Chapter Seven
A Deal is Struck
Silence filled the parlor.
Dawn broke, and sunlight hit the tops of the trees outside the window and flooded areas of the grass in a soft, golden light. The temperature inside the cottage, however, remained arctic as Maddox and Rowan stared each other down.
“Who’s hungry?” I clapped my hands together once. “I’m thinking porridge for breakfast, with some honey and sliced fruit. Buttermilk biscuits, too, slathered in raspberry jam. And coffee, of course—”
“Good idea,” Maddox said, not breaking eye contact with Rowan. “Run along to the kitchen and cook to your adorable heart’s content while he and I have a chat.”
“A chat.” I huffed. “Why do I get the feeling that will involve you both throwing punches? You know what? Forget it. I’m staying right here.”
“Biscuits?” Lake’s tail wagged.
“Raspberry jam?” Briar added in a way that told me if he’d had a tail, it’d be wagging too.
Their eager expressions threatened to break my resolve. How could I say no to those faces? Deny them the things that made their eyes sparkle like that? Only a monster would shatter those hopes and dreams.
“Fine.” I sighed and moved a finger between Maddox and Rowan. “But you two are coming with me. You can talk over coffee while I make breakfast.” An idea then struck, and I nodded. “Ah, yes. That’s what we need. Amenity muffins.”
Lake snorted. “I remember those.”
“We need peace tea to go along with them,” Briar said.
That had been the first meal Maddox, Lake, Briar, and I’d shared. The first time we’d sat around the table together. Maddox and Lake had been at each other’s throats, and I’d ushered all of us into the kitchen, insisting we sit and talk it out. Tension had still been elevated, but sharing a platter of muffins and cookies and sipping something yummy had helped ease some of it.
Food brought people together.
Maddox’s brow furrowed. “The thief and I will talk here. The three of you can leave.”
“Excuse me, Captain Ice, but I wasn’t asking. We’re all going together. That’s nonnegotiable.”
“Did you see how he stomped his foot?” Rowan asked. “He did the same thing last I saw him. Feisty little thing.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Keep fighting me on this, and I’ll really show you feisty. Now, follow me.”
When I left the reading parlor and no one followed, my sass meter started to rise. There were very few things I put my foot down about, but this was one of them. No more keeping me out of the loop when important conversations happened. Just as I was about to turn around and give all of them a piece of my mind, Lake appeared beside me with a soft smile on his lips. Briar touched the small of my back as he followed.
“Why are we stopping?” Maddox grumbled from a few steps behind us. “The peace muffins won’t bake themselves.”
“He said they were amenity muffins, you big brute.” Rowan stood beside him. Well, it was more like Maddox had hold of Rowan’s arm and dragged him along. “I know chivalry is part of your insufferable knight’s code, but I can walk just fine on my own.”
“You should be grateful I’m allowing you to walk at all instead of breaking your legs.”
“Now, boys. Stop bickering.” I pointed at Maddox. “And you be nice, otherwise you won’t get your morning fix of muffins.”
He sneered. “You would deny me?”
“Do you want to test me and find out?” I put my hands on my hips.
Humor softened his hard features. My grump of a captain liked when I gave him attitude.
Reaching the kitchen, I veered toward the burr mills to grind coffee beans. Nothing beat the taste of freshly ground coffee.
“Allow me to do this, love,” Briar said before kissing his favorite spot on my head.
“Thanks.” He made my stomach flutter like crazy. It mingled with the nerves also fluttering there.
Lake helped me gather ingredients from the pantry. Along with the porridge, we’d have biscuits and cinnamon and raisin muffins. As I mixed batter for the biscuits, I shot glances at Maddox and Rowan. They stood several feet apart, looking in opposite directions. Like children who’d gotten in trouble and were now forced to make amends.
Rowan had kidnapped me. That was something none of my men could forgive so easily. It wasn’t fair for me to ask them to. Being civil, however, wasn’t too much to ask for.
I hoped.
Once the biscuits and muffins were in the oven, I made three mugs of coffee and two cups of tea—Briar and Lake’s preference—and passed them out. The tension in the room was so thick not even the dagger strapped to Rowan’s thigh could slice through it.
I handed Maddox a mug, and he caught me around the waist, dropping a kiss to my head. God, he was so tall. “Don’t think you’re out of trouble yet, muffin. You could’ve been hurt.”
Rowan rolled his eyes before taking a drink of his coffee. He then studied the contents of the mug. “This is actually good.”
“Actually?” I huffed. “Glad to exceed your high expectations.”
“Expectations lead to disappointment. It’s best to toss them aside.” Rowan went in for another drink. “This would taste better with rum.”
“That would ruin it.”
“More for me, then.” Rowan pulled a flask from his pocket and added a generous amount to his coffee. He took a drink and nodded. “Better.”
“Rude,” I muttered. First, he’d refused to take even a nibble of the gingerbread cookie, and now he was using rum to mask the taste of the—better than “good”—coffee I’d so kindly made for him.
If Rowan was one of the men destined for me, I had no clue what he saw in me.
The infuriatingly hot jerk then looked at my captain. “Should we get on with this?”
Maddox pressed another kiss into my hair before allowing me to pull away and return to my place at the stove. His eagerness for muffins probably aided in that decision. “You claim the enemy is already among us. How so? Where are they hiding?”
Drink in hand, Rowan slid onto a barstool at the kitchen island and brought one leg up, resting an arm on his knee. The golden cuff that held his long hair in place jangled. “You won’t like my answer.”
“Tell me anyway,” Maddox said. “Are they hiding out in the lower district?”
“No. You won’t find them in run-down houses or holed up somewhere on the outskirts of town. They’re in plain sight. Right under your nose, in fact.” Rowan’s gaze found mine. “You asked why I don’t trust anyone to protect you on your journey. It’s because there’s been an infiltration of the knights.”
“You lie,” Maddox growled, closing in on him. “The knights are a brotherhood. We fight and bleed together. Many have given their very lives for the cause. How dare you suggest that any of my men—”
“I’m not suggesting anything.” Rowan wasn’t fazed by his anger. “Simply stating a fact.”
“What do you mean by infiltration?” I asked. “Soldiers from Haran are disguised as knights? How did they get into the kingdom?”
“By my understanding, the plan has been in the works for quite some time.” Rowan drained more from his mug, then wiped at his mouth. “Some are recent recruits who are spread throughout the second and third orders. Others are established knights who switched allegiances. Traitors.”
“I should cut out your tongue for speaking such lies,” Maddox snapped.
“I speak the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not.”
Faces came to my mind. Callum, Duke, Baden, and Quincy. If traitors were among the ranks, my band of goofy and loveable knights were at risk. They expected the man fighting by their side to have their back. Not shove a knife into it.
“Believe you?” Maddox gritted his teeth. “Why should I? You come here unannounced and make accusations about my knights with no evidence to back up these claims.”
“Ah, but the evidence is already there. You just fail to see it.” Rowan placed his mug on the counter and rested his palm over the top. Almost like an impulsive action that came from his mistrust of those around him, covering his drink so no one could slip anything into it.
“Evidence, such as what?”
“That information will come at a price, Captain,” Rowan said with a tsk . “I’ve shared all I’m willing to.”
“Which has been very little to convince me of your honesty.” Maddox squeezed his hand into a fist. “I should kill you where you sit and be done with it.”
“That’s not very chivalrous of you.”
“A quick death is more than you deserve,” he countered. “You stole the most precious thing in my life and nearly got him killed.”
I had just bent to check the biscuits and froze.
“Note the word nearly in your statement. I returned his protection stone, did I not?” Rowan flicked his wrist at me. “All ended well. Look at him. He’s fine.”
“All ended well?” Briar spun around from the stove, where he’d been stirring the pot of porridge, projecting more anger than I’d ever seen from him. “Evan is not fine! He hasn’t been the same since you barged into his life. He rarely eats. He tosses and turns all night. When he does sleep, he often wakes in a cold sweat from nightmares about being in the dark wood. A place he would never have gone if not for you. I see the turmoil in his eyes when he thinks no one is looking. If you think we’ll forgive you for your actions and pretend all is well , then you’re in for a rude awakening.”
My eyes stung.
“I don’t seek your forgiveness.” Rowan grabbed his mug and nonchalantly took a drink. “Hate me or don’t. I couldn’t care less. I’m here for Evan, not for any of you.”
“You aren’t taking him from us again,” Lake snapped, his wolf ears shooting straight back. Kind of impressive how he looked so intimidating even while covered in flour from the biscuit dough. “I’ll tear you apart if you even try.”
“Oh, calm your fur, wolf. Stealing him away is an awfully tempting thought, but it’s not why I’m here.” Rowan shifted on the stool, dropping the leg he’d had propped up on the seat. He focused on Maddox. “You said Evan is the most precious thing to you? Which means you’d do anything to ensure his safety, yes?”
Maddox scowled. “That goes without saying.”
“Even making a deal with someone like me?” Rowan smirked, and I caught a peek of the tooth on the left side of his mouth that pointed more and hung a bit lower than the others. It was… well, really cute, honestly. Like a little vampire fang.
“What type of deal?” Maddox asked.
“I think I’ve made a show of good faith by revealing some of my information, all at no cost to you.” Rowan circled the rim of the coffee mug with his fingertip. “Yet, if you want more, you must agree to my terms.”
“Which would be?”
As that tooth flashed again, I knew trouble was about to follow. “Eh, it’s simple, really. I tell you everything I know about the infiltration of knights, as well as swear to tell you of anything new I may learn. And you give me Evan.”
“Absolutely not,” Maddox and Briar said at the same time, while Lake snarled.
“Oh, fine.” Rowan looked at me. “See? Expectations are total shit. Hope creeps in only to be shattered by reality.” He seemed to be joking, but it was hard to tell with him. “I’ll settle for you sharing him.”
“Sharing?” Briar asked.
“The three of you share him already,” Rowan pointed out. “What’s one more? To sweeten the pot, I’ll even travel with him to Exalos as an extra layer of protection.”
“Um,” I said, mind reeling. “I’m flattered, I guess, but why do you want me?”
“Take a wild guess,” Rowan said.
“Well.” I cleared my throat. “I’m cute but not that cute. Definitely not cute enough to fight over or whatever. My desserts don’t earn me points in your favor either, since you don’t even like sweets. So my skill in the kitchen isn’t the reason. And as you witnessed when I tried to fight demons with a stick, I’m not exactly sought after for my fighting abilities.”
Maddox made a rough sound, and I shot him a look.
“The reasoning doesn’t matter.” Briar placed his hand on my hip. His hazel eyes radiated that same anger from earlier as he glared at Rowan. “You’re despicable for even suggesting this. Evan isn’t an object that can be bargained with or sold.”
“The three of you act like he is.” Rowan eyed Maddox’s clenched fist and took another drink. Casual and relaxed. I suspected it was for show. He was acutely aware of his surroundings. “Telling him what he can and can’t do, such as going downstairs in his own home without you, for example.”
Maddox’s nostrils flared. “Because he’s too trusting. Allowing you back into his life is proof of that.”
“He’s not too trusting,” Rowan said. “You’re just too possessive. Your need to control him blinds you, Captain.”
“Evan is free to make his own decisions.”
“And if he decides he wants me to be part of his harem?”
I cringed at the h word. Freaking Lupin had said the same thing when I’d woken up in Bremloc and found myself surrounded by hot men. “You can have your own harem.” Hard to believe that in my old world, I hadn’t even been able to get a date, and there I was now with three men and an interested fourth.
The porridge started to boil over, and I rushed to remove it from the heat. A small blessing since it allowed me a moment to myself. To breathe. To think. To let my chin do that wobble thing that always made it hard to hide when I was upset.
But why was I upset?
Was it because maybe I did want to get to know Rowan better and knew by their reaction it would never be something they were okay with?
“I’ll take your silence as a refusal to my offer.” Rowan hopped off the barstool. “How unfortunate. I thought knights would sacrifice anything for their kingdom, yet you chose Evan over the people you’ve sworn to protect. And for what? Because you can’t bear the thought of another man touching your… what do you call him, your muffin?”
I froze.
Would Rowan really withhold information from us if they didn’t agree to share me with him? I stirred the small pot of raspberry jam. It was basically ready, but I appreciated having something to keep my hands busy. It prevented me from fidgeting.
“You misinterpret my silence, thief,” Maddox finally said. “I’ve accepted that the amount of love Evan has to give cannot be limited to one person. This acceptance has blessed me in unexpected ways, for I, too, have learned my heart can hold more love than I believed possible. I’m happier than I have any right to be and wouldn’t trade my life here, with these men, for anything. Not for all the riches in this world.”
I looked back at him, finding his gaze on me too. The love he’d spoken of reflected in the blue pools of his eyes.
Eyes that hardened as they returned to Rowan. “So, my reservations have nothing to do with him loving another man. He’s free to love who he chooses to. I know without a doubt in my mind that a piece of his heart belongs only to me and always will.”
“How touching.” Rowan placed a hand to his chest. “You made my cold black heart skip a beat, Captain. Based on your words, you should have no complaints, then, about me—”
“I wasn’t finished,” Maddox firmly interjected. “Briar, Lake, and I would lay down our lives for Evan. But you? Your only loyalty is to yourself. You’ve already shown the extent you’ll go to in order to obtain something you want. You kidnapped him with the intent of handing him over to our enemy, knowing full well the torment he’d suffer at the hands of the demon lord.”
“Because I thought he was a prince,” Rowan said. “Once made aware of this error, I tried to get him out of that forest.”
“That’s supposed to mean anything?” Maddox stepped toward him, his gait slow and gaze lethal. “All it tells me is that if an opportunity presented itself for you to gain something by betraying Evan, you’d do so without a second thought. And that is why I’d rather remove your head right now than ever let you near his heart.”
“Who said anything about his heart? Other parts of his body, however…” Rowan flashed a smirk I knew the three of them wanted to smack off his face.
Or tear off in Lake’s case. His fingernails had sharpened into short claws, and his eyes flared a more vibrant purple. When he bared his teeth in a low growl, his teeth were bigger. Sharper too.
The timer on the oven went off. Thank god.
Saved by the beep.
“Biscuits are done.” I rushed over to pull out the tray of golden, fluffy goodness. The muffins were good to go too. “Everyone grab a plate and sit down for breakfast.”
***
No amount of amenity muffins could help.
Maddox ate three and still had a murderous gleam in his eyes. As for peace tea? Lake was on his second cup, but there was no peace to be had either.
Was this how Helen of Troy had felt? Armies fought over her, the men taken by her beauty. Being cute was looking to be more of a curse than a blessing.
Clouds had rolled in throughout the morning, casting the day in a pale hue that made me think snow was in the forecast. The gusts of wind and drop in temperature drove that thought home even more. Not that being inside was any warmer, considering the icy glares around the kitchen.
“Time is withering away,” Rowan said from his perch at the window. “My offer won’t last forever. If you want more intel, then agree to my terms.”
He’d refused to sit with us at the table. I took it as a small victory, though, when he’d agreed to eat a bowl of porridge. He didn’t say if he liked it or not, but the spoon scraping the bottom was a good indication of his enjoyment.
“It’s not my place to agree to those terms,” Maddox responded. “As Briar said, Evan isn’t some shiny good in the marketplace that can be bargained with or sold.”
“I see your point.” Rowan thought on his response. “Allow me to reword my offer, then. I’ll tell you all I know, and you agree not to interfere in my pursuit of Evan.”
“Your pursuit of him?” Briar asked.
Rowan smirked. “A seduction, if you will.”
Lake snarled.
“Um.” I shifted in my chair. “Shouldn’t I get a say in this?”
“Oh, you will. Accepting my advances is your choice,” Rowan told me. “I won’t force myself on you. My offer’s only for your men to stay out of it. Meaning they’ll grant me the freedom to…” Another little curve at the edge of his lips. “… woo you.”
I nearly choked on my coffee. Woo me? Forget Helen of Troy. I now felt like Princess Muffin from the magical kingdom of Coffee Beans. And all the men wanted a taste of my goodies.
Maddox’s jaw tightened, and I feared for his poor teeth again. They’d be nothing but dust by the end of the day. He looked at Lake, then at Briar. The three of them were quiet, but I felt like they’d reached a sort of understanding.
“Very well,” Briar responded, looking from our captain to Rowan. “We accept your terms. You may accompany Evan on his journey to Exalos and pursue him along the way, within reason, and none of us will interfere.”
“Good,” Rowan said. “I—”
“But we have conditions of our own that are nonnegotiable,” Briar added. “If at any time we believe you pose a threat to Evan, the deal is null and void. His safety and happiness comes above anything else.”
“Fair enough. Anything else, Specs?”
Briar adjusted his glasses. “Lastly, if Evan decides he has no interest in you or your advances, you’ll respect his wishes and step aside. Continuing your pursuit beyond that will be in violation of our agreement. You’re already walking a very thin line with the three of us, and it’ll take very little to cross that line. If that happens, no secrets you possess will be enough to sway our decision.”
“In other words,” Maddox said. “Watch yourself, thief. One wrong move, and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
“Threats have no effect on me.” Rowan flashed him a honeyed smile. “But it’s entertaining for me as you make them.”
“We’ve accepted your offer,” Maddox said, not playing into his taunt. “When do you fulfill your end of the bargain and share what else you know?”
“Soon.” Rowan left his perch at the window and approached the back door. “I’ll return at first light to speak with you.”
“Why not now?”
Rowan clicked his tongue. “Patience, oh great and mighty captain. You’ll get your answers come morning. If I showed all my cards right now, you could easily go back on your word and have a force of armed knights waiting for me at dawn when I come to join your darling little muffin on his journey south.”
“I’m a man of my word,” Maddox said in irritation, clearly taking offense at anyone hinting otherwise. He might’ve kept things from me sometimes—so I wouldn’t worry—but he didn’t lie. He valued honesty. Loyalty.
“Your word means nothing to me. Only your actions do. And you’ve done nothing thus far to earn my trust.” Rowan stepped closer to the door, walking backward. He tossed me a wink. “Don’t miss me too much.”
He then opened the door and left. Hard stares followed his departure from the room.
“Tell me how you really feel about this,” I said. My coffee had gone cold already and I hadn’t eaten much, but I had no appetite. My belly was full enough of nerves and guilt. “Rowan can flirt with me all he wants, but I won’t do anything with him unless it’s really okay with the three of you.”
“It is.” Briar placed his hand over mine. “I’ve suspected for a while that Rowan is… well, someone you can’t forget. I see the way your eyes shine around him. It’s the same as when you first met Lake. I knew back then what Lake would come to mean to you, and I was right. The heart is mysterious and has a will of its own. And yours, it appears, has room for another man to love.”
“Love?” I snorted. “I doubt that. You heard Rowan. He doesn’t want that from me. I think he just enjoys the thrill and likes making people uncomfortable. This is probably a game to him.”
Even as the words left my mouth, I remembered the way Rowan had pressed against me and trembled when he came to the cottage that night weeks ago to see me. I recalled the rasp in his voice as he called me his little treasure and said he couldn’t get me out of his head.
“I don’t trust him.” Maddox pushed back from the table and strode over to the window, crossing his arms. His broad shoulders and biceps tested the strength of his tunic’s material. “However, I detected a note of sincerity when he spoke of protecting you during your travels.”
“As did I,” Briar said. “Rowan’s aura is shadowed. Dark and ominous. Yet, for whatever reason, at least in regard to your safety, there was a glimmer of something brighter. When all else remained obscure, that was the one bit of clarity.”
With my throat too tight to speak, I gathered our dishes from breakfast and carried them to the sink. Maybe I’d bake something else, like a pecan pie or a Yule log. Both sounded good, in both taste and preparation. Anything to keep my hands busy. Being in the kitchen helped me process my emotions and sort through them. So, I’d wash the dishes, wipe off the counters, and then start baking.
My men had other ideas.
As I scrubbed a bowl, arms came around me from behind, bringing a scent of warm spice and leather. My chin did that wobbling thing as Maddox dropped the softest of kisses to my shoulder.
“This is the last day we’ll have together for quite a while,” he whispered. “Let’s not waste it worrying over things outside this cottage. The four of us are all that exist here, in this moment.”
He read me so well.
I dropped the plate back into the soapy water and faced him. “What if going to Exalos is a mistake? With everything happening here in Bremloc, I—”
“It’s even better for you to leave,” he interjected softly. “If the thief is right and there truly has been an infiltration of our ranks, I’d rather you be far from this place until the ones responsible are apprehended.”
“I’m a fierce muffin lord who can take care of myself.” The shake in my voice contradicted that proclaimed fierceness. “You and Briar are the ones I’m worried about, along with Callum, Baden, and the others. All of my boys.”
Lake was going with me, and Prince Sawyer and Kuya were well protected in the castle. Sir Noah wouldn’t let anything bad happen to either of them. But the rest? My heart wobbled just like my chin.
“No reason to worry about Callum,” Maddox said. “He’s the best swordsmen in all three orders of knights. Which is why I’m sending him with you.”
I blinked. “You are?”
“Did you believe I’d allow you to leave the capital without men I trust by your side?” Maddox caressed my jaw. “It pains me that I can’t go with you. Callum and Duke will go in my place to give me peace of mind.”
“Duke is coming with me too?” I smiled. “I bet they’re annoyed they have to babysit me, huh?”
“Annoyed? Not at all.” Maddox lowered his face into my hair. “Both of them adore you and are excited to leave the kingdom, as it’s been a while since a mission has taken us elsewhere. Duke also said it’d be nice to get away from Baden and his ugly mug, though he questioned whether a month would be long enough.”
I laughed.
Lake’s wolf ears perked up as he stared out the window. Not from him being on alert. He seemed curious. And then, he took off outside.
“Damn wolf,” Maddox mumbled. “What has him so excited?”
Briar peered out the window. “He’s standing in the yard, staring up at the sky.”
After Maddox grabbed his cloak and fastened it over my shoulders, the three of us joined Lake outside.
“Hey, mister wolf,” I said, thankful for Maddox’s overprotectiveness as I burrowed into the cloak because, shit, it was cold. “Is everything okay?”
Lake turned to us with a bashful smile. “It’s snowing.”
A snowflake touched Briar’s cheek, and another landed on the front of my cloak. More followed, falling in a slow descent from the wintery sky.
Maddox flicked at one that landed on his nose.
“Jack Frost has a crush on you,” I said with a smile. “He’s nipping at your nose.”
“Who’s Jack Frost?” Maddox glared up at the snow. “And where can I find him?”
How he could see something so beautiful and still find a way to snarl at it was so like him. But I wouldn’t want him any other way.
“He’s all around you,” I answered, amused by his impulsive urge to fight. He was such a grump. “But no need to puff up your chest, Captain Ice. He’s only a myth.”
“A myth?” Briar asked.
I nodded. “Some stories say he’s a god of winter. Others claim he’s a snow nymph charged with bringing winter to the land. He can be mischievous or sweet, depending on the story. You’ll find him in every snowflake and with every cold nip to your nose.”
Maddox drew me in closer and glided our noses together. “The only ones allowed to nip at your nose are me, Briar, and the wolf.”
“And Rowan,” Briar said. “If Evan wants him to, that is.”
Cue the dumb butterflies. Sigh.
Maddox grunted. “Perhaps we should sacrifice Rowan to this Jack Frost. Though, I’m sure the snow god would toss the thief right back to us and give us a damned blizzard as punishment for offering him something so unpleasant.”
“You’re so mean,” I said.
“Then why do you smile?” Maddox brushed his thumb over the corner of my mouth.
“Because I love you.”
His eyes softened before he lowered his mouth to my ear, whispering, “I love you too, sweetheart. More than life itself.”
Another warm body pressed against me, and the scent of magnolia blossoms mingled with the crispness of winter. “You are everything to us, Evan. Our hearts. Our bodies. All we have belongs to you. Whether you accept Rowan’s advances or not, that will never change.”
“The physician is right.” Maddox kissed my earlobe. “But if something… unfortunate… happens to the thief during your travels, I won’t lose any sleep over it.”
Lake made a rough sound that I’d come to associate with a laugh.
Snow continued to fall around us, lightly dusting the grass and accumulating in the trees. Lake tipped his face up and closed his eyes, a soft smile on his lips. Maddox petted my hair, and Briar feathered kisses along my temple and brow, their arms secured around me. I could’ve stayed out there forever. But when I sneezed, Briar insisted we go back inside. The worry bug.
Jack Frost’s wrath, as theorized by Maddox, would pale in comparison to Briar’s if we didn’t do as he said. So back into the cottage we went.
I made a pot of apple cider to warm us up, added a small stick of cinnamon to each mug, and then the four of us settled into the reading parlor, snuggling together on the couch with the lap blankets Lake had crocheted.
I sat between Briar and Maddox while Lake lounged on a floor cushion and rested his back against my legs. I sank my fingers into his silver hair like I frequently did when he was close.
“Tell us another story from your world,” Briar said as he tucked the blanket in around me.
“Hmm.” I took a sip and pondered. “Well, keeping to the season, there’s Santa Claus. He’s a jolly old fella who goes around every Christmas Eve giving gifts to children who’ve been good that year. He gives coal to the bad ones. Elves make the toys in their workshop in the North Pole. Oh, and there’s flying reindeer who carry Santa’s sleigh through the night sky as he goes ‘Ho, ho, ho, Merrrrrrry Christmas.’”
Maddox stared at me like I had three heads.
“You’d get coal from Santa,” I said. “Because you’re bad.”
His lips twitched.
“Christmas?” Lake asked. “What’s that?”
“Christmas is…” I moved my head from side to side as I debated on how to explain it. “A day where people come together, give gifts, eat lots of food, spend time with loved ones, and spread holiday cheer. Or they’re supposed to anyway. I’ve never really had anyone to share it with, so my favorite part is the food. Gingerbread men, frosted sugar cookies, chocolate Yule logs, and a ton of other desserts. Savory meals too, like turkey with stuffing, brown sugar glazed ham, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole.”
Lake tipped his head back against my knee. “When’s lunch?”
Briar breathed out a laugh. “Not for another few hours. Though, I’m sure our Evan will allow you to have a snack.”
Yeah, there was no way this Evan could say no. I hopped up and scurried to the kitchen to grab the leftover biscuits and jam from breakfast and returned to the parlor, where the three of them wasted no time before diving in.
“I think I remember Sir Noah mentioning Yule once,” I said as we ate. I had brought the last of the cinnamon and raisin muffins, too, and grinned like a goofball as Maddox devoured one. “Is that a holiday here?”
“Yes.” Briar dabbed at his mouth. “It’s celebrated on the winter solstice. Festivals are held in many cities with food, games, and dance. At home, making dishes using carrot, white radish, and ginkgo nuts is common. Plum for desserts. Soaking in a hot bath with yuzu is meant to protect against illness and ward off bad spirits for the coming year. People often soak in the hot spring too.”
“You and Maddox should celebrate together.” An achy pressure built in my chest. “Since I don’t think Lake and I will be back by then.”
Maddox enfolded me in his arms. “We’ll all celebrate once the two of you return home.”
Briar kissed my temple. “Don’t be sad, love. This is an exciting opportunity, and I want you to fully embrace it. Enjoy it to the fullest. Think of all the people you’ll be able to reach with your café. Bringing joy to their lives.”
“But you bring the most joy to mine,” Maddox said.
“Always a competition with you, captain,” Briar responded in their usual way.
The day passed too quickly, as days always did when you wanted more than anything for them to last forever. After dinner, we sipped wine by the fire and then went upstairs where we kissed, caressed, and reveled in the taste and feel of each other.
However, the night, too, passed too quickly. The hours felt like minutes, and the minutes zoomed by like seconds.
I lay awake long after the three of them fell asleep and listened to their soft exhales. Branches creaked outside the window with the force of the winter wind. The snow had stopped earlier, leaving only a dusting on the ground, but the cold remained.
“Evan,” Briar murmured sleepily before rolling over and pulling me closer.
He was dreaming about me.
In my life before Bremloc, I’d never cared enough about someone to miss them. But as I lay between Briar and Maddox, dreading the passing of time that brought morning closer, my heart weighed heavily.
Maddox often said that when he went on missions, he left his heart with me. And I knew when I left tomorrow, two pieces of mine would stay right there in that cottage with them.