Page 14 of The Tea Witch's Promise

He nodded, suppressing a yawn as he did. "I hate winter. I miss the sun. If only it was summer."

That made me laugh. "Like summer guarantees sun. With the weather all over the place, we might have a cold summer too."

"Let's hope not, for the sake of the crops."

"Or let's hope one of the Brewsters is successful in bringing a pair of weather witch twins back with them," I said.

"Mmm, that would make a difference. Though I don't understand how weather witch twins even work."

"No one does," I responded. "But they work, so that's what we need. The Spire said they had some, so maybe Zoe will be able to bring some back."

"Maybe." He didn't seem convinced but not bothered by it either. He whistled with his fingers and held out his arm.

I winced at the sight of his unprotected coat. His skin was easily fixable by the tea witch medics, but the fabric of his coat wasn't going to be as straightforward to mend. But I had to remember that Oliver was responsible for his own clothing and belongings.

A gust of wind made me shiver and I didn't notice Howie's presence until his shadow was on my face. He descended in absolute silence, not a feather out of place. His talons curled into Oliver's arm, instantly drawing blood.

"Ouch!" Oliver grimaced in pain. "Gently, Howie, gently."

I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, but the owl looked guilty and gave Oliver a little affectionate peck. While it wasn't perfect, it seemed like they were getting used to each other.

Banjo barked demandingly at some birds flying overhead and went off to the left just like we did every day, eager to get out on his patrol.

"I'll see you in the middle," Oliver said as he turned right.

"All right, but your detour to the Steepers' house doesn't mean I need to do more steps," I told him. "You lost the bet, not me."

He sighed dramatically. "Fine." He waved and disappeared onto his patrol.

I nodded and followed my dog through our lands for my daily inspection. As monotonous as it sounded, there were always some fences that needed to be fixed, complaints to be heard, and unexpected issues to handle. That was the nature of the job and my purpose as one of the leaders in the community. If there was nobody to listen, things festered and could quickly upset the order in the settlement.

I hadn't really understood the importance of it when I was younger, but it had become a welcome part of my day since.

With my brisk pace, it didn't take long for me to reach the ward settlement where I was supposed to meet Oliver. He wasn't there yet but another familiar figure came my way, hands deep in his pockets and a scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. It was a bit of a comical sight, thick scarf, no coat, but it certainly suited Brew.

I raised my hand, waving to get his attention. He smiled in response and crouched down to greet an excited Banjo barrelling his way. His deep laughter vibrated through the morning air and my familiar's tail knew no stopping.

Banjo pressed his nose deliberately against Brew's pocket and it made him laugh.

"Oh, can you smell the jerky?" He held out a piece of dried meat and dangled it alluringly in the air.

Banjo sat down obediently, his gaze locked onto the treat. He was so focused, his tail even stopped wagging. He was only ever so still when he knew he was going to get a delicious treat.

"Catch!" Brew tossed the treat in the air and Banjo snapped it up before it had a chance to land on the ground.

Adorable.

"Hey, you," I said when I reached the two of them, realising as I did that it sounded kind of flirty, which I needed to be careful with. I didn't want him to think I was assuming anything just because of what he'd said when he was a little tipsy.

Brew smiled. "Hello, Katie. Out on your morning patrol, I see."

"Same as every day." I cleared my throat. "You on your way to the infirmary?"

He nodded. "I have an early shift today. There's an influx of the flu in the ward settlement so we have a lot on our plate."

It was rare to see him serious like this but when it came to the infirmary, he always was. It was because of this that I knew he wasn't just a jester who made everything into a joke, which begged the question... Had he been joking outside the tavern?

I looked up at him, only now realising how tall he really was. Had he always been this tall?