I spend the day with Leif talking strategy and reviewing ways we could fortify Basecamp from an Allaji attack. We’re in the middle of nowhere, centrally located to reach any corner of Lucent in optimal time. The camp is a sitting target with a wall that is no better than a picket fence compared to the one in Stigian. If the Allaji infiltrated theirs with no problems, we will need to double our efforts if everyone here is to remain safe.
When my brain feels like mush and I can’t stand to comprehend one more idea, the sun has set for the evening. I leave Leif and the strategy team to carry on with their planning and return to my room. This time when I enter, it’s empty. No boots resting next to the fire, no leather jacket draped over a chair, no Kyron.
I bide my time alone, eating dinner at the small table and soaking in the tub until my fingers and toes wrinkle. Unpacking the trunks of clothes keeps me busy until my eyelids are too heavy to keep open. I slide on a simple linen nightgown and crawl into the cold, soft bed. As tired as I am, my eyes remain wide open, staring at the ceiling while my brain asks a slew of questions about Kyron.
Is he really sleeping in the stables?
Did he take some blankets with him?
Is he thinking about me?
I turn to my side, pound my pillow with my fist, and force my eyes shut.
Is he sleeping shirtless and is the hay irritating his skin?
“Statera help me!”
I throw off the blankets, cram my feet in my slippers, and tie my robe into place. Grabbing the quilt from the bed, I head for the door and step into the quiet hallway. I ease my door shut so as not to wake those around me and turn on my toes.
“And where are you off to in the middle of the night?”
“Sweet Statera, Zek!” I clap my hand over my chest and a treasure trove of unforgettable memories come flooding back to me. The embarrassing things I said and the kiss… Shit. I can’t believe I kissed him. I fight the urge to throw the blanket over my head and slip back into my room and plaster a smile on my face instead. “Kyron and I made a bet. He’s sleeping in the stables, and I thought it’s a cold night. Did he take a blanket with him? I warned him to, but I noticed all the blankets in the room were still on the bed. So, I should?—”
“You ramble when you’re nervous. It’s really cute,” he says.
“Oh, I didn’t… I’m not nervous. I was just taking him a blanket.” I hold up the quilt like it’s not obvious what my intentions are.
He leans his shoulder against the wall and crosses his arms. “I don’t think you’re nervous about the prince. It’s the little episode we had last night that has you tied up in knots. You did a fantastic job of avoiding me today,by the way.”
I puff out my cheeks and let out a breath that rattles my lips. “Why do you have to put it like that?”
“Because it’s true. The question is, are you embarrassed that it happened, or that you liked it?” His blue eyes glint with mischief and his mouth skews into a smirk.
“You’re insufferable.”
“And yet last night you wished your parah was like me.”
My cheeks burn and I bury them in the blanket. “I crossed a line, and I’m sorry I did that. It was unfair of me, and I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”
“You value my friendship?” he asks, lifting a brow.
“Yeah, I do.”
He releases a breath and pushes away from the wall. “Well, if theblanket situationdoesn’t work out with your prince, come find me.”
“Zek…”
“I’m kidding.” He throws his hands up in mock surrender. “Go, I’m sure he will be thrilled that you’re worried about his warmth.”
There is no jealousy in his tone, no hurt from rejection. If anything, Zek sounds amused by the situation. Maybe we can move past my drunken mistake and resume the carefree demeanor that always existed between us.
I squeeze his hand. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go.”
By the time I reach the stables, my cheeks burn from the cold and my fingertips are numb. I open the door just enough to give me room to slip inside. I pause at the first stall, happy to see a familiar face. Samson’s ears perk up over his black mane, and he stretches his mahogany muzzle over the wooden railing. I pause to pet Kyron’s horse, fighting back a giggle when he presses his chilled nose to the side of my neck.
“It’s good to see you too, Sammy.” I ruffle his mane and give him a final stroke down his face before following the soft, flickering light coming from the stall in the back corner. My heart races the closer I get, and goosebumps prickle my skin. I may have had problems sleeping in a stable, but I’m sure Kyron has had to overcome worse conditions. It couldn’t have been easy sleeping near a battlefield or finding shelter when searching for Stigians who slipped past our border. This has to feel like a luxury in comparison to the hardships he faced in the military. He’s probably out coldwithout a worry in the world.
