Esther's pick-me-up put me down

The sun was still high in the sky when we returned to our encampment, situated cozily behind the mayor's house. Both Zarah and I were helping Oman; the strain of supporting him combined with her own exhaustion made Zarah's face pale.

“Alright, everyone needs a pick-me-up,” she announced, bustling towards our cooking supplies. “I think some beef jerky jam on toast should do the trick.”

Her words sparked a bit of hope, a spark of life in the weary group. The idea of a warm meal that wasn't a part of Raven's odd vendetta against me seemed like a small slice of heaven.

As the aroma of sizzling beef filled the air, a sense of anticipation built within me. The moment she served the food, I dug in as if I hadn't eaten in days, my taste buds reveling in the flavors that had been so missing in the past meals. The jerky jam was savory and packed with spices, the toast perfectly crisp, and for the first time in what felt like ages, I felt genuinely happy.

I turned towards Esther, “This is... it's amazing,” I said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I can't tell you how good this is.”

The blush that rose to her cheeks was bright, spreading across her face until her eyes shifted from their usual blue to a distinct purple, signaling Cyrus’s presence.

“Oh, look at you,” Cyrus laughed lightly, though there was a warm glint in his eyes. “Overwhelming poor Esther with your gratitude.”

I shrugged, grinning as I responded, “Can you blame me? This is the first proper meal I've had in a while. It's like a feast!”

He chuckled, a warm sound that strangely put me at ease.

“You know,” As I continue to shovel the makeshift food Esther made into my mouth, Cyrus says through Esther's mouth, “I could help you figure out why Raven's treating you like this.”

“I think I should do it myself.” I say as I take another bite. I know that if ask Cyrus for help, this would all be over in a second, but I wanted to take this fight myself. Raven had an issue with me, and I'm going to figure it out.

Cyrus scoffed lightly, shaking Esther's head in a playful manner. “You and I both know that it won't be easy to crack Raven. She's as stubborn as they come.” There was a pause, the silence punctuated by the distant sounds of the town. Then, he added, “Plus, there's something else you should know.”

I turned to him, swallowing whatever was still in my mouth, intrigued. “Oh, what's that?”

“Esther is the one footing the bill for all of Raven's meals.”

I choked on a piece of jerky, eyes widening in disbelief. I looked at Esther, or Cyrus, rather, expecting to see a playful smile curling up at the corner of her lips. Instead, I was met with a grave expression that instantly washed any trace of amusement off my face.

“What did you--” I started, my voice a strangled whisper. But before I could get the words out, Esther's hand clamped over my mouth, silencing me effectively.

“Shhh... keep it down, Jasper,” Cyrus advised, his violet eyes darting around to ensure that the others hadn't heard, Esther's gentle fingers pushing onto my face. His voice was low, measured, and the serious undertone in it left no room for argument.

“You serious?” I mumbled against her palm once I'd swallowed down the mouthful of food.

“Dead serious,” he answered in the same hushed tone. “But it's not something you should stress about. Let's enjoy the meal, shall we?”

“Why didn't she tell me?” I murmured, my voice barely audible. Cyrus merely shrugged, the hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of Esther's lips.

“Perhaps she didn't think it was important. Or maybe she didn't want to burden you with unnecessary details.”