Chapter Eight #2
As children, the two of them used to spend hours at the stream, cooling off after a long day’s work.
It was their sanctuary when avoiding going home.
They’d roll up their trousers and strip off their shirts to dunk their heads in the water before shaking off like dogs.
More often than not, one of them—both of them—ended up wrestled off their feet and floating down the stream screaming bloody murder.
Still stuck in his head, Kade hadn’t been expecting it when Killian tried to kick his feet from under him and send him spiraling face first into the water.
Unfortunately, Kade had caught himself. His whipped around to gape at Killian, eyes wide with betrayal before narrowing into playful slits.
It had devolved from there.
Kade came up sputtering and spitting, water spilling from his mouth since he was still shouting when he went under. His clothes were plastered to his body, the light fabric of his tunic going transparent as it clung to the planes of his chest and the long, lean lines of his stomach. “You ass.”
Killian whistled. “Wow. Look at you all grown—” Kade tackled him, cutting him off, and they both went under.
Opposite to Kade, Killian came up cackling. He slopped his hair out of his eyes, the dark strands sticking to his skin.
Kade wrung his hair out, his eyes trailing over Killian’s form. The light tunic he’d borrowed from Kade was surely as see through as the other elf’s. Who decidedly didn’t look impressed. His eyes were trained on the enil visible through the fabric.
“Sexy, no?” said Killian, puffing his chest and flexing. Unable to resist showing off a bit.
Kade scoffed.
“What?” Killian just shrugged, his lips quirking. He honestly didn’t think the enil looked bad. Loran certainly appreciated them. “They add character. Intrigue. Mystery.”
“You like them because you think they make you look…erotic?”
“Yes.”
“Are you stupid or what?”
“Hey!” Killian protested. “Do you not think they do?”
“That’s besides the point,” Kade said quickly.. “I know what they are and what they represent so how could I—”
“Yes, yes, yes. They’re horrible and no good and the king is evil. Blah blah blah.” Killian waded closer and leaned over Kade’s, bringing their faces just inches apart. He tilted his head and lowered his voice. “Just admit you think they’re cool. I won’t tell anyone. It’ll be our secret.”
Kade looked Killian straight in the eyes and said,“I. Would. Rather. Die.” Then, he smiled sweetly and pushed past Killian to head home.
While tucking the last of his things into the saddle bag, Killian’s ears pricked at the sound of a distant knock on the farmhouse door. He froze, listening.
The door opened and Killian heard Kade’s surprised yet disappointed voice. “Oh. Tanya. I wasn’t expecting it to be you.”
Killian didn’t recognize the name.
Making his way to the barn door, Killian kept in corners where the shadows pooled to stay out of sight. The farmhouse was fully visible from where he stood, the light from the windows lighting up the shape of their guest.
Tanya was a short elf, slender with long dark hair she wore down, flowing past her hips. She wore nice, new robes with glimmering beads of red and orange sown into the fabric.
She hadn’t been the first villager to stop by that week, though most tried to avoid speaking to either of them, opting to leave their mourning gifts on the porch and dash away before the big, bad criminal saw them.
“I’m sorry for dropping in like this, darling, I know it’s late. I just wanted to bring this over for you. Peach cobbler, your favorite. I baked it fresh this afternoon,” giggled Tanya. She had a high pitched, singing tune to her voice. It grated on Killian’s nerves.
“Thank you,” said Kade flatly.
There was a pause. Killian could see her straining, standing on the tips of her toes to try and peek around Kade’s taller form.
Apparently deeming the coast clear, she leaned in and whispered loudly, “Are you alright? We’ve all heard about what happened in the tavern with Roi.
He hasn’t done anything to you, has he?”
“No, Tanya. Killi would never hurt me.”
“I’m sure your poor father thought the same thing and, well, we all know how that turned out.”
Kade’s face turned stony. “Thank you for the cobbler. I’m sure it’s delicious as always.”
“Oh, how insensitive of me. I didn’t mean anything by it.
You must understand.” Tanya waved her hand dismissively and then laid it on Kade’s arm.
Killian bristled at the contact. “It’s just that he’s dangerous.
We all know it.” She lowered her voice. “I heard that even before the incident with your father that the boy was wild. Never really fit in. Never even tried to. If he tries anything with you—anything at all—you just come to us anytime. Sila will have someone off to the lord’s estate in a heartbeat. ”
Sila? So this Tanya was Sila’s wife?
Interesting.
Killian's lip curled in disgust. No wonder she couldn’t keep her nose out of what didn’t concern her. Slimy through and through, the pair of them.
Seeing as Kade hadn’t chased her off yet, Tanya’s confidence grew.
She bludgeoned on, “What I’m trying to say is that we’re here for you.
Whatever you need, our door is always open.
” She paused. Her next words had Killian’s stomach dropping out from under him.
“And I know things must be so hard for you right now, with your mother passing and that brother of yours showing back up, so I took the liberty of talking to my husband for you. He’s agreed we should give you the month.
Sila won’t come for the next payment until after summer, no extra interest or anything! Isn’t that wonderful!”
“…How generous.”
“No need to thank us. It’s the least we could do.” Tanya patted Kade’s cheek. Kade’s knuckles were white around the cobbler dish. “Oh, my poor boy. Everything you’ve been through…” She sniffled and dabbed at her eyes. “You’ll have those debts paid before you know it. I’m sure.”
Killian was moving before he was conscious of it. Stalking up the way and pressing too close at Tanya’s back. She jumped at his sudden appearance. Her eyes widened in panic. Cowering, her hands smoothed her dress nervously as she avoided his eyes.
Glowering down at her, Killian sneered, “Something we can help you with?”
Tanya squeaked. “No. No, no, no. I was just leaving.” But in a moment of bravery, she mumbled, “Remember what I said, dear. Anytime.” She then inched her way around Killian and hurried down the dirt path that led back to the village, glancing over her shoulder every few feet as if she were afraid Killian would chase her down.
Only when she was safely out of sight, did Killian herd the too quiet Kade into the house.
When the door closed behind them, Killian and Kade stared at each other, neither of them blinking. Kade on one side of the room, Killian on the other. The air thick with rising tension.
“Don’t,” Kade said shortly, turning his back to Killian. He discarded the cobbler onto the table without a thought. The glassware hitting the wood with a resounding thunk.
“Don’t? Don’t what?” Killian drawled. “Don’t ask questions? Fuck that. Kade, what debts?”
“I’m handling it.”
“How much?” Killian questioned. “To Sila? Or are there others?”
Kade leaned heavily on the table, his head lowered.
The silence stretched on.
Killian’s temper was bubbling just beneath the surface. The thought of leaving Kade to this fate terrified him, which then made him angrier. At Kade for keeping this from him. At Sila for holding said debts. At Tanya for her taunts. At himself for not realizing something was wrong.
“Dammit, Kade. Answer me!”
“No,” Kade shouted, whirling around. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to ignore my questions and then demand I answer yours. It’s not fair.”
“That’s different and you know it. I’m trying to help you.”
“Help me?” Kade’s voice was low and dangerous. His words weapons. “You leave tomorrow. What fucking help will you be from Ingara? No. No. This is none of your concern. Stay out of it. I mean it. I’m taking care of it.”
Killian growled.
“Look,” said Kade, taking a breath. He took a few steps closer, but still kept a safe distance.
His hands were out in front of him. Peace.
“I don’t want to fight with you. Not tonight.
So can you please just fucking let it go.
You can yell at me another time. It’s not so bad, I promise. I can handle it.”
“Would you tell me if you couldn’t?”
Kade’s eyes flickered to the floor and then back to Killian. “I would. Really, I would.”
Killian hated this. “Alright. Fine.”
Kade let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
There was a beat of awkward silence.
“So.” Killian said slowly, trying to give himself time to think of something to say.
“So.”
“Since when was peach cobbler your favorite? I thought you hated peaches.”
“I don’t hate peaches. I was allergic.”
“And you’ve somehow cured this allergy?”
“There’s no cures for allergies,” Kade said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “But there’s a tincture I brew that suppresses the symptoms. Temporarily.” He looked at the discarded dessert. “As annoying as she is, Tanya does makes the best cobbler.”
The two of them looked at each other then, the same idea forming in their minds.
Killian said, “I’ll get the plates.”
“I’ll pop a potion.”
And all was forgotten. For the night.