The moon hung low over Vell manor, like a silver coin between Lumeria's distant hills. Its pale light filtered through the tall-arched windows of the west wing kitchen, painting the room in a cool-blue wash. Fireflies swayed lazily from the beams, and the scents of rosemary sprigs and cedar oils drifted from the hearth.
Marron stepped across the stone floor, her footsteps soft on the cold tiles. Her food cart rolled behind her, the wheels clicking in a rhythm steadier than her heart. Inside the cart, the Eternal Copper Pot lay on its cradle. The Generous Ladle swayed from a hook, its shallow bowl catching bits of moonlight. The Precision Blade rested in its sheath, the thin edge catching a fleeting scarlet glint.
Lucy, the blue slime, floated in her glass jar beside the cart.
Marcus Vell spread a sheet of vellum on the table, sealed with a wax stamp that showed a silver spoon wrapped around a sprig.
