Page 247 of Season Warriors & Wolves

Black Knight takes C3

Snowlin

Alaric and his dinner plan had not been stopped even by war. The old man had lost so much weight and sleep these past few weeks that none of us had even made a sound when he’d ordered us to sit and quietly eat.

“I am retiring,” he said, and the room went even more quiet. “Going to live in Drava, in my old man’s house. The city noise is doing my head in.”

The hells he was.

“Will be a bit difficult,” Kilian said, lowering his cutlery. “There is this project I need your help with.”

He stopped chewing and looked around at us. “What project, son?”

“Myrdur. Let’s rebuild it. Cai, Nia, Snow and I have already decided on it. Once this coming summer passes, we will begin. One stone at a time if we must.”

My guardian’s eyes widened, filling with tears. The pain etched there was heart breaking. The old man sniffled and nodded, violently cutting through his steak like he was about to eat the plate, too. “Maybe I won’t retire then. You might need my help with where everything goes and all that.”

My husband looked over at Caiden who was hiding a grin behind his water cup and shaking his head. “Most definitely.”

Penelope cleared her throat. “Atlas and I are courting,” she said in all seriousness. “Since we are throwing…things out there.”

Kilian almost choked on a sip of water. “Courting?”

Nia giggled a little, reaching for little Pen’s hand. “Oh, Pen, I am so happy for you two.”

The little carrot blushed. “Thank you, Nia.”

“Courting?” Kilian murmured in my ear. “What is that supposed to mean?”

I lifted a brow at him. “Kil, darling.”

He nodded, returning to his food, though I was fully sure he still did not know exactly what Pen had meant by courting.

“Well, since it’s confession time,” Mal said, leaning back on his seat. “I’m heading down to Seraphim. Alyone asked for my help.”

My eyes went directly to one and it wasn’t him.

Thora stopped chewing, her gaze downcast. I’d not seen the two even exchange more than a few words these past weeks.

“How long for?” I asked.

“For as long as they need me. A week, a month, a year, ten years. Kilian freed me from my duties as Eldritch Commander. Neo is taking over for the time being.”

“Temporarily,” Kilian grumbled under his breath.

Thora did not look so surprised anymore.

“You knew?” I asked.

“Neo told me a few nights ago,” she replied boredly, cutting through her food.

Mal sneered. “I see he is already going around spreading important information.”

“Only to me, he said he had told only those important to him.” She chewed on the food languidly, quietly adding, “Just how I deserve to be to someone.”

Nia cleared her throat and shot us all a smile. “Mor and I have adopted a dog.”

Her wife huffed a little and murmured to herself. “I have to share her affections with a dog now as well. What have I done to be punished as such?”