Page 27 of Princess of Bael

But Ezra had claimed this place existed in the Earth realm, which implied a day and night schedule similar to what humans experienced.

I made my way downstairs and into the area he’d referred to as thekitchens. I hadn’t understood the plural before. I did now as I realized he’d meant it literally—there were three kitchens. All in a row. All packed with different types of foods and equipment. All catering to a variety of ethnic cuisines.

“Huh,” I marveled, taking in the massive flat grill of the third kitchen. “Hibachi-fried Ezra would be fun to make on this.”

A grunt came from behind me, alerting me tohispresence.

I rolled my eyes and turned around. “Worried I’ll find your knives?”

“We’ve already been over how poorly you manage them. So no.” He leaned against the doorway with an apple in his hand. He had on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved sweater that I guessed tied in the back somewhere to allow his wings room to move.

No socks or shoes.

“Are you dressed modestly for my benefit?” I wondered aloud, aware that clothes were uncomfortable when wings were involved. It was why my father tended to wander around shirtless.

Ezra took a bite of his apple, his striking gold-brown eyes lazily roaming over my outfit. I’d found a pair of jean shorts that fit, paired them with what appeared to be a clean tank top, and reapplied my boots and jacket. This was after enjoying an hour of having every part of me massaged bythreeshowerheads.

I’d tossed my still-damp hair up into a bun, ignored the makeup spread in the bathroom cabinet, and slipped the clothes on without underwear.

Because I was not about to put on panties of questionable origin.

“Hmm,” he hummed before sinking his teeth into his apple again.

I couldn’t tell if that was his reaction to my wardrobe choice or my question. And I didn’t care enough to ask for clarification.

Instead, I focused on finding something edible in the fridge.Sushi.

I paused, glancing around. I hadn’t seen any staff members walking around, but he clearly had them somewhere. Maybe he’d told them to hide from me.

Their loss, my gain,I decided, plucking the tray from the fridge. I found a pair of chopsticks in a drawer, took over a stool at the bar counter near the windowless wall at the back, and went to town while Ezra observed from the doorway.

It wasn’t until I popped the last bite into my mouth that he finally said, “That was my lunch.”

I chewed slowly, drawing out the moment before swallowing. “Well, it was delicious.”

“Of course it was. I made it.”

My eyebrows lifted. “You made sushi?”

He rolled his eyes and tossed his apple core into a nearby bin. “You ask that with genuine surprise, as though you know anything about me.” He ventured over to the fridge to pull out a green slush from the top shelf and poured himself a glass. “I had left it in there to sit for a moment while I checked on my locator spell.”

“Hmm,” I hummed, repeating his sound from earlier. “Well. Thanks for lunch, then.”Even though it’s, like, midnight outside,I added in my head.

He poured a second glass of the green goop, brought both cups over to me, set them down, and picked up my empty tray.

I gaped at his soft, feathery wings as he took the dish to the chef-appropriate sink. He rinsed it, soaped it off, washed it again, and placed it on a towel to dry before joining me at the table on the only other stool.

Two straws seemed to magically appear in his hand.

One for each drink.

He tapped his glass against mine, saying, “Cheers,” and took a healthy swallow.

“Is it seaweed?” I asked, my nose wrinkling at the thought.

He snorted. “No. It’s a green tea smoothie. If you don’t want it, I’ll drink both.” His golden-brown gaze narrowed. “I’ll need the calories since someone rudely devoured my lunch.”

“You told me to find food if I needed it. I did. It was delicious. End of discussion.” I considered that for a moment, frowning. “Actually, no. Not end of discussion. The least you could do is feed me after you betrayed me and left me to suffer in Hell for an eternity.”