Cyrus cleared his throat, his voice smooth yet firm as he began explaining everything Isabella had painstakingly tried to drill into their thick skulls for the past hour.
"When using herbs and spices, you must understand their nature," he started, picking up a handful of bright green leaves. "This is basil. It adds flavor but should only be added near the end of cooking, or else its taste weakens." He placed it back down and picked up a small bundle of twisted brown roots. "Ginger, for warmth and spice. You crush it before using it to release its juices. This," he gestured toward a pile of dried red flakes, "is cayenne. Very spicy. Only a pinch unless you want your tongue to burn."
Isabella blinked. He'd absorbed all that? So that was why he'd been so silent.
The others were uncharacteristically silent, actually listening. She watched as he patiently repeated things when Ophelia, wide-eyed and innocent, tilted her head and asked, "But why does it burn?"
