Touch of Flame

Malachi thought there would be no harm in taking her to the kitchen. She walked like a crippled man all the way to the kitchen.

"You don't have a kitchen maid?" she asked.

"She is only here in the morning. We usually eat lunch and dinner at my mother's home." He explained.

"Why can you cook?" She asked. "You certainly used humans for all kinds of labor work. Could they not cook?"

He smirked as he looked for onions. This sharp-tongued woman. A strange feeling of kissing her to silence came over him.

"Well, I cooked the humans so no. They could not cook." He replied.

"I can do the onions." She said coming too close and pushing him aside with her bare shoulder against his bare arm. She reached for the knife in his hand, her long slender fingers wrapping around him.

He was baffled. Why was she so physical?

He moved away from her but she was completely unaware of her actions. She was focused on the onions so she wasn't even trying to seduce him. She began to cut them, her eyebrows furrowed with concentration and she licked her lips now and then.

Malachi stood on the other end of the table cutting potatoes and carrots.

"What will you cook?" She asked without lifting her gaze.

"Vegetable soup."

She licked her lips again. "Will you add those flavors?"

"What flavors?"

"I don't know their names."

Malachi clenched his jaw. Speaking of food and flavors while she was licking her lips was not helping him at all.

"Is this good?" She asked when she was done.

Strange. Her voice sounded strange to his ears. If felt a bit more alive. What did the priest do to her? Or was it the good sleep?

He looked at the onion. Some were cut well, others not. "It is fine." He said.

Then she watched him curiously. "How do you do that?" She asked. "I mean, move so fast without cutting yourself? Your mother does the same."

"Everyone who can cook does the same."

She nodded, then rubbed her already irritated eyes with the fingers she touched the onion with. After a short while, she began crying and he only laughed at her.

"It hurts." She said, rubbing more and he continued to laugh.

Foolish woman. This was a good punishment for her.

"Use water." He said.

"Where? I can't see."

Now he tried not to laugh at her and went to help her instead. He grabbed her arm and led her to the pots of water outside.

"Wash your hands first," he said guiding her to wash them clean under the water he poured. Then she washed her face and rinsed her eyes as he told her.

They were completely red as she tried to open them again. He chuckled. "That was very painful." She said.

"I thought you liked pain."

She glared at him. "Did you have fun?"

"I actually did." He smirked.

She gave him a deadly glare and then turned back inside. For the rest of the time in the kitchen, she watched and listened. He taught her the names of the different flavors and herbs and in what order to mix everything.

"So next time you will cook for me, princess." He told her.

She gave him another cold stare. "I will make sure to poison it."

"Poison cannot kill me."

"Then I will spit in it."

He frowned. "And what will that do to me?"

"Ruin your appetite."

He laughed. "You underestimate my appetite."

"Of course," she said under her breath and walked away. "Where are bowls?" She began to look for them and served two on a tray with spoons. When the soup was ready Malachi poured it into the bowls and then they went to the balcony to eat.

Ravina took her first sip and then paused.

"Does it taste good?"

"Yes," she said and took another sip.

Malachi began to eat his soup as well.

"You are talented." She said when she had a few sips. "You can cook, carve and kill."

Of course, she could not compliment him without criticizing him as well.

"Why did you just disappear without letting mother and Aaron know?"

She shrugged. "I was suffocating. I don't like social interactions."

"Why not?"

She paused to think. "Because pretending is exhausting and being myself is rude." She looked up at him. "To interact with someone requires a reaction. If they tell you something happy you are happy with them, sad with them, laugh with them. I can't seem to be able to do that."

He frowned. "You are talking to me just fine now."

"I don't have to pretend with you. If I sound rude, I don't mind."

So she didn't want to be rude to his mother and Aaron?

She finished the rest of her soup and then looked at the empty bowl surprised. Slowly her gaze lifted to look at him. "Can I take some more?" She asked with a straight face as if she was surprised by herself.

"Yes." He said and as she rose from her seat she groaned again.

"Ah!"

"Sit down!" He said rising from his seat. He took the bowl from her and went to the kitchen. He filled her bowl with soup and came back, placing it on the tray.

"Thank you," she said picking up her spoon.

Did she just thank him?

The priest definitely did something to her.

She ate her soup in silence and he watched her. She become aware of his gaze eventually and looked up at him. "Why... are you looking at me like that?"

"I am studying you." He tilted his head.

"Have you found anything?"

"I am not done yet." He said.

She averted her gaze and continued to eat. She finished the soup quickly and then drank the water. With a sigh, she then leaned against the wall beside her and looked outside. This relaxed expression of hers was new to him.