Page 64

I nodded, stroking Holly’s shiny coat, rubbing between her eyes gently. “See you later, Holls,” I whispered, following Sigrid out of the stables and back to the castle, the sun kissing my skin until the coolness of the castle walls enclosed me.

We entered a small dining room off the side of the kitchen that Sigrid had told me served as the staff’s eating quarters. But this was where the inner circle preferred to dine as well, the grandness of the formal dining room unnecessary for the size of their group.

Like Leo’s room, the simplicity of the way they lived their lives here was refreshing.

You’d never find a person in a position of power on Six taking their meals in a space like this, with dimly lit wall sconces and ceiling-to-floor wooden accents.

You’d be more likely to find them eating from gold-trimmed plates in bright marbled-floor rooms, laughing as they greedily shoveled heaps of food into their mouths.

Greed like that didn’t exist inside this room.

The only thing that existed inside this room currently was Adrian, busying himself with setting the table.

He didn’t greet either of us.

Sigrid pointed her thumb to the swinging kitchen door. “I’ll go see if Chef needs any help.”

I nodded, focusing my attention on Adrian.

He hadn’t said much to me since he’d shown me kindness in the moments after I’d discovered the truth about who I was. And I wasn’t sure why, but it bothered me.

“Good evening, Adrian.”

“Bryn,” he grumbled, setting down a plate.

“Are we back to not liking each other? You’ve been awfully quiet these past few days.”

I picked up a stack of napkins and placed one off to the side of the plate he set, the back of my hand inches from his.

I gasped as vibrations bounced back and forth between us, his heat radiating off him in waves.

His eyes held mine as he moved his hand to brush mine, his lips parting slightly, before moving to the next place setting, cutting off our connection right as Chef entered with a large tray of food, Sigrid laughing behind him at something funny he’d said.

I stared after Adrian, confused at what had just passed between us.

“Bryn!” Chef exclaimed. “You join us again, I’m honored.”

I matched his excitement, disregarding his son. “Hi, Vincent!”

Adrian’s father was one of the few commoners who knew of my true identity and my resurrection, the perks of his son’s relationship to the Crown extending to him. I had instantly liked Vincent upon meeting him, or re-meeting him, easily swayed by his delicious cooking; his secret spices gave his food flavor that was better than anything I’d ever tasted before. If I hadn’t known the chef was Adrian’s father, it would’ve been easy to spot their similarities. Even though his father was completely gray and in his fifties, his strong facial features and overall size confirmed the two of them were unquestionably related. And although cooking was where the chef excelled, based on size alone I was sure he’d be equally impressive with a weapon in his hand.

Vincent shifted his tray to one hand so he could gently pat my cheek as he passed.

“Father, leave her be,” Adrian said, his own cheeks growing red.

“Nonsense! We have the princess back in our midst. That’s cause for more food!” He laughed, setting down the heaping tray of assorted dishes.

I gave him a genuine smile. “This is plenty, thank you.” I grabbed a small bread roll from the tray, shoving it halfway inside my mouth, and quickly finished setting the rest of the napkins.

Adrian snatched the roll from my mouth as I bit down. “Hey!” I shouted around a mouthful.

“You’re a bear.” He smirked, tossing the rest of the bread into his own mouth.

“Smells good in here!” Cal entered, removing his sword and scabbard over his head and setting it in the corner next to Adrian’s daggers.

They had one rule inside this room: no weapons at the table. Like taking your hat off for a meal, it was a manners thing.

I’d been surprised not to see any Mag-Guns the first evening I’d joined them for dinner, but Cal had explained they kept those hidden from commoners. The standard weapons they’d trained with since children were swords, knives, daggers and bows. Even spears. They didn’t rely on the tech, instead keeping the guns on standby, in case they were needed for emergencies.