Page 20 of Sweets and Sycamores

THOUGHT THERE WAS A SPLINTER

“How do you know about that?”

“Your sister told me.”

His eyes narrowed, and Allie wasn’t sure if it was because she referred to Mia as his sister or because Mia had told her about the town’s history.

“What else did she tell you?” he rasped.

Allie swallowed and broke his intense gaze, her eyes finding an interesting patch of dark grass under her boots.

“She told me about the Witch who broke the spell on the sycamores.” She fidgeted with the sleeves of her jacket, then crossed her arms tightly against her chest.

A pair of bigger boots came into her view. She felt more than heard Dominic’s long sigh, hot air brushing the skin on her forehead. His warm fingers gripped her chin, and he tilted her head up, drawing her gaze back into his shimmering emeralds.

“That has nothing to do with you.” A fierce strength commanded his tone, and Allie wanted to accept the truth in his words more than anything.

But she couldn’t. The hatred toward Witches she grew up with, the isolation she fought, the prejudice she tried to overcome—these were all justified when Witches kept proving their vileness.

Allie wasn’t foolish enough to think she was any different when her lack of control put the people around her in danger. Sure, she never did it on purpose, but did that truly matter in the end?

She stepped back from the Mage’s touch and offered him a weak smile, shoving her fisted hands back in her pockets.

“Thank you for saving my life, Mr. Ranford. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

“You have nothing to thank me for.”

Allie didn’t have enough energy left to protest. She felt empty and dry, as if the flames that had exploded out of her took her essence with them.

Tomorrow would be better. Even though it would bring her one day closer to Lydia’s deadline. With almost two weeks having passed and no progress, maybe tomorrow wouldn’t be better. Maybe it would be worse.

But tomorrow was tomorrow’s problem.

“Let’s go.” Dominic’s voice was so uncharacteristically soft, Allie didn’t know what to do with it.

She followed him and was shocked when Ekko flew from her shoulder to Dominic’s, nuzzling his cheek. Dominic did not react, but he didn’t shoo the dragon away either.

They walked back to the bakery in silence.

The temperatures had dropped each hour into the inky night, and Allie expected the crisp, cold wind to gnaw at her cheeks.

She was surprised that not one lock of her hair fluttered when the sycamore branches were waving lazily against the starry night sky, like she was shielded against it.

Dominic unlocked the door and turned on the lights, the white hurting Allie’s eyes. All she wanted to do was plop into bed and forget about today. She was alive, and that was all that mattered.

At the end of the small hallway, Allie made a left to her studio room while Dominic made a right to the stairs, Ekko flying next to her by the door. She stopped with her hand on the doorknob and turned abruptly.

“Mr. Ranford.” He halted at the foot of the stairs and turned, his broad frame sagging with exhaustion.

Allie had scraped the bottom of her soul for a wisp of energy during the walk and thought of sharing a few words of gratitude.

But when she looked at Dominic now, at his ruffled chestnut hair and tired eyes, she decided against it.

She would babble all the words she thought of tomorrow. “Thank you.”

Dominic opened his mouth to object again, but something made him decide against it.

“Let’s start at six tomorrow,” he said, then turned around and climbed up the stairs, leaving no room for debate.

The next morning, Allie was up and ready to start at fifteen minutes before six.

She turned on the ovens, made coffee for her and Dominic, and took hers out to enjoy a quiet moment in the cool, fresh air that smelled like rain.

She resisted going inside for all of five minutes until she shuddered enough to spill her coffee.

Allie needed more time for her body to get accustomed to the cold temperatures in Sycamore Falls, and it would do her good to be outside more during the hours the sun was out.

She went inside and headed for the kitchen, intent on cleaning the space.

“Morning.” Dominic nursed his coffee, leaning against the kitchen table. He wore a soft green turtleneck sweater and dark gray jeans, his hair secured in a tight high bun.

“Good morning, Mr. Ranford.” Allie watched her boss with awe, processing everything that had happened last night. After they had returned to the bakery, Allie had no brain power left to truly comprehend the importance of what she had learned.

Dominic was a Mage.

A. MAGE.

Allie had never met a Mage. When she had tried to Read him and couldn’t, it didn’t cross her mind that this was the reason. Mages were highly valued and protected amongst magic wielders, and they were bestowed shields by the Diviners' Order to protect their identities.

When she woke up this morning, the first and only thought that ran through her mind was that her boss, a Mage, had saved her life last night. She’d spent time crafting the perfect speech to express her gratitude, so she set down her coffee mug and cleared her throat.

“Mr. Ranford, I can’t thank you enough—”

“Stop,” he hissed, and Allie bit her tongue. “I don’t want to hear it.” Dominic busied himself with pans and trays, setting up the table to start baking. He took eggs and butter out of the fridge and sugar and baking powder from the cupboard, then lined them on the counter.

Allie didn’t know what to do. She waited patiently by the door in case he needed something but after a few minutes decided to get the cleaning supplies and start in the front.

“No one knows,” Dominic said. He stopped what he was doing and faced her, clasping the table’s edges until his knuckles were white. “Besides Mia and Brandon,” he clarified, but the look in his eyes told her what he meant by that.

“I would never,” Allie said in a steady voice.

She wasn’t surprised to learn people in Sycamore Falls didn’t know a Mage lived among them.

The townsfolk might expect one to be here investigating the magic rupture, but as far as Allie knew, Mages usually kept ridiculously low profiles, away from the public eye.

Not exactly running a bakery in the middle of the town.

Allie was brimming with curiosity, but she kept her questions to herself. It was not her business, as much as she wanted to make it her business to learn more about Dominic. But she would never reveal his secret, not even under the threat of a burning fire.

The irony wasn’t lost on her.

Dominic nodded once, and Allie saw the appreciation in his eyes. She offered him a smile and a nod of her own.

“If you ever need help…” he stopped as if the rest of the sentence was supposed to be obvious. Allie threw him a confused look. Help with… Baking? Orders?

“What do you mean?”

“With your power. Let me know.”

Allie was sure of the dumbfounded look on her face without needing to check a mirror. A Mage, helping her? With her power?

Was he mocking her?

She didn’t know if she should laugh or focus her efforts so her skin didn’t turn the shade of a ripe strawberry.

Allie stood there watching him for a long moment, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

For him to say he was joking, or that he meant something totally different.

But his gaze was genuine, his green eyes unwavering, and that scowl she had become so familiar with was… smaller. Barely a crease.

Did he really mean it?

Insulting him was the last thing she wanted to do, so Allie considered he was offering his help when she said, “I will. Thank you, Mr. Ranford.”

They stood in silence for a while, and Allie couldn’t help but think that she needed to find a way to properly thank him for saving her last night. She understood he did not, for some reason, want to hear the words, but maybe he would take another form of gratitude.

Food!

Allie’s exceptional cooking skills made up for her lack of baking skills.

In fact, she was convinced that she had been in charge of cooking for the Silverbarks not only because she was their newest member, but because her food was the most delicious.

She had tasted some of her sisters’ cooking, and, ugh.

Her stomach recoiled at the memory of watery stew and undercooked vegetables.

Allie could cook for her Mage boss as her token of gratitude.

“Mr. Ranford,” she said before she lost her courage. “If you’re free this weekend after the bakery closes, I would like to invite you to lunch.” She stared intently at him, trusting that the words he didn’t want to hear were evident in her eyes.

His features were set in stone and didn’t betray any thought he might have about her invitation. Allie waited, her heart pounding in her chest like a lunatic. She had no reason to be nervous about lunch.

Dominic put her out of her misery when he said, “I’m free.”

“Great!” Allie cheered. She smiled at him and could have sworn his cheek ticked up the tiniest bit.

Dominic turned his back on her, grabbed one of the bowls, and started mixing the ingredients.

He always used the whisk at first, then his strong hands to knead the perfect dough.

Allie leaned against the doorframe, ogling the muscles on his back as they tensed with every movement.

She realized in the almost two weeks she’d been here that watching Dominic had become one of her favorite activities.

“Can you bring me—” Dominic turned swiftly, and Allie bounced from the frame like it burned her. She faced it and rubbed the wood with her thumb, fixing an imaginary issue.

“Thought there was a splinter,” she muttered as if she had been utterly occupied by the task of assessing the doorframe. She turned fake-innocent eyes to her boss, hoping to all the gods he did not just catch her gawking at him. “What do you need, Mr. Ranford?”