Chapter Four
A Muffin Bites the Dust
“Oh god.” I cringed. “He’s still alive?”
“Yep! He sure is.” Thane knelt at eye level with the table in the clinic and smiled as the insect scuttled across the top. “Herbert’s species can live for several years.”
Herbert the Terror, as I liked to call him, was a beetle-looking thing covered in red and yellow specks and with a midnight-blue body. He also happened to be Thane’s beloved pet.
Outside of work as Briar’s apprentice, Thane collected insects. He loved the creepy-crawly critters and thought they were beautiful. He also studied them for medicinal purposes, and the horrifying Herbert excreted a toxin that could be used in many medicines.
What made Herbert even more… um, special? Apparently, much to Thane’s awe, he was a flesh-eating beetle. But only if he “was hungry enough.” Needless to say, my new mission in life was ensuring Herbert never went hungry for long.
Carefully, I shifted the basket of muffins from my arm and placed it on the table. “Do you want to feed him a crumb? Or ten?”
“May I?” Thane eagerly opened the lid and withdrew a banana nut muffin. He pinched off the corner and knelt back down to sprinkle the crumbs in front of the beetle.
Herbert stopped his scuttling, and I barely repressed a shudder as his little antennas shot upward and wiggled.
“Aww. He’s happy.” Thane smiled up at me. He was only a year younger than me but had graduated from the medical institute at the top of his class, earning the highly coveted spot as Briar’s apprentice. He seemed so boyish, though, with his shaggy blond hair and small frame. “Thank you, Evan.”
“If sacrificing one of Maddox’s muffins will prevent Herbert from eating me, I’m happy to be of service.”
Thane snorted. “Herbert wouldn’t eat you. You’re his family.”
“Did he, uh, tell you that?”
Another snort with an accompanying nose wrinkle. He fed more crumbs to the beetle and rested his chin on his hands as he watched him eat. “Word around the castle is you’re gonna open a second café in Exalos. Is it true?”
Not surprising word had spread in the two days since my meeting with Walter. Hardly anything happened on the castle grounds without someone catching wind of it. “It is. I met with the lord mayor this morning to accept the proposal.”
I had thought hard on my decision for another day before accepting. It was why I’d come to the clinic. I’d wanted to tell Briar and Maddox about the meeting. Miles had reassured me he had everything under control at the café and practically shoved me out the door. Fairly sure he was in cahoots with my men about me not taking enough time off work.
After saying goodbye to Lake—and kissing him a bazillion times—I had packed snacks into a wicker basket and set off for the castle grounds.
“Good,” Thane said. With his index finger, he lightly petted Herbert’s back. “I love your food and always feel happier after eating something you made. People in Exalos will feel the same. You have a true gift. Herbert agrees.”
“Well, if Herbert agrees, that must mean it’s true.”
Thane placed his hand palm-up on the table, and Herbert crawled into it, fluttering his tiny wings. Once the little terror was back in his jar and placed on the windowsill so he could “enjoy the pretty day,” Thane grabbed a cookie from the basket and went over to the crafting station to continue working.
“More protection stones?” I asked.
“Yep.” Thane’s shaggy hair bounced as he nodded. A small blue stone sat in front of him, and as he held his hand over it, a white glow came off his palm. “These aren’t as strong as yours. Briar said they’ll break after one use. The stone will protect the wearer from a deadly attack only once before the magic fades. But I guess in battle, once is still enough to stand between you and death.”
Battle. Death. A reminder of our current situation. I hoped more than anything peace could be found before it came to that.
Four students from the magi academy and medical institute had come to train under Briar for the next week, so he was currently in the back room teaching them about powerful elixirs, herbology, and the different types of healing magic.
It was almost lunchtime, and I knew Briar hadn’t eaten more than a slice of toast with blueberry jam since breakfast. Just one slice before he’d rushed out the door to meet the students. Craving the sense of comfort cooking brought me, I prepared lunch for the seven of us, throwing together a potato hash with beef. I chopped potatoes, seasoned them, and tossed them into a skillet before slicing skirt steak.
The kitchen was kind of small, but I didn’t mind it. When I’d first come to Bremloc, I’d cooked many meals in that kitchen. It was cozy. A home away from home.
“That’s incredible!” a guy exclaimed from the back room. Little claps followed.
I glanced at the closed door. The room housed rare and oftentimes deadly supplies, such as hemlock, wolfsbane, powerful, probably cursed artifacts, and a million other things my accident-prone butt had no business being around. There was a crafting station in there, as well, where they made the stronger elixirs and those of a higher complexity that required total concentration. Also, privacy in case the spell backfired horribly.
When the food was nearly finished, there was a click, and the door opened.
“Something smells amazing,” Briar said as the sweetest freaking smile bloomed across his face, smoothing the wrinkle in his brow I recognized from when he was tired. My workaholic.
“Glad you think so because you’re eating even if I have to chain you to a chair and force-feed you.”
Briar chuckled and closed the distance between us, taking me into his arms. “You never have to force me to eat your cooking. I do so gladly.” He glided his hand over the back of my hair and kissed my temple. “Apologies for keeping you waiting.”
“It’s okay.” I pushed my nose into his shirt, accepting the comfort his scent gave. “Food’s ready. I also brought pastries from the café, so I hope you brought your appetite.”
He brushed his lips across my earlobe. “I always have an appetite for you, love. You make me quite insatiable in many ways.”
“Watch that naughty mouth of yours. There’s a child present. Herbert just went down for his creepy little nap.”
Thane had popped a slice of beef into his mouth and almost choked on it as he laughed.
The students exited the room, talking excitedly to each other, journals clutched to their chests and smiles so big they could probably be seen from space. One girl and three boys.
“Did it go well, Professor?” I lightly poked his ribs.
His answering smile gave me butterflies. “I believe so. Christa was born with mana, so she caught on faster than the others. Though, the other three are still advanced for their age and will make fine mages, physicians, or alchemists someday. Whichever path they choose, they’ll be successful in their endeavors.”
Briar helped me pile the food onto plates and carry them to the table. There were only four chairs, so we let the students sit there while we took our lunch to his desk, pulling up an extra chair for me. Thane sat on a stool beside the window—beside his monstrous pet—and looked out as he ate.
“Gratitude for the meal, Master Evan,” the girl—Christa—said after taking a bite. “This is delicious.”
“It is,” the blond boy agreed. He had a face full of freckles and pale skin. “Never had potatoes like this. My ma would love it.”
“You’re welcome.” My cheeks heated with the compliments. “And you can just call me Evan. No need for the master stuff.”
Briar smiled. “Did the meeting go well?”
I nodded and wiped at my mouth. “Mr. Willoughby was so excited that he shook my hand so much I’m surprised it’s still attached. Just a constant shake, shake, shake as he gushed about me ‘reaching the right decision’ and that I ‘wouldn’t regret it.’ We then went over the paperwork and stuff. Made it an official business agreement.”
“When will you leave?”
“He said he’ll send a carriage for me in two weeks.”
“Two weeks.” Briar took a small bite of steak and chewed. “It’ll be here before we know it.”
I glowered at him, and he was sure to take a bigger bite next. Like a good boy.
“I just wish you guys could go with me.”
“As do I.” He placed his hand over mine and gently squeezed. “But you’ll have Lake and a small force of knights traveling with you.”
“Any idea who the lucky knights will be?” Yes, I was being sarcastic. Babysitting me was probably the last thing any of them wanted to do.
“You’ll have to discuss that with our captain.”
Our captain. God, I freaking loved the sound of that.
Midway through the meal, a rapping came at the front door before it opened. A woman from the castle kitchens had burned her hand while preparing lunch.
“I’ll help her,” Thane said, hopping up from the stool. “You eat while I tend to her.”
Briar nodded to him in a silent thanks.
“So. Enough about me.” I moved the hash around my plate with my fork. “I saw Thane making a bunch of protection stones. Is it just as a precaution, or did something happen?”
“Nothing happened.” Briar took another bite and slowly chewed.
My eyes narrowed. “Why do I get the feeling a yet should follow that statement?”
He kept chewing.
“Briar.”
With a soft sigh, he reached across the table for my hand. “Please don’t worry over it, love. Between the knights taking on extra patrols in the dark wood, as well as the uncertainty of our situation with Haran, precautions are wise. That’s all.”
“Makes sense, I guess.” My bottom lip quivered. “I hate war. And fighting. And those crow demon things.”
He squeezed my fingers before pulling away. “I’m no fan of those creatures either.”
“Are you making a protection stone for Maddox?”
Softness touched his eyes. “Yes. The stones I had weren’t strong enough to contain the level of protection magic I need, which caused a delay. But I believe I found the perfect one.”
We both wanted our captain to be safe.
Minutes later, the door opened again, and two knights came in. Blood trickled down the head of one, and the other held his arm as though injured. By their armor, I placed them as being from the Third Order.
“An incident during drills,” the bloody one said. “Apologies for interrupting your meal.”
“Not at all.” Briar quickly wiped off his mouth and stood. “Let me take a look at you.”
The daily life of a physician and his apprentice. Between sickness, burns, and training injuries, they were kept busy. Briar called the students over and used it as a hands-on learning experience, showing them how to mend the sprain and heal the cuts, both with the aid of magic and without.
I cleared our plates and washed them, then bounced over to tell Briar goodbye.
“Off to see the knights?” he asked, adjusting his glasses.
“Yep. I’ll leave you a sweet treat for later.”
He kissed my temple. “No treat is sweeter than you.”
With my heart a fluttery mess, I stumbled away—because that level of swoon hit me like a Mac truck, turning my body to jelly—and withdrew a stack of oatmeal cranberry cookies from the basket. They’d recently become his favorite.
“Be careful, love,” Briar said as I reached the door. “Please don’t trip or get lost.”
“I won’t!” But it wouldn’t be the first time either had happened. Falling down and getting lost were kind of common for me, unfortunately. “And you make sure to take breaks.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Leave it to us, Evan,” the freckled boy said. “We’ll take care of him.”
Briar sighed, and I grinned. Apparently, even his students had noticed his lack of self-care.
Back outside, the chilly afternoon stabbed at my exposed skin, and I burrowed more into my cloak. Well, Rowan’s cloak. He was right. It did fit me pretty well. And it still smelled like him. Peppery but sweet too.
Don’t think about him.
A week had passed since his visit, and damn if I didn’t find myself missing him, hoping he’d visit again. Which was… well, dumb. My men didn’t trust him, and his presence would only cause friction between all of us.
Sigh.
Pushing a certain auburn-haired non-bandit from my mind, I strolled down the path toward the knights’ barracks. Muscle memory led me there with no trouble—well, apart from the tree root jutting up that had been out for blood and caught on the front of my boot, nearly sending me and the basket of muffins tumbling to the ground.
My saving grace? None other than my precious cinnamon roll of a knight.
“Easy,” Callum said, one arm secured around my waist to keep me upright. Once I was steady, he slowly released me. “Are you all right?”
“Yep. I’m fine. Only my pride took a hit.”
“Someone who cooks as good as you should have no issue with your pride.” Callum’s smile lit up his whole face, shining through his brown eyes and creating a dimple in his cheek. “You fill our bellies and our hearts.”
“Thanks, Cal.” Yep. He was precious and ooey-gooey sweet.
“Besides, every man is made different and has their own talents,” he continued. “Some are swift runners but lack strength. Some, like myself, are skilled with swords but have little aptitude for bows. And some, like you, are masters in the kitchen but face death every time they take a step. There is no shame in it.”
“I take back my internal thought.” I stuck my nose up at him. “You’re not precious or sweet at all. You’re a demonic cinnamon roll.”
Little flutters swarmed in my belly as he laughed.
Probably just indigestion.
“Small but mighty Evan!” a deep voice boomed right before I was lifted off the ground by two beefy arms. “You are quite the sight for sore eyes.”
“You’re playing with fire, Duke.” Baden approached from my other side. “A wise man would place the goods back down and step away.”
“The goods?” I asked, my feet dangling. Duke’s muscled chest pressed to my back as he held me. There were worse situations I could’ve been in.
“The captain’s most precious treasure.” Baden smirked and lightly flicked my nose.
“Treasure is meant to be admired, is it not?” Duke asked, voice gruff. “After being forced to see all of your ugly faces all day, our adorable Evan is a reprieve.”
“Speak for yourself. My face is chiseled and handsome.” Baden smoothed a hand along his lightly stubbled jaw. “If you wish to see ugly, take a glimpse into the looking glass, you redheaded bastard.”
“Well, this redheaded bastard is highly sought after among men and women alike, while your prick remains dry,” Duke countered. “What’s that say about you?”
“That I have standards. Unlike you.” Baden crossed his arms over his chest. “Desperation is an unflattering trait.”
With a deep, rumbling laugh, Duke placed me back on my feet and patted the top of my head. “What do ya have in that basket? Snacks, I hope. I’m starved.”
“No one goes hungry while I’m around.” I jammed a thumb to my chest. “Evan to the rescue.”
Magic words. They swarmed me. Wedged between the three knights made me feel so short. I didn’t mind it so much anymore. My size brought out their protectiveness over me, and I’d started to like it. A little.
Okay, a lot.
By the time they’d helped themselves to the treats, only two muffins were left. Hopefully, that’d be enough to hold Maddox over until later. He got cranky when he didn’t get his afternoon sweet fix. My insatiable grump.
“Do any of you gluttons know where Maddox is?” I asked, amused as they devoured their treats.
“In his quarters last I saw him,” Baden said between bites. Crumbs sprinkled down the front of his armor.
“Thanks. I’ll be sure to let him know who ate all his muffins.”
All three of them stopped chewing.
I laughed. Hard. Then, I headed toward the barracks, hearing them argue about who’d take the fall for the captain’s wrath. Apparently, Quincy became the fall guy despite him not even being there.
Poor Quincy.
As a gust of cold wind swept around me, I shivered and lowered my face to my cloak. Which didn’t help my “don’t think about Rowan” mantra, because good lord, his scent hit me hard. Again. Stronger now than before, which was… weird.
Movement caught my eye from a branch higher up in one of the trees along the path. Something much bigger than a squirrel or bird. I came to a sharp stop and squinted up at the spot, catching a flash of red.
Hair?
“What are ya doin’ here, boy?” a gruff voice boomed from behind me.
I squeaked and flung around, losing my footing in the process. As I fell to the dirt, the basket tumbled with me. The lid smashed open upon impact, and the last of the muffins rolled out. On my ass, I peered up into the irritated face of my least favorite knight. “Oh. Hey, Roth.”
Roth sneered down at me. “You have no business here. You’re a distraction none of us can afford at this time, especially the captain. Be gone with you.”
He wasn’t my biggest fan, but I wasn’t special in that regard. He was an asshole to everyone. He’d mainly kept his distance from me over the months, but from the little I’d been around him, I’d learned a few things. One, he was an asshole, as previously mentioned. And two, he hated demi-humans. Like, a lot. So much so that he believed they should all be slaughtered.
Which, considering all the demi-humans I loved, didn’t make me his biggest fan. So the feeling was definitely mutual.
“Be gone with me?” I huffed. “You make it sound like I’m an evil spirit you’re about to expel.”
“More so, a meddlesome pest.” Roth stepped closer, bringing that annoyance with him. “We’re on the brink of war, boy! Haran looms on one side, and the demons wait on the other. We soldiers need to focus on our training and prepare for the battles to come. Too many lives have already been lost in this fight. We don’t need you and your damned basket of dry muffins showing up and being a nuisance.”
“Wow,” I said, appalled. “Did you just insult my muffins?”
Some of Roth’s ire left him.
“Was that a smile?”
“No.” He scoffed and flung out his hand toward me. “Here. The captain will have my head if he walks past and sees his precious boy in the dirt.”
Precious boy? Why did that make me all fluttery?
“Thanks.” I grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet. Like the rest of him, his palm was rough and calloused. I suspected there was a decent man beneath the asshole-ness. One deep, deep down.
“Is there a problem here?” one of my favorite voices in the whole world then called from nearby. Maddox approached from the path leading from the barracks.
“I tripped on my way to find you,” I said. “Roth happened upon me in the dirt and provided his chivalrous knightly services to help me up.”
Roth glanced at me, as though surprised.
Had he expected me to rat him out to the captain and say he was a big meanie? It was tempting, but maybe keeping that detail to myself would help sway Roth to like me a little better. Or, at least, make him not want to shoo me away like a fly each time I graced him with my presence.
“Much appreciated.” Maddox nodded to Roth. “Will you escort Captain Braun to the mess hall?”
“Yes, sir,” Roth responded.
“Who’s Captain Braun?” I asked.
Just as the question left my mouth, I saw a man standing beside the nearest tree, one arm behind his back and the other dangling at his side. He had short blond hair and facial hair reminiscent of a goatee and appeared to be in his early to mid-thirties. His uniform clearly marked him as an officer, nicer than those of the knights who’d come to Briar’s clinic earlier but still showing signs of wear.
This Braun guy had that look about him. The look of a man who was no stranger to battle. Or pain. Like my own captain, the evidence lay in the hardness around his eyes and the deep wrinkle in his brow.
“You must be Evan,” Captain Braun said, his expression unchanging. “I’ve heard much about you and your café.”
“Yep, that’s me. You should visit soon. Let me know your favorite flavors, and I’ll be sure to have something prepared.”
Maddox glowered at me.
“You’ll still get first dibs on the muffins,” I said in a not-so-quiet whisper. “Stop snarling.”
Captain Braun pressed his lips together as Roth joined him by the tree. The two then left the area.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting your work.” I wrapped my arms around Maddox’s thick waist. “I just wanted to tell you and Briar about my meeting with the lord mayor. Which went awesome. I think.”
“You think?”
“Well, I have to leave in about two weeks. It’s kinda soon. A lot needs to be done before then. I need new clothes. My wardrobe isn’t exactly winter ready. I’ll need to make sure the cottage is stocked, check our inventory of coffee beans and baking supplies, give Miles instructions on—”
Maddox silenced my rambling with a soft kiss.
A sigh escaped my lips. I’d kissed him so many times, but he still made me melt.
“I’ll never tire of that rambling mouth.” He caressed the line of my jaw with his knuckles. “Or how you can’t walk across flat ground without tripping. You and your short legs.”
“Jerk.”
Maddox brought me closer and cradled the back of my head. “Are you hurt at all?”
“No. But the same can’t be said for your muffins. They fell in battle.”
He drew back with an arched brow before spotting the two fallen banana-nut soldiers in the dirt. “I’ll still eat them.”
“Don’t you dare.” I poked his chest. “They’re covered in dirt and grass and god knows what else. Horse shit, probably. I won’t let you take a single bite of—”
Maddox grabbed my chin and kissed me again, firmer now than before. My lips yielded to his on impulse. Just like with Briar and Lake, a sense of peace washed over me with his proximity. With his scent.
“I’m glad you came to see me,” he whispered, threading his fingers into the back of my hair. His hand was so big it could hold the entire back of my head. The slight shake in his voice worried me. Even more so when I felt that shake in his hand too.
“Did something happen?”
He held me closer, not responding.
“Maddox?” I asked gently. “Talk to me, big guy.”
“All is well.”
“Liar.” Irritation prickled inside me. “Whatever happened, I can handle it.”
“I know you can handle it.” His hand trailed down my neck, and he adjusted my cloak. “But I know how your mind works, sweetheart, and I’d rather not needlessly worry you.”
“Keeping things from me only makes me worry more.”
His sigh came like an audible surrender. “Last night, scouts reported a demon horde heading for Bremloc, and a unit from the Third Order was dispatched. Several knights didn’t make it home.”
“So, Captain Braun…”
“Is grieving the loss of his men,” Maddox said. “Even if he doesn’t outwardly show it. I reached out as soon as I heard the news and invited him here to help in any way I can. We were just stopping for lunch.”
“Are you okay?” I asked. “If you need to talk about it, I’m here. Always.”
“I thank you for that.” Maddox kissed the side of my head. “I’m okay though. Even more so now.”
I thought of all the protection stones Thane had crafted, on top of the dozens of others already finished and waiting to be distributed to the orders of knights. Someday, our captain and group of goofy, lovable knights would be called to fight. They risked their lives every single day.
“Captain?” Quincy said from a few feet away. Callum was with him.
“Yes?” Maddox responded without taking his eyes off me. “What is it?”
“Uh…” Quincy’s gaze moved to me before shifting back to him. “The, um… individual who has the…” Another glance at me. “… intel we requested has returned.”
“Understood.” Maddox turned to him. “Will you escort Evan back home?”
“I can do it, sir,” Callum said. “I was on my way to the Guild anyway.”
The Adventurers’ Guild reminded me of the ones from fantasy anime and video games. The adventurers were separated by rank, and they could move up in rank by completing posted quests and other jobs. Quests of higher difficulty gained more experience points and loot. There were also smaller tasks, such as gathering herbs, delivering goods to and from businesses, and even a request to muck out horse stables.
“Very well,” Maddox told Callum before tipping my chin up. “Go directly to the cottage and behave until I return home.”
I scoffed. “We’ve been over this a million times, Captain Ice. I always behave.”
“Oh, I’m Captain Ice again, am I?” he asked with an amused twitching of his lips. “What happened to Captain Smolder?”
“Probably in bed where I left him last night.”
Callum choked.
“I’ll reiterate…” Maddox brought my hand to his mouth, placing a kiss to my knuckles. “Behave.”
“I’ll try,” I said, trying not to smile and failing. “And I’ll tell you like I told Briar. Make sure you take care of yourself. Eat lunch soon.”
“I’ll try ,” he mocked me and released my hand.
Which made it easier to lightly smack his arm. “I’m serious.”
He tossed me a smirk before joining Quincy. The two then walked in the opposite direction, away from the barracks and toward the officer’s quarters. Since moving in with me, Maddox used the room as an office now. Filling out paperwork. Receiving summons or requests for aid. Meeting with people, such as other officers and court officials.
And meeting with individuals of unknown origin who I was very interested in knowing more about.
I turned to Callum. “Who are they meeting with? What intel?”
Callum’s lips pressed together.
“Cal…”
“I’m not at liberty to say.” He touched the small of my back in an unspoken request for me to walk with him. I did. “You’re going to press the matter, aren’t you?”
“It’s like you know me or something.”
He cracked a smile. “As the captain likes to say when you ask too many questions, this is knightly business. And muffins aren’t knights.”
I bumped his arm. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll let it slide for now.”
“For now, he says.” Callum peered over at me with a playful scowl. “You won’t get me to break my silence, no matter how hard you try.”
“You really wanna tell me, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
I laughed. The lack of worry in his eyes reassured me. If the meeting with the unknown person involved something super serious or dangerous, he’d be more on edge.
Right?
We walked along the path at a casual pace. Many of the trees had started losing their leaves, flowers had wilted, and areas of the once vibrant green grass had lost some of that vibrancy. All signs of winter’s approach. Though faint, I still detected traces of black cardamon.
Probably just remnants from my cloak.
“Maddox told me about the knights from the Third Order who were killed last night.” Heaviness pressed down on my chest. “That’s horrible.”
“It is.” His expression turned grave. “Every knight knows death is a possibility every time we set out on a patrol or mission. Yet, knowing that truth doesn’t make it easier. The knights might’ve been from the Third Order, but they were still our brothers in arms.”
I moved closer to Callum’s side. “Are you okay?”
“I am.” His hand brushed mine before he pulled it back. “It only makes me think about Gerard.” His younger brother, who was currently training to become a knight. “Perhaps it’s awful of me, but I keep praying he’ll change his mind. It’s an honor to serve my king and country, but I wish more for him. Especially in these uncertain times.”
“You’re not awful for thinking that. You just want him to be safe.”
“And all he wants is to follow in my footsteps.” He gave me a half-hearted smile. “I hope to introduce you to him someday.”
“I’d like that. I wanna thank him for all the clothes.” A majority of my wardrobe had come from Gerald’s hand-me-downs.
Callum smiled, and the cloud over him retreated. The sun had returned again.
“Maybe I can learn some combat moves,” I said as he led me toward the stables. “We’re in conflict with Lord Onyx and his demons, as well as the kingdom of Haran. An enemy on two fronts.”
“We?” Callum’s left brow lifted.
“Yes. We .” I bumped him again. “I may not be good with a sword, but I could, like, bake muffins to incapacitate our foes.”
“How will muffins help?”
“They can be special muffins filled with some kind of drug or something that will make people fall asleep. Or shit their pants.”
Callum’s laugh echoed around the courtyard. The sound suited his cinnamon roll persona. It reached his eyes too, making them crinkle at the edges.
Wendel, a sixteen-year-old squire, saddled Callum’s horse and handed over the reins. “’Ere ya go, sir.”
Callum thanked him and helped me into the saddle before swinging up behind me. Once upon a time, I would’ve been nervous in that situation. Afraid of falling off the horse, for one, but also being that close to him—or any other knight. But he was my family.
They all were.
The guards at the castle gate nodded to us as we passed through, and I smiled as I remembered a time when they’d considered me a threat. Definitely not the case anymore. Ever since opening my café and earning a reputation from it, they knew me better now.
Bribing them with cookies seemed to help too.
The horse trotted down the path, the hooves clacking against the cobblestone road. Callum rested his cheek against the side of my head and guided us farther along. Homes appeared along the hillside and throughout the surrounding land, mostly farmers with livestock and fields of crops. Cows grazed on the other side of the wooden fence. One mooed. I mooed back.
Callum laughed.
As we crested a hill and started down the other side, heading toward the main shopping district of the capital, buildings came into view. The market was massive, filled with shops that sold basically anything you could think of. There was an apothecary, bookstore, a blacksmith’s forge and the connecting shop where he sold his wares, a jeweler, and places to eat. Several of the shops sold shoes and clothes too, as well as material for people to make their own.
To the left of the bustling market, the sea sparkled under the sun’s rays. Ships pulled into the harbor, and men unloaded crates of goods.
“It really is beautiful here,” I said as that beauty settled over my chest. “I don’t care if it’s demons, Haran, or some other asshat, if they think they can come in and hurt the people I love, they better think again.”
Callum steered the horse toward the path leading to the cottage. “You really are small but brave. Lord Onyx himself should tremble at the thought of facing you in a fight.”
I laughed. It sounded off to my ears. Shaky. I wasn’t a good fighter. Hell, I wasn’t even decent. If I tried to punch someone, I’d probably trip over nothing and accidentally punch myself instead. But this was my home. I wanted to help protect it in whatever way I could.
The path transitioned from cobblestone to dirt, and as the ground became more uneven, I leaned more into Callum. For stability. For comfort. Like the morning after he’d stayed the night at the cottage, I caught a sweet scent coming off him.
The tree-lined trail opened to a clearing. Nestled in the forest lay a charming stone cottage with smoke billowing from the chimney and the scent of baked goods wafting in the air. People went in and out.
It was a place to come in and relax after a hard day. Somewhere to settle into a cozy little nook with a hot drink, pastry, and a book. It was my favorite place in the whole world. The home I shared with my men and the café I’d dreamed of having ever since I could remember.
What if Bremloc did go to war with Haran? What if more demons attacked, using the distraction with Haran in their favor? We were facing threats from two different armies. War seemed so… inevitable.
Maddox would then march off to battle. Callum and the other knights I loved would march with him. And this cozy little cottage would grow colder.
Callum led the horse to the fenced area that he, Baden, and the others had constructed for guests who came on horseback and slid from the saddle before helping me down.
“Do you wanna stay for a while?” Once on the ground, I wobbled only once before gaining my footing. I was getting better at the whole ‘riding a horse’ thing.
“As tempting as that is, I should head to the Guild,” Callum said, casting a longing gaze at the cottage.
“Oh yeah. I forgot you said you had to go there. Can you tell me why, or is it considered knightly business too?”
His brown eyes lowered to me, and that warm twinkle returned to them. “I suppose I can tell you.”
“How kind of you.” I poked his chest. “Now, spill it.”
He glanced down at my finger, and his smile skewed. “I understand it now.”
“Understand what?”
“Why the captain likes teasing you.” Callum lifted his hand to the curve of my jaw. “This feisty side is awfully adorable.”
Adorable? That took me by surprise.
Callum’s eyes widened a fraction, and he cleared his throat before dropping his hand from my face. He then took a small step away from me. “I’m meeting with recruits of sorts at the Guild. Sometimes, the knighthood requests aid from the higher ranked adventurers, such as ones with fighting experience or those with other skills suited for specific tasks. They assist with escorting caravans of merchants or other smaller duties that aren’t combat focused but where the risk for it is still present.”
“Being an adventurer sounds fun.” Fantasy novels, anime, and video games had been my crack in my old world.
“Perhaps you should submit an application then,” he said, and I was happy to see the humor back in his expression. Even if it was at my expense. He then looked toward the trees. “Your wolf waits for you. I saw him following us on our way back from the castle.”
I had seen him too. A familiar flash of his silver hair through the tree trunks. The faint glow of his purple eyes. But more so, I felt Lake. I’d know he was with me even if I closed my eyes.
Callum ruffled the top of my hair before swinging back up into the saddle and heading toward the market. He glanced back once and smiled, then continued on.
Lake wouldn’t show himself with so many people nearby, so I made my way over to the cluster of trees and shrubs. Once I was within the cover of the forest, he appeared in front of me.
“What did I say about following me to the castle?” I stepped into his embrace. Peaches and spring water tickled my nose, as did his unique musk.
“That it’s dangerous,” he responded.
“Mhm. Very dangerous.” My tone was calm, but the thrashing in my heart was anything but. As a demi-wolf—the one type of demi-human still seen as an enemy of the kingdom—Lake could be imprisoned and even killed just for being seen by the wrong person.
“Nothing is too dangerous when it comes to you.” His tail wagged as he nuzzled my neck. “I’ll always be there to protect you.”
Fear bristled at my sternum. The thought of Lake being discovered scared the hell out of me. I couldn’t think of anything worse than losing any of my men.
“Protect my sanity instead, okay? You have to be more careful, Lake.”
“The one time I let you out of sight, you were captured, remember?” A low whine sounded in his throat, and he brought me closer. “Never again.”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“Yet, I blame myself for it anyway.” He placed his palm over my heart, then smoothed it over to my necklace. “If discovery is what I face in order to keep you safe, I take that risk without hesitation.”
“But I want to keep you safe too.”
The slight curve of his lips showed a peek of his white canines. “You’ve done far more than keep me safe. You’ve given me a home.” Lake dropped his face to my neck and skimmed his teeth along my jugular. “No one can take me from you now.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” I turned my face into his silver hair. “My wolf.”
“My mate.”
A cold wind swept through the trees, causing the branches to creak and groan. Many of the leaves had fallen, and more joined their fallen brethren, detaching and drifting to the ground. The evergreens around us kept theirs though, providing coverage from outside eyes.
“Do you hear it, Evan?” Lake stared up at the trees as another breeze sang through them. “Autumn’s final exhale.”
An end of a season.
“Endings are sad,” I said. “Like reading the last line of a great story and closing the book. Why can’t the story go on forever?”
“I used to believe my story would end with me alone,” he responded. “Then you came along, and I found myself in a new story. A happier one. So not all endings are bad. Sometimes, they’re the beginning of something greater.”
We held each other in between the two seasons, autumn’s end and winter’s first breath. And as his lips brushed my cheek, I turned my face to capture them in a gentle kiss, knowing I could handle anything in this life as long as he, Maddox, and Briar stayed by my side.