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He laughed. “It’s amazing. But there will still be some words we won’t know. Like pro—pra?—”

“Probation.” She laughed. “That is not a difficult word.”

“Maybe not for you,” he teased. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

He led them to a stall where a hobgoblin who reminded her of Remy was selling a variety of foods.

Heart aching at the reminder of her friend, she smiled at him as Raine approached and ordered something she had never heard of and couldn’t pronounce.

The hob handed Raine two of the concoctions and two ales and she followed him to a small iron table next to the fountain in the center of the square.

“This is called La?byêk,” he said as he handed her the paper wrapped treat, setting their drinks down. “It’s a specialty in Mosshaven.”

“Thank you,” she said as she unwrapped it, taking a bite. “Oh, that’s so good,” she moaned.

It was a savory pastry filled with tomatoes, herbs and some type of cheese. The flavors were familiar, but she tasted spices she had never experienced before, complimenting the acidity of the tomatoes and mild cheese perfectly.

“It’s my favorite,” Raine replied in between bites.

“So…” Ava glanced at him. “Why are you doing this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Taking me on a tour, buying me clothes… being so nice to me…”

He tilted his head and scrutinized her. “Because I can sense things.”

“Like you can see into the future?”

He shook his head. “No, not like that. I just know things, or feel them. Not always, but in certain instances. ”

“And you sense something about me?” She paused her eating.

“Yes.” His gaze was intense.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know yet. But I sense you’re important to us in some way. That there is a connection we haven’t uncovered yet.”

She shifted in her seat as he spoke.

“Besides, you’ve been through so much the last few weeks… I think you deserve some kindness. And I’m nice to everyone. It’s what makes me so irresistible,” he added.

They finished their food and drinks and Raine stood, gesturing for her to follow. “Now, it’s time for dessert.”

They pushed through the crowds to the other side of the square, stopping before a quaint shop. A wooden sign hung from the front, carved with a picture of a loaf of bread. They entered the bakery and Ava was immediately hit with the smells of yeast, sugar and fruit.

Like the other shops they had explored, it was homey, decorated in warm browns with windows letting in the sunlight.

Baked goods were carefully arranged behind the large counter.

Cookies and cakes sat among muffins, danishes and other concoctions she could only dream of.

Loaves of bread were displayed next to large fruit pies and rolls while the shelves on the walls held baking ingredients for purchase.

Someone was humming in the back and Raine shouted, “Fanya!”

The humming ceased and a stunning fae woman appeared through a door behind the counter. “Brother!” she exclaimed as she set down the tray of pastries she was carrying and rushed to hug him.

They looked so much alike, they could have been twins.

She had the same platinum hair though hers was curly, Raine’s blue-gray eyes and even their nose shape was identical.

Her green apron was covered in flour and a bushy-tailed black squirrel with bright blue eyes sat on her shoulder, chattering as Fanya greeted them.

Pulling away she chastised him in a sing-song voice and thumped him on the nose. “I heard you’ve been back for almost three days, and you just now deign to visit your big sister?”

He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. We’ve had things to attend to.”

“More important than your family?” She placed her hands on her hips as her animal companion leapt from her shoulder and ran over to a window and perched, tail twitching.

He sighed. “No.” Turning toward Ava, he added. “Ava, I’d like you to meet my older sister.”

Fanya huffed. “Older by just a couple of years. But I’m also wiser and much more mature.” She walked to Ava and pulled her into a hug. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Ava smiled as Fanya released her. “You too.”

“So,” she said, dusting her hands on her apron. “I finally get to meet the human woman everyone has been talking about.”

Ava shifted on her feet. “Everyone?”

“Oh yes,” said Raine from beside her. “The whole city knows. That’s the problem with being in Mosshaven. The animals are terrible gossips.”

“Wonderful,” said Ava.

The three of them spent the afternoon chatting in between customers and Ava learned their father was a farmer and had a plot of land on the edge of town, growing most of the ingredients Fanya used in her concoctions.

Ava liked Fanya immediately. She was warm and bubbly and welcomed her to Mosshaven without any reservations.

Her companion’s name was Coco and she had quickly climbed up Ava’s arm and chattered excitedly within minutes of them taking their seats.

Raine and Fanya had been stunned by Coco’s friendliness.

It seemed it wasn’t common for companions to warm to strangers quickly and now Aro, Sabriel and Coco had all accepted Ava.

She wondered what the fae thought about the unusual behavior of their animals, but Raine and Fanya didn’t say much more about it, though Raine scrutinized her even closer than before.

As they chatted, Fanya kept feeding the two of them samples of new confections she was creating, listening intently to their feedback. By the time they left—Raine demanding his sister stop feeding them before they became sick—they had tried dozens of treats.

Fanya even insisted on sending more to Ava’s room, noting her pleasure at the sweets. Ava didn’t decline the gesture.