Estevan’s smile looked closer to a snarl. “One of us took it a bit further than the other, wouldn’t you say? Putting me to the question, Cael? Really? After you calledmymethods barbaric?”
“I just meant to scare you a little. You would have done the same, admit it,” Cael replied. “I was simply faster than you. You have yet to best me in wits, Estevan. Although I will admit you possess one advantage over me. I might have to rectify that soon, seeing how helpful it proved to be.”
Estevan stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
A nod toward Semras answered him. The witch rolled her eyes, yet still smiled to herself. Oh, she could tell where this was going already.
Taking her back in his arms, Estevan dragged her closer to him. “Do not even think of seducing her away from—”
“Please, the womanizer between the two of us is you, brother. Do you not have another woman waiting at home with your child, or did our spat on the subject last year scare you into celibacy until now?”
“You call barging into my house to berate me on responsibilities with your fists a ‘spat’? If you want another fight, Cael, I—”
“Children,” Cardinal Velten called, raising an eyebrow. “Please.”
Chastised, the brothers turned aside from one another. For all the differences that made them drift apart, they were far more similar than they’d ever admit, Semras thought. She grinned at them both, and Cael returned her smile with a shy one of his own.
“I should leave now. I must go check on my knight before my surgeon tries to throttle him again,” he said. “Do call on me if you want to settle this later, Estevan. We have a lot of things to talk about, I believe.” He gave them a quick nod, then turned on his heel.
Semras watched him leave. Cael didn’t scare her anymore—he had proven to be so much more human than fey.
“Admiring my brother again?” Estevan playfully placed a hand over her eyes. “I will blindfold you if that is what it takes to keep your attention on me.”
Semras batted his hand away. “You jealous man …” Throwing her arms around his neck, she drew their faces closer. “If it’s my attention you want, I know what these hands can do to keep it on—”
A soft cough brought her attention back to Cardinal Velten.
The cardinal.
In the room. With them. The cardinal that she completely forgot about the second Estevan embraced her. Her new father-in-law.
That cardinal.
Semras blinked, then pushed Estevan away, holding him at arm’s length. Maybe the Continent wouldn’t be far enough to flee to. Maybe she’d have to go as far as Mundomera on the other side of the ocean. Maybe she’d only ever live down her embarrassing first meetings of Estevan’s parents by escaping into the sweet embrace of death.
But then she’d run into her own parents, and she wasn’t ready to explain why exactly their daughter had joined them so young.
“May I offer you, miss,” the cardinal said, “a more official introduction? I am Cardinal Velten, Cael and Estevan’s father.”
“I … um, I am Semras of Yore,” she replied, face still flushed. How silly of her—of course he knew her name already. “And I am … I am …”
“She is my wife,” Estevan said proudly. Sliding behind her, he enlaced her, then rested his chin on her head. “Wyrdtwined, as the Covens call it.”
Cardinal Velten chuckled. “I suspected as much. Allow me to offer belated congratulations to you both. I look forward to knowing you, Semras of Yore, wife of my son. Now it makes more sense why Estevan threw away his hard-earned title so easily.” He turned to his son. “Speaking of which, your retirement from the Inquisition unfortunately means the end of my support for you. My sphere of influence is boundless within and vastly more limited without.”
“I know,” Estevan said, hugging her closer. “It was not as spontaneous a decision as you might think. I have a reason to leave now, and the occasion was just both appropriate and conveniently timed.”
“I see. Does … does your mother know about this decision? Did you see her recently?”
“Yesterday, but you know her; I bet she knew it would happen the second she saw Semras and me together.”
A flash of longing passed through the cardinal’s eyes. “… Good. It might … soothe her worries now.”
“You should go visit her, Father. I am quite certain she will no longer be angry at you once she has confirmed that I left the Inquisition.”
Cardinal Velten hummed. “Maybe. Your mother knows how to hold a grudge, but if I put my affairs in order before …” His eyes turned pensive. “Speaking of affairs in order, what about your retinue? Do I give them leave to retire and take their pensions? They will have to vacate the house, as it is Inquisition property, but the provisions prepared for them should cover the expenses of a new home.”
“Let the ones who wish to retire do it,” Estevan said. “However, I would like to petition your support for areplacement. I leave the Inquisition behind with no regret, but I still believe it needs more men with the same mindset I had. Cael is too rigidly following the rules; he cannot be the advocate I wish for witches.”
