Page 209 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

“That is a horrible trait to have,” I said. “Reading people.”

“You do it as well.”

“Except that I don’t point it out. I do it for my own benefit. In the privacy of my own thoughts.”

“Because you struggle to comprehend another’s actions, thoughts and feelings.”

“You’re doing it again.”

He smiled. “My apologies.”

“You never look sorry.”

“That is because I rarely am.”

“Go dance with her,” I said, pointing at Snow. I wanted to see that look again.

He glanced at my sister again who was being passed back and forth between Eren, Cai and Malik. She was laughing like I’d never seen her laugh before. “She is pretending the trouble doesn't exist. I’d only remind her of it.”

At that moment, Snow looked over at us, at him rather than us. Her grin fell to a soft smile and she extended a hand to him in the distance. The two held a quiet moment, like the world had gone all silent and still around them, like they were the only ones standing in the room, and his breathing picked up. Of all I’d ever seen…I struggled to understand this.

“I don’t think you were right, Kilian.”

He bowed his head gently to me and headed to join my sister. The music shifted to a slower jig, and he pulled her close to his body, holding her so carefully as if she was made of glass. His hands trailed gently and ever so softly over her back and she relaxed in his hold. When she tipped her head back to look at him, he dropped a small peck to the tip of her nose and gave her a smile I’d only ever seen him give her. Such an innocent little gesture yet my cheeks were hurting from smiling like a mad woman.

She stared at him as if she saw wonder and she wanted to keep looking at it.

A body landed close to my seat with a thud and I jerked upright from surprise.

“Why the tears?” Malik said, swiping a thumb under my eyes before tipping my chin up to look at him. He frowned the more he looked at me.

“They were of happiness.”

“No such thing as tears of happiness, little bird. If it made you tear up it had to hurt first.”

Pulling the corner of my sleeve, I wiped my eyes. “I think you are looking at this too much like an Empath and too little like a human.”

His touch dropped and I pushed a bit further back from him on the stool.

“You’re right,” he admitted quietly, leaning back and taking a long chug of his drink.

“Maybe not,” I said, taking a sip of my own drink. “What would I know about being human, right?” My giggles were nervous and he seemed to catch onto them—it made me panic. “Please don’t read my emotions.”

“I am not.” Yet he was looking at me oddly.

“Oh. Why?”

He glanced down at my necklace. “The only privacy I like to violate is that of my brother and my enemies.”

I nodded. “I am thankful then.”

“Would it be that terrible, to have someone understand what you yourself can’t understand sometimes?”

“I’d rather be confused than emotionally naked. Actually,” I said after a long swirl of my drink, “I’d rather be naked altogether in front of a whole crowd than be emotionally naked.”

“Huh.” He threw his arm back on the stool rest and stared at me like I’d said something curious.

“What?”