Chapter 14
Lily drifted up slowly from a sleep of utter exhaustion. It seemed that every muscle in her body ached—both from her exertions at the market yesterday, and from what she and Oskar had spent the night doing afterwards. And yet, it was a pleasant kind of ache, one that told her she hadn’t dreamt the whole thing, that what had happened yesterday had been real.
She shifted slightly in the bed they’d eventually retired to, feeling the hard warmth of his chest against her back, the weight of his hand draped across her waist.
I love ye, Lily.
She could hardly believe he’d spoken those words. And she could hardly believe that she’d said them back. How had she fallen in love with this irascible, fiery-tempered man? She had no idea. She only knew she felt it deep in her bones and didn’t regret a moment of it.
She twisted in his arms until she faced him. He was still asleep and he looked peaceful, the usual intensity gone from his face. She ran her fingers through his hair, marveling at how soft it was beneath her touch. He made no sign of waking, and she leaned in to kiss his forehead.
The sun was just beginning to rise outside, casting a warm glow over the room. Lily watched the light dance across Oskar’s features, finding beauty in the rough lines of his face.
“Oskar,” she whispered. “I love you.”
He stirred in his sleep, muttering something unintelligible. Lily smiled, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips. His body jerked, and his eyes slowly opened, revealing a sleepy, confused expression.
“I was dreaming,” he murmured. “I thought I heard ye say ye love me.”
“That’s strange,” she said. “I had that dream too.”
He snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. “Aye,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. “Very strange.”
He pulled her in for a long, deep kiss, and Lily felt arousal flash through her once more. But before it could go any further, there was a loud pounding on the door downstairs.
“What the hell?” Oskar muttered. He climbed out of bed, grabbing his breeches and getting dressed.
“Who could that be?” Lily asked as she quickly began putting on her clothes.
“I dinna know.” He pulled his shirt over his head and then grabbed his dagger from where it lay on the nightstand.
Lily followed anxiously as Oskar clattered down the stairs. The knocking came again, louder and more urgent.
“Who is it?” Oskar shouted.
“Oskar?” came a muffled voice. “Is that ye? Open the door will ye?”
Something about the voice seemed familiar although Lily couldn’t quite place it. Surprise registered on Oskar’s face for an instant before he pulled the door open, letting cold air sweep into the house.
A small man with a balding head stood on the other side, stamping his feet, breath steaming in the air. Lily recognized him just as Oskar exclaimed, “Henry Eberwyn! What in God’s name are ye doing here?”
“We arrived just before dawn,” Eberwyn replied, indicating the men arrayed behind him wearing the Eberwyn colors. “We rode all night.” The lord’s expression was grim. “Ye need to come to the guild house right away, the both of ye. There’s news on Emeric and Magnus.”
A tremor went through Lily. If the expression on Lord Eberwyn’s face was anything to go by, the news wasn’t good. Oskar paled and when he glanced at Lily, she saw worry reflected in his eyes.
“Give us a moment and we’ll be with ye.”
