Page 38 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

“I hold court meetings during the daytime, Lazarus.”

He stepped forward. “Snowlin, I am not buying this married woman act anymore.”

“Oh, her annoyed woman act is pretty obvious,” Cai said, grinning. “Your man-whore act, too.”

“Stay out of this,” Lazarus growled at him.

My friend guffawed. “Seems like Snow wants to stay out of this, too.”

“What does my wife want to stay out of?” Kilian’s voice boomed against the glen where the training grounds stretched. And like a dark command, everything seemed to halt at its might.

Warm shivers crept up my spine and I spun, looking at him and then at the skies. Night-time.

Kilian’s glacial look was bordering murderous for some reason. It softened when he raked it over me. And then turned something of fear when it landed on the winged male behind me.

One look. One. Look. That’s all it took for my breathing to pick up for me not to hear anything but my heartbeat pulsing in my ear.

“Go wash,” Cai said, standing. “I’ll entertain your…husband. Perhaps Lazarus can show him a trick or two.” My friend turned to the Volantian man who was glaring unrestrained at Kilian. “Lay an egg or something for us, Lazarus.”

Kilian grabbed my arm when I slid past him, my whole body seizing. When he raised a hand to my face, I flinched back. Slowly, watching my reaction as he did so, he brought his fingers to my mouth. Why did I have to fight and resist to lean on that touch? “Your lip is bleeding.”

I pulled my arm free and spat blood at his feet before bolting to my bedroom balcony.

Pen had dug her comb in my hair, carefully pulling and tugging on my locks till they were free from all knots, while throwing careful glances at me as I had yet to call on her little snitch. She was practically sweating and panting but looked well pleased with her job.

She jumped upright and grinned wide when she spotted someone else in the mirror reflection. Six feet four inches clad in black and kingly might, leaning on the door frame, watching me—every corner and curve of me that was poorly hidden under my short nightgown. “Kilian!” Her eyes went wide and then drifted to me and my glare. “I meant…you’re here, you very horrible…bad, bad…king.”

He looked a snap away from laughing. “Hello, Penelope. How have you been?”

She tried to contain her smile and fiddled with her braid like some schoolgirl. “I’m training to become a Crafter. Apparently, I have a cousin. Apparently, the Grand Maiden is my aunt.” She frowned. “Apparently, my grandmother is a bitch. At least so says Snow.”

Kilian raised an amused brow. “All exciting findings for you.” His silvery gaze swivelled to me. “Hello, my missus.”

The way he called me tickled my belly with nerves. “What are you doing here?”

He slid his hands in his pockets. “I’ve come to take you myself. My gardens have had enough, and I just changed the grass today.”

I stood and reached close to him. “My nightmares are reserved for night-time only. They don’t start at sunset. Don't disturb my peace this early again.”

His eyes flashed and then slowly travelled down my body. “Noted. Penelope,” he called, still looking at me. “Could you bring something else for her to wear? It’s…cold in Adriata.”

And when I shivered under his scrutiny, his jaw clenched tight and that stupid dimple made an apperance.

“Pen, try and take a step out of this room.”

The little carrot halted with a foot over the door threshold.

His stare steeled with challenge. “She will do nothing, go.”

“Try me,” I said, tilting my head to her and flashing the redhead a grin.

She shuddered and retreated back inside the room.

He unbuttoned his jacket and threw it over my bed-end stool. “Fine by me, love. We are staying in Olympia tonight. Penelope, since you’re still here, bring her something to eat. I thought it was thundering for a moment.”

The redhead sprinted out before I could draw one word out.

Slowly, he took off his shirt and laid on top of the bed covers, sprawling over my silver satin sheets like he belonged there. No man besides Cai had ever sat on my bed.