Chapter 287: Wearing Many Hats
Breakfast, once they started eating, was one of the most casual, intimate and delightful meals Ashlynn had ever had. The crepes were light and delicate and everyone filled their own with whatever they wanted.
Ashlynn felt like she was eating festival treats as she filled a second crepe with sweet whipped cream, fresh-cut strawberries, and a dusting of crushed nuts that added a mild earthy flavor to the treat that felt just as indulgent as Georg’s desserts.
"Watch out for dat bit, ma petite," Jacques warned Heila as she browsed toppings for her savory crepe. "Dat’s a sweet and spicy blend, de scotch bonnet, she’s de mother of sweet heat and she’ll burn your lips right off if you’re not careful."
"Why do you eat such painful things?" Heila said, jerking her hand back from the berry and pepper chutney and giving it a look like it had transformed into a venomous snake. "There’s no one to impress here by proving you can eat it," she said, thinking of how Ashlynn had described Owain using spicy peppers as a contest of sorts among his friends.
"Because, because, Little Brother’s tongue is as thick as his tail and just as good at tasting things," Talauia said while scooping up a large spoonful of the spicy chutney for her own crepe. "If it’s not this hot, then he can’t taste anything at all."
"Then why do you do it?" Heila said, still perplexed at some of the things Amahle’s coven considered ’tasty treats.’
"Because, because," Talauia said, hiding half her face behind the crepe and giving Heila a mischievous look. "Sometimes, I like the pain," she said, flashing a smile that was full of sharply pointed teeth.
"Anyway," Ashlynn interjected before the conversation could go any further down that road. "Big sister," she said, turning to Amahle. "You said a witch needed three hats and the Hedge Hat is the first one. What are the other two? Or three? Didn’t you say I might need an extra one?"
"Just as nature isn’t just one thing," Amahle said, loading up her own crepe with dark, juicy blackberries and an extra drizzle of honey. "A witch is a person with many facets. A Hedge Hat is for working and foraging. It isn’t practical outside of that unless you’re like Tala."