Chapter Twenty-Four
Sky and Saber wokeus the following morning by bursting into the room and jumping into bed with us. Sky shoved Saber into it, right on top of me and Sky leapt onto Whist, smacking a kiss right on his lips.
Whist shoved him off with a curse, but Sky just squirmed until he snuggled between us. Saber rolled off me to my other side, spooning me from behind.
“At least you assholes have your clothes on.” Whist grumbled the words, sleep still thickening his voice.
“We didn’t want to show Rhapsody that side of us this soon.” Sky poked my belly.
I swatted his hand away. “I’ve already seen your naked side.”
“You haven’t seen mine.” Sky fake pouted.
I grinned at him. “I did last night.”
Sky gasped dramatically. “Did someone spy on us while we were vulnerable and sleeping?”
“Maybe.” I hid my face in his chest.
Sky scooted closer, trapping me between him and Saber. “You two should have climbed in with us. We were worried.”
I shuddered, my nipples tightening. What would they do if I kissed Sky right now? Would the other two leave or would they join us?
“Clearly.” Whist’s dry voice pulled me away from my dirty musings.
Sky pushed his ass back to nudge Whist. “Oh shut up, Whist. You just wanted to have her for yourself a little longer.”
Saber intervened before their bickering could continue. “How’d things go?”
Wiggling out from between the two assassins, I left Whist to recap our day together and disappeared into the bathroom. I still had dirt crusted in my nails and palms and probably my knees. Living with plumbing was the greatest luxury of my life. Returning to a life filled with bathing in streams was not appealing in the slightest.
I slipped into the tub brimming with steaming water and sighed. It still boggled my mind they went to such extremes for a mere safe house. Even my vivid imagination couldn’t come up with a picture of what their actual home was like.
Too bad I’d never have a chance to find out for myself. I felt awful I’d stolen it away from them. Would they one day resent me for it?
But could I really take their choice away when I was so determined to make my own? When I spent all my time demanding the freedom to make choices for my life?
A tap on the door pulled me from my thoughts and I realized the bath had grown cold.
“You okay in there, doll? You’re not hiding from us are you?”
“I’ll be out in a minute, Sky.” I unplugged the drain and stood, water sliding down my skin. I had a couple scrapes on my knees and my palms beneath the dirt from Whist’s gentle ministrations. The sight made warmth trickle through me even though it stung. It was worth every second.
After toweling off, I slipping back into my then vacant room and got dressed. I’d been in the bath, lost in thought, for at least an hour.
I emerged, my wet hair still dripping down my back and found Whist holding out a plate with a treacle tart on it.
I stumbled back against the door. “Whistler. How the fuck? How did you guess?” I blinked hard, certain I was imagining things. There was no way.
“I’m just that good.” His cocky smirk rivaled Sky’s.
“Seriously? You cheated somehow.” But I couldn’t figure out how. “Tell me how you knew.”
He stepped closer, the plate still held out to me. “It’s going to take a lot for you to convince me to reveal my secrets.”
I took the plate from him with trembling hands, my heart in my throat. “Guess you got your three weeks.”
Whist’s eyes softened, and he held out a chair for me at the table. Overwhelmed with crashing emotions, I used a fork to cut into the tart. Tears burned my eyes at the first bite. It tasted exactly like my mother’s.
“You have a gift. I’m starting to suspect there’s magic involved.”
“You all right, love?” Saber rubbed my back.
“Yeah, I’m good. It’s just been a really long time since I’ve had this.” I paused, then decided to let them in. Just a little. “My mother used to make it for me when we had the money. It was always a rare treat, but we all loved it. She tried to teach me, but I’m an utter failure in the kitchen.” Did Whist have any idea of the gift he gave me?
Based on the look in his eye, something fierce and protective and burning with complete understanding, made me think he had more than an inkling. How did he know me so well so soon? They all did.
And I thought I was beginning to know them as well. It terrified the fuck out of me.
Saber stroked my back once more, and we all turned our attention to dessert for breakfast. They gave me the space I needed to sort through my emotions. How did they do that? Know what I needed before I needed it?
For the first time, I wished my parents were kindreds. Then, maybe I wouldn’t have been so confused, uncertain which was the magic of them and which was the magic of the bond.
“What’s the plan now?” Sky asked. “The guards are still searching for our girl here. It won’t be long before they make their way out here once she doesn’t show up in villages.”
“All the surrounding villages have more guards than usual.” Whist passed around mugs of coffee.
I almost choked on my bite of the tart. “Wait. When did you find that out? You didn’t mention it to me.”
“I overheard a couple villagers whispering about it when the guards came into the tavern. Word has gotten around. I’m surprised the owner let you play. It’s going to be hard on all bards for a while. They let you go once you convinced them you were someone else, but it’s making people uneasy.”
My ears perked up at his choice of words.
Whist read the hope on my face and shook his head. “Not uprising kind of uneasy. Wary of musicians kind of uneasy. Most people don’t want change, gorgeous. Failgrey is a prosperous country. More people find their kindreds than not and everyone pretends the single ones or the ones whose kindreds are fucked up don’t exist.”
Before I could start ranting and railing against the system, someone kicked in the door.