Chapter 29 #2
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a man vibrate with excitement and guilt at the same time before. Lambert might’ve thought this was a good idea, but as Kyrith advances on him like the unstoppable force of nature she is, he actually swallows and averts his gaze.
“What was that noise?”
“Before I tell you, I have a quick question. Do you, erm…like animals?”
He dinnae even ask her that first?
North facepalms as his twin breaks out laughing. I’m not sure which is more appropriate as the Winthrop heir peels the ugly cat from his clothing and brings it in front of his chest like an offering.
Kyrith stops dead. Magic, I need some popcorn or something.
“It’s a cat!” His smile could melt butter, but apparently, the Librarian is immune.
“I can see that.”
“You said you were lonely.”
“And you brought me something with fleas?”
“I think they’re mites, actually…”
Kyrith’s brows rise, and then she whirls, facing the desk. “ABSOLUTELY NOT!”
This time, I cannae hold back my own snicker. There, sitting innocently on the desk, beside all of her papers and neatly ordered pens, is the most ridiculously extra cat bed I’ve ever seen.
It’s royal blue, with embroidered hearts and a thick, fluffy lining. To make matters even funnier, a tiny brass nameplate pops into being on the leather top.
“Assistant Librarian?” Eddy cackles. “Oh, this is purrfect.”
The room warms, the Arcanaeum basking in the praise, before it starts to go overboard. More cat paraphernalia is appearing by the second—everything from tiny stuffed mice to cat flaps in the doors—and Kyrith’s fingers flex as she lets out a wee groan of frustration.
“Lambert Winthrop…” she begins.
In a move that’s as ballsy as it is stupid, he dumps the thing in her arms and skips towards the nearest door.
“I’m so glad you like him! I’ve got practice, but I’ll be back in a couple of hours to help you pick out a name. I like the sound of Northcliff Junior, but we can come up with another name for our furbaby if you really hate it.”
Kyrith, of course, rounds on North, who holds his hands up. “I had nothing to do with this.”
“I did try to suggest you might not want one,” Eddy confesses. “But really, he’s kind of cute. And he deserves a home.”
“This. Is. A. Library. Not a home for stray—Hey! Get back here. You let him do this.”
Eddy is edging away, but at Kyrith’s order she abandons subtlety, grabs her twin, and makes a run for it, leaving her shopping bags forgotten on the floor.
Pierce rolls his eyes. “I’ll tell my grandfather what happened with the parriarchs. Come and find me when you’re ready to stop playing house with these idiots and actually deal with Mathias.”
Kyrith’s expression sobers slightly, but the kitten lets out a pitiful mewl, clawing at her arm as Eddy’s abandoned bag begins to rustle. A tin of cat food floats free and starts dishing itself up on a floral saucer.
Kyrith reluctantly deposits the feline beside the plate, and it eats with the gusto of a creature that’s been starved. Now that it’s not fighting to escape Lambert, its ribs are painfully obvious beneath the tattered fluff.
“I can heal him,” I offer, even though I’ve never used magic on a cat before.
Honestly, nothing I do can make it worse. Though maybe I should start by giving it a bath? On second thoughts… “You should make Lambert bathe it as payback. If you’re going tae keep it, that is. I wouldnae blame you if you want to get rid of it.”
“I never said that!” Kyrith snaps, then clears her throat. “I simply said it wasn’t appropriate for it to live in the Library. This isn’t a home for strays and abandoned things.”
“I disagree,” Dakari interrupts, wrapping his arms around her waist and dropping a kiss to the crook of her neck that has her eyes fluttering closed for a half-second. “Unless you regret taking in six stray heirs?”
Kyrith shakes her head. “That’s not the same.”
“Are you sure about that?” I press. “I mean, Dakari was basically homeless when you started paying him as your collector. North and Eddy don’t exactly have anywhere to go, either.”
I know I’ve said the wrong thing the moment her eyes fly open.
“What do you mean, ‘basically homeless?’” Her tone has gone hard in a way that has the kitten looking up from his feast. “He was still a student when he started working here!”
Shit. She didn’t know?
Dakari remains silent, which somehow makes the heaviness in my gut worse. He doesn’t like talking about his past. I shouldnae have brought it up. I never realised that Kyrith hadn’t heard the story.
That was dumb. Of course, he wouldn’t tell her. The only reason I know is that I was there for him for half of it. I can only imagine things didn’t get much better in the last ten years while I was locked in a basement.
Dakari is an heir. A powerhouse of manipulation magic. And yet, he’s also a very private person. Like Kyrith, he’s used to being alone. Hanging out here with the other heirs is probably the closest he’s come to having a family in a long time.
“I’m sorry,” I stutter. “I thought…I thought everyone knew.”
“Clearly not.” Kyrith’s jaw clenches. “Let me guess, the parriarchs behaved—”
“It wasn’t them,” Dakari cuts in. “I deserved it, and it was a long time ago. That’s all there is to know.”
Hardly, but I’m keeping my big mouth shut.
The set of her jaw and the frown on her face say this isn’t over, but she chooses a tactful change of subject rather than pushing the issue.
Smart lass. Dakari is a rock, which is great if you need someone to keep your secrets and back you up, but a pain in the ass if you want him to confess his feelings.
“The cat stays,” she finally concedes. “But the moment it damages a book—Oh, will you stop that!”
Confetti is falling everywhere in a steady shower as the Arcanaeum celebrates.
I don’t think she’s truly worried about the kitten damaging anything. The Arcanaeum is like a thousand eyes and ears watching over this place. The second the kitten starts to cause trouble; it will find itself redirected.
If I had to guess, I’d say she was more concerned that Lambert has essentially added a dependent into our relationship. Another creature stuck in the Arcanaeum and unable to roam. Much like her.
“I’ll see what I can do about his eyes and that overbite,” I mutter. “Try not to fret, lass. I’m sure he’ll love it here.”
Her shoulders droop a little, and I press a kiss to her cheek.
“Thank you,” she whispers, turning her face at the last second so I catch her lips instead.
Fuck. I’m kissing Kyrith. It barely lasts a second, not nearly enough time for me to appreciate the softness of her, but my heart tries to beat out of my chest, anyway.
“Go find Leo,” Dakari advises her. “The rest of us will cope, but he’s pushing himself too hard.”
With a grateful little nod, Kyrith turns to me. “Are we still on for our date tonight?”
My tongue is still tied from the kiss, but I manage a weak, “Uh-huh.”
Our date. Where I might get to kiss her again.
I turn my gaze to the unfortunate feline as she ghosts away. “Hey, wee yin. Fancy a bath?”