Page 186 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

Whatever silent conversation went between the two brothers had Mal clear his throat and plaster his usual smug expression back on. “Lara’s grandmother has made a mad dinner. I bet you both are hungry.”

Dinner went mostly silently. Except for Lara's fight chatter and hand gymnastics on how to yield a sword, the rest were quiet and focused. Mal had concentrated on an empty spot on the wall like it held all secrets to this realm. Visha on her grimoire and Kilian on driving me to the brink of madness. He paid attention to Lara and her grandmother yet his hand on my thigh was his focus. Back and forth, he massaged and petted my flesh with the hand he had slipped under my skirts. Going far enough to tease me and have me panting with need.

When I had enough of squirming in my seat, I grabbed his hand and spoke in his ear, “What are you doing?”

He took a bite from an apple and turned to me. “Whatever do you mean, love?”

“You idiot.”

He kissed my temple and leaned in to murmur, “Yours. Only ever yours.”

When I went back to my soup, everyone had gone quiet, staring between Kilian and I.

Mal leaned back on his seat, narrowing his eyes all amused on the two of us. “So, Henrik.”

“Don’t call that.”

Mal pointed his chin at me. “Why can she call you that?”

“Because one day she will give me Henrik III and the only thing you will ever give me is a headache.”

I gaped. Visha’s fork slipped out of her hand. Mal grinned like a wolf. Lara’s eyes were huge while her grandmother blinked stunned between the two of us, unsure.

Kilian on the other hand? Unhinged. Eating his apple.

“If you won’t choke on your own words,” I said, standing. “I hope you choke on that apple.”

His laughter trickled all the way outside. I’d barely stepped on the snowy porch when strong arms and warmth wrapped around me. My eyes drew shut and I listened. I felt.

“Do you imagine it is not me?”

I slowly turned to him, frowning. “No.” If anything…it was always him.

“Why do you always close your eyes?”

I like to feel it all. Without distraction. Fully. “I don’t know.”

His thumb brushed my pulse. “What is it?”

For some reason, I decided to tell him. “What if they don’t want to come with me?”

“Why wouldn’t they want to come with you?”

“What if they hate me?”

“Why would they hate you?”

“What if they—”

“I want to kiss that mouth if only to shut you up.”

“I apologise for the tight arrangements,” Lara’s grandmother said as she pointed to the room three of us were meant to camp in for the night. “The house is small and the room downstairs turns freezing at night.”

“That is alright,” Kilian offered.

Mal scoffed and shook his head, pushing inside the room. “Easy for you to say.”

He, Kilian and I were to share the room, and Visha with Lara and her grandmother. It was the only arrangement that made sense.