Page 140 of Season Warriors & Wolves

“He had not counted for me or Olympia. From what Malena said, Kil was his biggest bump in the plan and he’d hoped I would have taken care of it when he set up the marriage arrangement. Aryan kidnapping and killing me was apparently plan B all along. My father had wanted to keep using me until I didn’t follow his script.”

“He has not made a single move. If Silas is quiet, it means he will strike soon.” Cai rubbed a hand over his blood red eyes that had not taken a rest for sleep in weeks. “Should have tried to convince Nia and Moriko not to hold the ceremony.”

“It will give people a sense of normalcy,” Kilian said. “It can be very damaging to morale if all you see is loss. Ignoring the problem for a day is not ignoring the entire problem. They deserve to celebrate.”

My friend huffed. “Don’t you feel like you’re being schooled like a child every time he speaks?”

“Then grow up,” my husband said, leaning back to glare at Cai.

“Fuck you.”

Kilian lifted his left hand up, flashing him the silver ring he wore on top of our band of blessing. “Very much taken. But I appreciate the sentiment.”

I lifted a forkful of pie to his mouth, and he ate it. And before I could give a bite to Cai, he grabbed my wrist and directed the fork back to his mouth again. “This isn’t a kiss and make up situation, love. He’s pissing me off.”

Cai threw an arm over my shoulders and Kilian kicked it off, resting his instead.

“For the love of all that is holy,” my friend snarled. “I do not want your woman.”

“My woman does not want you either,” Kilian snarled back. “Still processing why she even likes you in the first place.”

Dear gods. “Boys.”

“Listen up,” Kilian said, chewing rather angrily. “She’s talking to you, little one.”

Then something I did not expect happened. Cai threw his head back and laughed. And then laughed some more. Hard. Much harder than he’d ever laughed with me. There were almost tears in his eyes as he heaved, holding his stomach. The fool stood, kissed my forehead and then Kilian’s, snatched another pie and left, whistling away into the city. “Put it on their bill, Evan!”

Kilian’s mouth was slightly agape, watching my friend disappear among the evening crowd. “He has lost it.”

“Good thing I didn’t tell him that father might already have a fleet ready to send to White Bridge. Memphis and Jayre already spotted them.”

He shut his eyes tightly. “Love.”

“Hm. Something tells me I should have told him.”

“Eat. I’ll talk to him later.”

“Don’t yell at him. He’s sad, Kil, and I’m worried.”

He rested his forehead on mine and kissed the tip of my nose. “I won’t. Want something sweet now? We can stop by Samira’s.”

“Yeah, I want to take something sweet to someone else as well.”

My throat clogged when I saw Memphis already there, curled up in the meadow of overgrown anemones, guarding the three stone graves.

I reached to rub her brow how she liked it. “You liked Cori a lot, didn’t you?”

My bonded did not make much noise, her nose sniffing the piece of cake I lowered where my young tribe leader’s belongings were buried. Olympian folklore had the prettiest tales in my opinion. They said spirits would return to the realms they had once lived if you buried their belongings in the soil of their motherland.

“Do you think she has returned?”

Kilian looked at the sunset overhead. “Why do you think Memphis has come?”

I looked up at him. “If—” I die.

His eyes grew dark. “Like hells you’re finishing that damn sentence. Get up.”

“Up, yes. Make sure it is somewhere I can clearly see all seven skies.”