Chapter Seven
It was dinner timewhen the ministers finally released us from questioning. They’d gone over our stories again and again, trying to trip us up, to find more information than we volunteered. I couldn’t tell if they didn’t believe us or if it was just their way of being certain, but it left me wrung out, shaky, and exhausted.
And hungry.
We stopped by Indigo’s rooms first to pick up her kindreds before continuing on to the assassin’s quarters. They kept telling me to call them mine too now, but it felt strange. Especially since Aster didn’t live there too and since Bastian had taken over Sky’s room, there wasn’t really any space for him. We needed a bigger place where we could all live together without being on top of each other. As nice as falling asleep and waking up in a pile of lovers was, we all needed our own space too.
Saber needed room to paint, I needed room to make music, Aster needed room for his books, Whist needed room for all his gardening and cooking endeavors, Sky needed room for his massive weapon collection. And if Bastian stayed, he’d need room for all his research papers.
Inside our rooms, the smells of a delicious dinner greeted us. My mouth watered, and I followed the scents into the kitchen where Whist stood before the stove wrapped in an apron.
He glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Hey there, gorgeous.”
“What are you making?”
“Braised beef loins with a brandy and wild mushroom sauce along with roasted potatoes and greens.”
I grinned. “Brandy? Really?”
He chuckled. “Thought you might like that.”
“You are my favorite right now.”
“I should be your favorite.” Sky’s taunt turned me around.
“Why is that?”
He pulled a glass of brandy out from behind his back. “Because of this.”
I tried to take it from him, but he yanked it out of reach. “Not until you admit I’m your favorite.”
“You’ll be my favorite if you hand it over.” I narrowed my eyes at him.
He held it out with a flourish. “Here you go, doll.”
“Thank you.”
“So now I’m the favorite, right?”
“Until dinner is ready. If it tastes anything like it smells, Whist will be back in first place.”
A rare laugh boomed from Whist as he grinned in triumph at Sky’s pouting face. I drank it in, clutching my glass to my chest.
“And now she is literally swooning at you. I can’t win.” Sky stomped from the room in a huff.
Whist tugged me to him and held a spoon up to my lips. “Tell me what you think.”
I opened my mouth and licked the edge of the spoon, moaning at the flavors exploding on my tongue. It was deep and rich and earthy and perfect. “How long until it’s ready?”
He bent to kiss me, his tongue darting into my mouth to lick the flavor from me. I almost dropped the glass still held against my chest as I gripped his shirt and deepened the kiss.
A hissing sound broke us apart, and he spun to the stove with a curse. I stumbled back a couple steps as I tried to regain my bearings.
“Sorry. If this boils too much, it’ll be ruined.”
I smiled at his worry over his food. It was charming.
“And it should be ready in about half an hour if you want to bathe or have another drink.”
“I think I’ll do both.”
“Better do it alone or you’ll be late.”
I laughed. “It’s not my fault if one of them always follows me.”
“It’d be me if I didn’t have this to finish.”
“Good.” I shot him a cheeky grin and ran away towards the washroom without meeting any of the others.
I didn’t linger in this bath, still able to smell Whist’s cooking, my stomach demanding I put more in it than brandy. My head was already a bit dizzy. Once bathed and dressed, I returned to the main room where I found everyone but Whist sitting around, discussing our long and miserable day with the ministers. Sky and Saber were curled up together on one of the chairs, Aster in the one next to them while Indigo and her four kindreds squeezed onto the sofa.
I plopped myself onto Aster’s lap, smiling when his arms wrapped around my middle and pulled me close. Bastian watched from his position standing next to the fireplace, a book dangling from his hand at his side.
I’d spent next to no time with him since we arrived. He’d spent his time hovering at the edges, watching, but never taking part in our family. It was the same on the trip back. Sometimes, he got a look in his eye like he longed to join us in our laughter or chatter or even the snuggling, but he never allowed himself to. It was a shame.
But he still needed time, and I was going to give it to him.
Even if he ended up returning to the dragon lands alone.
“I’d like to take a look at your library here. Would that be possible?”
Surprised silence fell around us at Bastian’s query.
Aster grimaced. “If word got out a dragon was searching through all of our books, the king would be concerned at best, outraged more likely. He’s already convinced you’re here as spies.”
Sky snorted. “Sounds familiar. They thought the same thing about Rhapsody.”
I frowned at him. “Not for long. And I can’t say I blame them considering the tension between the two countries.”
Bastian shook his head. “I’ve come to believe we are wrong in the way we treat those who cross our borders. But because of the type of ruler your king is, that isn’t going to change.”
“I can get you into the library tonight. We just need to wait until it’s closed and late enough there’s hardly anyone left roaming the halls.”
“I’m coming too.” I wanted to see the library and I wanted a little time with Bastian without the rest of them hovering around us. Maybe he’d open up a little more if we had some privacy.
“Why?” Aster asked.
“I don’t know nearly enough about Faligrean politics and I’ve never visited the library.”
“All right. I’ll take both of you.”
Whist poked his head in. “Dinner’s ready.”