>>Amber
I've never been much of a cook. Honestly, I didn't even know where to start. The kitchen in the magic tower was intimidating, with shelves packed full of ingredients I've never seen before, enchanted utensils that twitch and hum with magic, and a stove that looks like it could incinerate me if I turned the dial the wrong way.
But I wanted to try… for Hael.
I thought maybe I could surprise him for once. A home-cooked meal, simple enough. At least, that's what I told myself.
I pulled out the book I found in the blackmarket. I had it tucked behind some jars of dried herbs—a noblewoman's guide to simple dishes.
Perfect, right? Wrong.
Everything quickly spiraled into chaos. I tried to measure ingredients, but the spoons seemed to grow larger as I scooped, and by the time I was done, I had way too much of everything. Flour puffed up in a cloud around me, and somehow the sauce boiled over without warning, sizzling in the pan like it was mocking me.
It was frustrating.
