But they did neither.
It was over.
They would always be a part of her past. But they were no longer relevant to her present. Neither were the wounds they’d left. Those could finally scar over for good, the redness of the infection fading with every step.
Alyss was chatting with the soldier when Eira emerged. Cullen was at her side.
“Need a sticky bun?” she said without missing a beat. “Lou here says he knows a good spot that has some kind of sweet bun unique to Qwint but it seems close enough.”
“I don’t need one.” Eira took in a breath of fresh air. “But I think I’d like one.”
7
Lavette’s home encompassed the entire top floor of one of the tall buildings in the center of Qwint. Composed of several rooms with towering ceilings and more curtains than doors, the whole place had an airy and open feel. Walls of honeyed plaster reflected the late afternoon light, casting every room in a warm, golden hue.
The building’s height afforded panoramic views of the entire city-state by way of a wide veranda that wrapped around the entire exterior—from the breaker walls that shielded Qwint from the ocean and opposing naval forces, to the distant land wall, far to the west, that separated their land from Carsovia’s.
Eira, Alyss, and Cullen had been escorted to the tall building, still licking sugar off their fingers the entire time they climbed the many staircases up to the D’astre apartments. As soon as they arrived, Lavette quickly got them up to speed on what little they’d missed and gave them a tour of her family’s home that included explaining how the rooms had been divided among them.
Everyone was taking time on their own to rest and freshen up. After doing the same, Eira had made her way through the central common area and out to the widest part of the veranda,positioning herself at the farthest point of the arc and surveying the city as she would on the bow of a vessel.
Curls of magic teased her palm, as though an invisible hand was trying to lace its fingers with hers. Eira pushed off the railing with her elbows, shifting to face Cullen.
Trousers of deep navy clung low to his hips, a wide sash holding them in place. What looked like a checkered blanket, or oversized scarf, was wrapped around his shoulders. With no shirt underneath, swaths of the sides of his abdomen peeked out above the trousers and below the scarf. His arms also on display.
He huffed soft amusement, running a hand through his still-wet hair. Proper bathing in fresh water was a luxury not afforded on ships that they were all taking their turns indulging in. “Do you like what you see?”
“Life on a ship has been kind to you, Lord Drowel.”
“Cullen, please.” He grimaced at his family name, as if it were strange and unwelcome to hear. Eira could relate to that feeling all too well. “Or beloved. I’d accept that, too.”
She laughed softly and shook her head. Her attention drifted out over the city once more. In her periphery she saw his do the same, gaze softening. They’d spoken about nothing of consequence during their sticky bun excursion—focusing more on the reprieve, the pretend normalcy.
“Speaking of your family name… Did you find him?” she asked as delicately as she could manage for a man she had never much liked.
“No word.” He didn’t elaborate, and Eira left it at that. Whatever the truth was, it wouldn’t be found in Qwint. “Though, speaking of families…”
Eira hid a grimace. She’d opened this avenue of questioning; it was only fair of him to turn it back on her.
“Are you all right? You came right out here to be alone after the bath.”
“We are all doing our own things.” Eira gestured inside. Ducot was sitting with Crow on one of the wide sofas in the common area. Olivin and Yonlin were still sorting themselves. Alyss had promptly gone off to take a nap the moment she saw the bed. Lavette and Varren had secluded themselves as well.
“Probably because this is the first time we can be more than forty paces apart from each other,” he mused.
“Probably.”
“Would you like me to be forty paces from you?” He arched his eyebrows.
Eira shook her head. “You’re welcome to join me. There’s a lot of railing.”
“Even railing that’s roughly forty paces away.”
“You know, I’m going to start thinkingyouwant to be away fromme.”
“Well, let me prove the contrary.” He stood next to her, sides almost touching, elbows brushing as he leaned forward. The touch somehow reminded her of the first time their knuckles had brushed back in Risen. The tingling happiness of that memory was weighted by all the times at the bow of the ship where he had been her silent companion in their mourning. “Seriously, Eira, how was it?”
“They were as they’ve always been.” Eira sighed and let her walls come down. It was still all too easy—instinctive, even—around him. “As I never wanted to see them…”
