Faldir cleared his throat. “I’ll join you. Hedda?”
“Coming!”
Brand knew what they were trying to do, but he had no desire to stand there alone, marinating in the grime of his own idiotic solitude. He wanted the distraction, the jokes and camaraderie. He wanted to bloody relax with his family and friends and forget how long it had been since he’d found himself tangled in another’s breath and body.
Everyone was already at one end of a long table contentedly devouring their meals, two foaming tankards of ale resting in front of Magnus.
Just what he needed.
“I sincerely hope one of those is for me,” he said, setting his plate down.
“One of many this evening. I plan to get you rip-roaring drunk so you forget all your troubles.” Magnus swiped up his drink and gulped half of it down.
Grabbing his own cup, Brand chugged the cool ale. He slammed it down when he finished and scrubbed a hand over his face, the short stubble of his beard scraping against his calloused palm as he breathed a sigh of relief.
Troubles forgotten, indeed.
“I still can’t believe Baldrir missed Aldiat’s mating ceremony for a damned female,” Hedda grumbled.
“You can’t believe a male thought with his dick instead of his head?” Faldir snorted, ducking beneath his twin’s half-hearted swipe. “And here I thought you were supposed to be the sharper of the two of us.”
“Ach, away with you two!” Mag chided. “True love was happening in the Westrealm behind that door, and if tonight’s happy couple don’t mind his absence, then neither should you. Besides, Nyri was there in his stead, and did a lovely job of Frida’s hair. Joy and blessings abound, thank the Sisters for it.”
Faldir stabbed a piece of meat with his fork. “I’m more surprised Bal managed to keep his mouth closed long enough to do anything other than talk the poor maid to death.”
“If he knows what he’s about, he won’t have closed his mouth for the last couple of days, but not because of anything so mundane as talking.” Hedda tossed a long wave of hair over her shoulder, sniffing. “Or have you forgotten how to please a bed partner, little brother?”
The table erupted, Brand fighting between laughter and choking on the food in his mouth when another two ales appeared at his elbow. Not by any mystical means, but courtesy of Thaddeus.
“Cousin,” was all Thad said, arching his brow.
There was an impish light in Thad’s eyes, even as his expression was almost bored, and Brand struggled to contain his smile. It had been over a year since he’d seen that sparkling mischief.
Over a year since their Aunt Meliora, Thad’s mother, had died, and he’d worried his cousin would never be the same. Sisters knew, Caius was still wrecked over it.
Forcing his own face to match Thad’s bland look, they stared at each other, waiting.
It didn’t even cross his mind to care that the table had gone quiet, people watching and waiting, focused solely on them. Not when the result was possibly seeing Thad light up with a true smile, maybe hearing his cheeky laugh.
Thaddeus’s lip quirked and, in a blur of motion, they both jumped to snatch a tankard. Ale sloshed, narrowly missing them as they lifted the cups to drink.
He dodged the fist that came at him from the corner of his eye, shouts ofCheater!andGet him!filling the space around them. Brand fought one-handed against Thad’s sabotage,choking back his laughter and finally managing to snag his cousin’s wrist.
He refused to lose to the whelp.
His cup hit the table a split-second before Thad’s and Brand leapt up, bellowing out a triumphantwhoop. Thad cursed and leveled a finger at him, breathing hard.
In that moment—skin clear of the usual Thodeleborian markings, face shaven and blond hair just long enough to brush at his collar—Thad looked almost exactly like Magnus had as a younger male. Full of life and exuberant defiance. Only his eyes were different, a deep cerulean to Mag’s bright and golden amber.
Eyes that burned with challenge.
Without a word, Thaddeus spun and raced to the ale barrels nearby, dodging numerous people and nearly knocking a male over in his haste. The old Demon sent a string of curses after Thad, but his young cousin paid him no heed as he filled four cups with the frothy liquid. Carefully arranging the handles to bring all of them back at once, he managed the return journey without spilling too much, only slightly more aware of those around him.
“Best two out of three,” Thad said, shoving a pair of tankards towards him.
Brand grinned, lifted his third ale, and emptied that one too.
“You know,you two could have at least tried to put yourselves together before coming down to breakfast.”
