Page 67 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

“You can’t save everyone, brother.”

The sappy bastard just looked at me for a few silent seconds. “Not everyone. Was hoping I could save just a few at least.”

Rain ran up to us and climbed my lap. “You finished the lemonade?”

Kilian and I both stared at the empty pitcher and then winced when our stomachs groaned in unison at the pain we’d inflicted to ourselves without realising. “I guess so, baby doll.”

She giggled and shot up, snatching the pitcher from her father’s hands and shoving her doll on his lap. “I’ll go make more!” she exclaimed, running towards the castle. “Aunt Penny! Let’s pick some lemons!”

“Hells save us all.”

“You will drink my daughter’s lemonade and you will love it,” my brother said, patting my shoulder and handing me her doll.

“What do you know about the White Veil?” I said, throwing it back at him.

His head turned to me, brows furrowing. “She isn’t telling you anything?”

“Nothing.”

He nodded to himself. “Then I know nothing.”

The lying bastard. “I thought you wanted me to help her?”

“Help her?” He chuckled. “Thora doesn’t need help dealing with Iskyla. She’s been spinning that woman in circles for five years now. She just needs you to stand very handsomely next to her. So do that, my adorable little brother.”

“Kilian,” Snow groaned, trying to roll on her side and failing.

My brother immediately shot to his feet and gave me a lopsided smirk before running to her side and hoisting her up in his arms. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” she grumbled.

“You look like you’re about to tear my face off. I say you’re hungry.”

She leaned and whispered something in his ear that had my brother grinning.

I would have gagged, but someone dropped on Kilian’s seat, and sighed. “You don’t want to know, trust me,” Cai said.

“Wasn’t intending to ask.”

Kilian went past us, throwing a wink. “Enjoy solitude, kids.”

“What’s the deal with this White Veil?” I asked Cai.

“She didn’t tell you?”

“No?”

Leaning back on the seat, he closed his eyes. “I don’t know anything.”

Fisting his shirt, I pulled him to me so he could see I meant the threat beside hearing it. “If you end up knowing something and she gets her sweet backside in danger, you’re the first I’m tearing to shreds, sugar plum.”

He pushed my hand off him. “If you act any more obsessed, people are going to think you’ve built her a shrine somewhere.”

He had no idea. I was the fucking shrine.

Sighing, I got to my feet and headed to find Penelope carrying Rain on her shoulders while she picked lemons from her father’s lemon tree. “Baby doll. Remember about our training?”

She dropped the lemons immediately, a few hitting Penelope on the way down. “Yes. Put me down, Penny!”