I woke up in the morning prepared to serve Zain his breakfast as usual—pretending the rogue attack hadn't happened, pretending I hadn't discovered a secret about myself that made my entire existence feel like a lie.
Instead, I moved like nothing was different. I straightened my clothes, tied my hair up, I stood in the mirror for more than a minute then headed down to the kitchen, hoping I wasn't late.
"You won't be serving him this morning, human. He's already gone," Isla snorted without looking at me, biting into an apple as she leaned against the counter like she owned the place.
I paused. "Gone?"
"Yes gone," she added with a slight arch of her brow, as if I were particularly dense for not knowing. "Now scurry out of here and be useful. Try not to annoy the cubs, they'll most likely bite"
I didn't reply. Just grabbed the tray I'd started assembling—bread, cured meats, fresh fruit—and turned away, trying to hide my frustration.
