Evie touched my cheek. “We both just woke up, less than five minutes ago. I don’t remember going under.”
“You’re going to need to give me a moment.” I crushed her to my chest and turned, not bothering to help my Second up. He’d understand. Garrett would have the same exact reaction if I’d woken up with a woman he’d claimed.
Moira touched Evie’s ankle as we passed by, relief brimming in her eyes.
I said nothing until I had Evie dressed and tucked into the couch with a steaming mug of coffee in her hands.
“Moira told you everything?”
I nodded. As much as I wanted to scream and rail, this was not the time. Garrett knew better than to get involved inshenanigans like that, but to go along with her and vandalize a Lord’s house…
I gritted my teeth and dug in her fridge for breakfast fixings. Evie expended a ton of magic last night and must be starving. “We’ll talk after we eat.”
“Should we check on Garrett?”
“He’s fine,” I said, wincing as my voice came out in a raspy growl.
“I’m sorry,” Evie said quietly. “But I did the same for you when you were injured in the woods. I didn’t wake up naked, but Garrett was worse off than you. I woke up in a similar structure and was able to leave before you stirred. The structure is the earth’s way of keeping me safe while the magic works.”
“I’m not angry at you healing Garrett. I’m so fucking thankful I could kiss the ground you walk on.”
I messed with pots and pans and mixed eggs with seasonings and milk. She had heritage bacon tucked into one of the fridge drawers, so I put the pack to cook, and managed to find a bag of frozen biscuits.
“But you are mad.”
How could she look so pitiful and adorable, all at the same time? Dark shadows of exhaustion hung under her azure eyes, and her hair was tangled with leaves and sticks. Her lips were puffy and pink, and her cheeks were high with color.
“We will talk,” I said again, “once we’ve eaten.”
“What about Garrett?” she said softly.
“He knows not to come any closer. The Keep will have breakfast available to him.”
She let out a soft sigh. “I don’t mean to come between you two?—”
“Evangeline. Enough.”
She clamped her lips shut and stared. Ignoring her for now, I connected my phone to the Bluetooth speaker she kept besidethe stove and turned on Americana, something I knew she liked, and turned it loud enough to preclude us from having a conversation.
Her eyes narrowed. I turned before she could see my smile. Seeing her angry was far better than seeing her weak and hurt. To piss her off even more, I reached over and turned the volume up.
I heard the shoe flying through the air even over the music. With a grin, I reached up and caught it before it hit the back of my head, setting it gently off to the side.
“Keep throwing things if it makes you feel better.”
Evie huffed a breath of disgust. No other shoes came flying.
For now.
Chapter
Thirteen
Caelan’s furious tension had seeped away as he cooked, though he hadn’t fully relaxed. We were in a different space than a few months before, and I knew he didn’t think I’d done anything inappropriate, but me and Garrett waking up together like that had jostled something loose inside him, and he was struggling.
As much as I wanted to get up and snuggle against him as he cooked, I gave him the space he asked for, content to watch him so at ease in my home. Before, I thought he sucked all the air away. He was just so much.
But now, as his power lay cloaked to his skin, almost crackling in the surrounding air, I wondered what he saw when he looked at me.
