“Or I could just eat you.” Rowan grazed his teeth up my neck.
A rush of heat shot to my groin. “I’m not food, you fiend.”
“You sure about that?” He licked along my pulse point. “You taste mighty good to me.”
“Evan is leaving soon,” Lake said, joining us at the counter. His tail brushed Rowan but didn’t whack him. Progress. “I’ll make your omelet.”
“Fine.” Rowan sighed. “But you better not burn it.”
“I won’t.” Lake smiled at me. “I had a great teacher.”
“Oh, stop.” I flicked my hand. “You’ll make me blush.”
“Better than making you cry.” Rowan popped a tomato slice into his mouth, then scavenged the rest of the ingredients Lake had used for our sandwiches. “Who was here earlier? I heard voices.”
“A messenger from the castle,” I answered. “Prince Sawyer invited me for afternoon tea.”
Rowan paused in his chewing. “Need me to come with you?”
“I have a feeling you’ll follow me no matter what I say.”
“And there’s not a thing you can do to stop me.” He found the stash of bread and broke into it, biting off a large wedge from the end of the loaf. “The pup and I’ll keep you safe.”
Lake averted his gaze, but not before I saw his smile. “Aye. We will.”
I could’ve cried. The two of them had become so close.
“Don’t think this means I like you or anything, pup,” Rowan then added, averting his eyes. “But I reckon you’re better than a certain stinky rabbit.”
“Cal doesn’t stink.” I rolled my eyes.
Rowan shrugged. “All I know is the cottage smells a lot better with him gone. Coincidence? I think not.”
Callum had gone to the castle with Maddox, the knights, and Briar earlier that morning. His first full day back to work since my attack. I loved having him with me, but he couldn’t put his life on hold forever.
“You should go wash up,” Lake told me. “The carriage will be here for you soon.”
***
As the carriage bounced its way to the castle, I ate a chocolate chip cookie, then tried to resist the temptation of eating another. A lost cause. My hand was already in the basket and grabbing one before I could stop it.
The shadows in the corner of the compartment swirled.
“I know you’re there, Ro.”
“Of course I am,” he said. “Like I’d let you out of my sight.”
I heard him but couldn’t see him. He had rare dark magic that allowed him to control shadows. Use them to hide and teleport to places. He even used them to fly. Well, sort of. They wrapped around his legs and helped lift him through the air, making him almost weightless.
“Want a cookie?”
He scoffed. “I’d rather starve.”
“You’re so mean to me.”
A glimmer of topaz showed in the dark corner. “But you love me.”
“I do.”
