The investigation had hit another wall. A full day of searching the perimeter, interviewing anxious villagers, and scanning for magical residue had yielded nothing but frustration and tired feet. The ghostly threat was dormant, the mysterious observer remained unseen, and the waiting was a heavy weight.
As evening painted the sky in soft watercolors of peach and lavender, Nero found Khione sitting on the steps of their villa, staring silently at the distant mountain peaks. He sat beside her, their shoulders touching. He didn't ask what she was thinking. He knew.
He reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a simple, checkered cloth. Then, he produced a small basket he'd quietly commissioned from a villager that afternoon—filled with fresh, crusty bread, soft cheese, cold slices of roasted meat, and a few pieces of dark chocolate.
He held it up, raising an eyebrow.
