Lunara snatched her hand away, a blush on her cheeks. “I was just introducing myself to His Highness, er, Your Highness, since we were unable to do so last night.”
“Ach, away with all that,” Mag said, batting her comment away. “I thought we discussed this last night. Magnus or Mag.” He hiked a thumb towards Brand. “This is Brand. Or wee shite, wee bastard. Basically anything wee if he’s being irritating. He hates that.”
There was a twinkle in Mag’s eye that Brand wanted to throttle away. Every single one of those cursed monikers were names his brother had used in his stories the night before, the bloody arsehole.
She giggled, the sound burrowing into him. “We covered the Brand part, thank you. I will leave the rest to you.”
“Fair enough.” Mag offered her his elbow. “What do you say we get some breakfast before Lyriat storms in here and ruins it with his grumpy arse?”
“That sounds?—”
“He’s awake!”
Nyri was sprinting across the great hall, weaving between other Demons and tables alike. She crashed right into Lunara, throwing her arms around the Sorcerit with a squeal.
“Blessed Solyrian, Bal is awake!” Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she gave Lunara a rough shake before holding her at arms length. “Oh, I can’t believe you really did it!”
Hedda and Faldir were both at his side an instant later.
“She speaks true, Highness,” Hedda said. “And he’s asked to see you and Lyriat immediately. Baldrir claims he has a message.”
Brand paced in the corridor,Lyriat posted up against the wall with his arms crossed.
They’d come immediately to Baldrir’s sickroom, as fast as their feet could take them. Lunara had stayed glued to their side, her face a mask of determination, insisting she be allowed to examine him first and ensure he was truly well enough to talk.
Lyriat hadn’t batted an eye when he’d granted the request—and he argued abouteverythingwhen he was in a mood. What they hadn’t quite expected was for her to race ahead and then lock them out of the room with a muffled promise to let them in when she was done.
Apparently, Baldrir needed privacy.
The waiting gave Brand far too much time to think.
Patience was easier when he knew, by virtue of the way things functioned in Bordoroth, that answers were not forthcoming. When he was forced to sit back and bide his time through the inevitable bureaucracy.
Unfortunately, those pauses also had a way of making reality drift off into the background, until he was able to convince himself that everything was normal because nothing was happening.
With Bal awake, it was all real again.
The endless possibilities he’d imagined flooded back in to rear their ugly heads, every last one sending an icy river down his spine.
At last, the door swung wide, Lunara’s voice sounding from deeper within the chamber a second later. “Come in! He’s ready.”
They found her perched on the mattress beside Baldrir, his gigantic hand held fast between her own. Brand couldn’t help noting a certain tightness around her eyes, dark smudges underneath that hadn’t been there half an hour ago.
“You’ll be overjoyed to know that Baldrir has retained full command of his speech.” She smiled up at Bal and bumped her shoulder into his. “And what a lovely voice he has, too.”
There was a collective sigh of relief, and then a different sort of tension entered the room.
“Thank you, Lunara, for all of your help,” Lyriat said with a respectful nod. “Your willingness to protect one of mine, even from me, has not gone unnoticed. It will be remembered when we discuss your payment later.”
It was a clear dismissal. At least, Brand had thought so.
Lunara just sat there, returning Lyriat’s nod with one of her own, brows raised as if she was waiting for them to begin.
Baldrir, too, heard the words for what they were. “She stays,” he said, hisvoicea pale imitation of what it had been.
Lyriat leaned down beyond Lunara and pressed his forehead to Baldrir’s. “It’s good to see you well, cousin.”
Baldrir lifted a shaking hand and wrapped it around the back of Lyriat’s neck. “Bloody damned good.” He pulled back and gestured to Lunara. “Thanks to the lady here.”
