"That sounds wonderful," Rane sighed.

"I'll try it soon, if I can get my hands on the fruit. Now, for the pepper and spices," I flung all of it into the pan on the stove with my fingers while Fes watched avidly beside me.

"Want to slice the beef, Rane?" I asked. He looked to be itching to do something. He nodded enthusiastically and did a fine job, layering it in the pan as he should. Once the sauce was ready, I poured it over the six pans of beef and slipped them into the ovens. Then we started on the fowl in white reduction and two other dishes. The fish would cook last—it took the least amount of time.

While we worked on that, I asked Fes if he'd like to serve a special cake as one of the desserts. He did. We swirled chocolate, cream and raspberry into a cake batter, cooking it in a moderate oven. It came out looking and smelling like a dream. Fes prepared the sweet sauce to drizzle over the cake while I told him how to make it. The time to open the restaurant had come and guests were arriving when the beef came out of the oven. Fes dipped out a slice and passed the plate around among us.

"May the stars have mercy, this is better than Addah's," Farla exclaimed. "We may stay alive, my darlings." She hugged Fes and Rane—hard. I watched, feeling a slight twinge of self-pity. I was motherless, and had been my entire life. The cake, too, came out beautifully, and Farla was in raptures, closing her eyes in pleasure with the first bite.

"But this recipe is yours," Fes said, pointing at the now-empty saucer—we'd devoured the slice of cake.

"Use it—I don't care as long as you don't show up wherever I'm working and say that what I'm serving is very like yours."

"Reah, I apologize for that," Fes said. "I didn't know any better. I do now."

"Mother, Garet Howt is here tonight!" Wald was back and hissing—he'd disappeared to help open the restaurant.

Garet Howt. The most famous (and demanding) food critic on all of Tulgalan. He'd decried the absence of the yaris fish dish ever since I'd been conscripted by the Alliance. I quirked an eyebrow at Fes. "Well, why don't we give him a night to remember?" I said, smiling at my uncle.

Garet Howt received a complimentary serving of yaris fish with my own sauce recipe, along with a sampling of the sliced beef in bittersweet sauce, the fowl dish and two others, followed by the cake for dessert. Garet had two people with him, but there was plenty of food to go around. The yaris fish, though, he kept for himself and called for the cook afterward. Fes dragged me to Garet's table.

"I was planning an article, scheduled to come out in two days, over the death of Addah Desh and his restaurants," Garet smiled at Fes and me. "However, it seems that Addah may have been keeping his talent under his thumb. I often suspected him of this. I'll rewrite the column, telling everyone that Desh's has been reborn. This is the best yaris fish I have ever tasted." I noticed he'd cleaned his plate.

"Fes and I worked on it, with help from the other staff and family members," I nodded at Garet Howt. "I think you will not be disappointed, anytime you visit Desh's, sir."

"And your name, lady cook?" he asked.

"Reah," Fes answered for me. "This is my niece, Reah Desh Nilvas Silver." Garet smiled widely, hauled out his comp-vid and dutifully recorded my name. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but it was too late to take it back.

I worked with the kitchen staff throughout the evening, helping Fes and the others prepare regular menu items. It was a relief when the doors closed and the last guest went home—I was exhausted.

"Here," Fes handed a glass of wine to me and offered a chair in his office. Farla, Rane, Wald, Landor and several other family members were also inside. He explained to all of them what Garet Howt had said. "After this, we just need to get number two and three back on track, and four through six through a small drought," he sighed. "Wald, are you going to be able to take care of number two? I'll bring Halde in and show him how to prepare these recipes that Reah brought to us. Perhaps number three will reincarnate."

Wald looked at me. And then dropped to his knees. "Reah, I'm so sorry," he said. "I was trying to impress Edan. I wasn't impressing anybody."

"You won't ever impress Edan with that kind of behavior now—he's changed drastically. Did you know he's working on his medical degree on Le-Ath Veronis? I think I've called him Daddy twice—he seems to like it."

"You're joking?" Farla stared at me in shock.

"No. Someday, maybe I'll tell you about gods and things of that nature. In the meantime, here's to a successful night and a positive review," I held up my glass. Wald surged to his feet and clinked my glass with his.

"Are you sure you won't stay with us?" Fes was doing his best to convince me to come home with him and the others.

"No, Uncle Fes. I have some thinking to do," I said.

"Uncle Fes. I like it, Reah. Don't leave us. Visit often. You'll be welcome anytime."

"I enjoyed cooking with you tonight. I'd like to do it again," I smiled up at him.

"Reah, walk into my kitchen whenever you want." His grin widened. "It is my kitchen now, isn't it?" I think it was just sinking in. I wasn't privy to Addah's will, but I felt Fes was probably the primary beneficiary.

"Fes, it's your kitchen." I patted his arm. "Your family, too. Spread the love around."

"I'll call you—I have your code," he patted the pocket where his comp-vid rested inside his heavy coat. Winter had definitely settled in for Targis.

"Any time," I said and turned to walk toward the bus stop. As soon as Fes was out of sight, I skipped away.

Beliphar wasn't my goal for the evening—I was tired, bone tired, and only wanted a warm bed. Perhaps a nice bath. I skipped to the house Teeg had purchased, since all my belongings were still there. He wouldn't think to look for me in such plain sight.

The clanging of swords greeted me the moment I set foot inside the house. It frightened me at first, so I crept toward the large solarium on the eastern side of the mansion. There I found Lok, sparring with Drake while Drew watched from the side, offering smiling advice now and then.

"Don't you know when to stop?" I skipped to Drew's side and watched Lok and Drake attempt to beat each other into submission.

Drew grinned at me. "We wondered where you went, little girl," he said, before shouting at Lok to keep his elbows in.

"I've been here and there," I replied, unwilling to share my hiding place with anyone.

"Everybody's worried sick," the smile disappeared.

"Wylend isn't," I pointed out.

"Wylend's being a jackass," Drew said, keeping his eyes on Lok and his brother. "Where were you tonight? You smell like an entire restaurant."

"I was at Desh's number one, keeping the family from going bankrupt," I said. "Addah didn't share some of his best recipes, so I went to show Fes and the others how to make them. It seemed to go well."

"So, with Addah and the original Edan out of the picture, the family gets along?" Another smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. He and Drake were more than handsome, and reinforced my Falchani fantasy. I'd just have to find a Falchani someday. One who didn't mind if I were shorter, with white hair. I could hold my own against anybody with the blades.

"You're forgetting Aldah and Marzi," I said. "You remember Marzi, don't you—you know, the bitch who tried to kill me?"

"Yeah. Definitely forgot about her. So, without those four, the family likes each other?"

"I think they get along," I said. "Enough that they won't kill each other."

"Reah, how tired are you?" Drake asked as he and Lok clanged swords.

"Tired," I said.

"Then you won't kill Lok too bad. Drew, hand her your blades." Drew was grinning as he placed both his practice blades in my hands.

"But I wanted a bath and a long sleep," I protested as Drew shoved me into the sparring square.

"Get a touch on Lok and that'll happen," Drake laughed.

Lok glared at me, as if I were a bug to be squashed or something. "I'll let you attack first," I said, nodding at the enigmatic Falchani. I was seeing his tattoos for the first time—they were red dragons very much like Dragon's. He was covered in a light sheen of sweat and still looked good enough to eat, his long braid swinging down his back. His eyes narrowed at me. I watched him, keeping my wrists loose, preparing for his attack.

He'd gone to the Dragon school of warfare, I decided, as he came after me as fast as he could. I blocked three of his blows before getting a touch in.

"What the fuck?" Lok stared at me in disbelief. At least they'd practiced with dull metal blades—I'd had the point of one of mine at Lok's throat.

"High Demon, dude," Drew snickered. "Don't ever expect to move faster than one of them. Glinda can put you in the dirt, too."

"Here." I handed Drew's practice blades back to him. "I want a bath and a bed. And if you tell Teeg where I am, I'll kick your ass."

"He'll kick my ass if I don't tell him," Drew called after me. I gave him a rude gesture and continued on my way.

"Reah, I didn't tell Wylend. Mom says that he listened in on our conversation using an eavesdropping spell because he was in a snit."

"And how did your mother find out about that?" I pulled the warm cloth off my eyes and stared up at Teeg. I was soaking in a tub of warm water, and was falling asleep when Teeg showed up.

"Uncle Erland told her. He said he had an argument with Wylend afterward. Corolan disappeared and Radolf has renounced his Karathian citizenship in front of witnesses."

"Then I'm glad Wylend banished me. Listening to our private conversation and convicting me of treason because of it? That's the ultimate in jerkdom." I'd used a phrase Chash was fond of, once upon a time. "And you probably shouldn't be seen with me, or he'll cancel his membership in your Alliance."