The woman offered no further resistance. A short time later, Cecelia was wearing a full set of stop-gap clothes that fit well enough, if not perfectly. She and Jane emerged into the sun, Jane clutching the paper-wrapped bundle of her aunt’s next change of clothes.

  Cecelia gave a contented sigh. “That’s better. Now, the next part is up to you. I’d love to see your little bakery, but I’m fading fast. I’m not sure I’ll be able to do that and find an inn to sleep at afterwards. Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly.” Jane waved her aunt forward as she set her feet towards home. “Come with me. You can sleep in my bed, and I’ll figure out some place to stash you tomorrow. I’ll even feed you again.”

  “Deal.” Her aunt shook her feet a little, grimacing at the pain they seemed to give her. “But you better not go back on that promise of food.”

  The walk around the lake was slower than Jane's usual pace, but she didn't mind. If her aunt’s exhaustion meant they had to stop at the bridge to catch their breath and appreciate the view, that was just fine. She owed her at least that much.

  "It really is beautiful here." Cecelia leaned against the bridge railing, taking in the sunset over the lake. “I liked it when I blew through before, although that was a short stop. I can see why you chose it."

  "I didn't choose it, exactly. You sent me here, remember?"

  Cecelia pushed off from the railing and started walking again. "I sent you to a cottage. You chose it yourself after that. I’m tired, but I can see that much."

  They made their way around the curve of the lake, past the docks where a few brave fishermen were just starting to get back to work. A bit more walking from there, and Jane's little bakery came into view. She felt a flutter of something in her chest at the thought of showing it to Cecelia. Her aunt had seen the great halls of the academy, slept in the king’s palace, and eaten at the finest restaurants in the capital. The bakery wouldn’t be much by comparison.

  "Here we are." Jane unlocked the door and held it open. "It's not fancy."

  Cecelia stepped inside and stopped.

  The late afternoon light was coming through the front windows at just the right angle. It illuminated the wooden tables with their empty baskets, the heavy counter, and the row of iron ovens set into the back wall. Everything was clean after the morning’s instructional baking, and there was still a faint smell of bread in the air.

  "Oh, Jane." Cecelia walked slowly through the space, running her fingers along the counter. "This is lovely."

  Jane flushed with pride. "It's just a bakery. Nothing special.”

  "It's your bakery." Cecelia turned to look at her, and there was something in her expression Jane couldn't quite read. "You did all this yourself?"

  "I had help. Bella, mostly. Allen built that cabinet outside, for dinner holds, and equipped the whole place for me. And the previous owner left a lot of the equipment, so that was more than enough. I hardly lifted a finger."

  "Jane." Her aunt held up a hand. "Accept the compliment."

  "Fine. Thank you."

  "Better." Cecelia made her way to one of the stools by the counter and sat down heavily. The exhaustion was catching up with her again, Jane could tell. "Now, I believe you mentioned something about feeding me?"

  "I did. Just sit there and rest. I’ll get it done."

  Jane moved through her kitchen with ease. From the ingredients Bella had left in her cold box, she chose a length of good sausage, half a head of cabbage, and a jar of sharp mustard. She still had fresh keln from that morning, the results of her own demonstrations to the amassed bakers. It was plenty for a hearty dinner.

  "What are you making?" Cecelia asked.

  "Something simple. Sausage and cabbage with mustard, wrapped in bread."

  "That doesn't sound simple. That sounds like cooking."

  "It's not complicated. Just watch."

  Jane sliced the sausage into thick rounds and left them cooking in a pan, then turned her attention to the cabbage. She cut it into thin ribbons, the knife moving with a confidence that would have been impossible a month ago. She wasn’t anywhere near as adept as Bella, but taking care of herself and working with kitchen tools all the time had done wonders for her muscle memory anywhere near a stove.

  The cabbage went into another pan with a bit of oil and salt, just long enough to soften it and add a bit of flavor. By the time it was done, she was ready to flip the sausages. She then dropped some keln into the pan the cabbage had recently occupied.

  Cecelia immediately perked up a bit. "That smells extraordinary. What is that bread?"

  "Keln. It's a local specialty. The previous owner of this shop was the only one who knew how to make it properly. I managed to figure it out from her with a shade spell."

  "Managed to figure it out from a shade spell." Cecelia shook her head. "As if that's a small thing. You must know I couldn’t manage the same feat without a great deal of difficulty."

  Jane didn't answer. She was focused on the food now. When everything was ready, she assembled the wrap, arranging a smear of mustard, the cabbage, and the sausage rounds in a neat line down the center. She folded it all together, cut it in half, and set both pieces on a plate.

  "Here,” she said, sliding the plate across the counter to her aunt. “Eat."

  Cecelia picked up one half of the wrap and took a bite. She chewed slowly, her eyes closed, and Jane found herself holding her breath.

  You can cook, Jane. You know you can. Just relax.

  "Jane." Her aunt's voice was quiet. "This is genuinely good."

  "It's just sausage and cabbage, aunt. Anyone could have made it."

  "The bread alone makes that a lie.” Cecelia took another bite, and Jane watched her aunt's face transform with something like wonder. "Stop disagreeing with me. I’m your famous aunt. I’ve eaten everywhere. I know what I’m talking about."

  "Now you're just flattering me."

  "I'm not. I'm genuinely amazed. When I sent you here, I hoped you would find some peace. Maybe make a few friends. I never imagined you would learn to do this. And so quickly. I've tried, you know. Multiple times.”

  "Cooking is simple in comparison to magic, Aunty. You should be able to learn it."

  "And yet." Her aunt took another bite, chewing with obvious satisfaction. "I have many gifts, Jane. Cooking is not among them. I’m just glad you can do better. Very glad, at the moment.”

  Jane busied herself with cleaning up the pans. She didn't know what to say. Compliments about her magic had always felt hollow, like people praising her for having brown hair. This was different. This was something she had earned.

  Finally, she said, "Thank you. For coming. For everything."

  "Of course." Cecelia finished the last of her wrap and pushed the plate away with a satisfied sigh. "Now, where am I sleeping? Because I'm about thirty seconds from falling face-first onto this very nice counter."