“I’ve already finished.” He poured the mess into a bin and went to the basin to clean his hands. The water was glacier cold and he wished it would sting the way it would any other race. Pain would be welcome right now. He retrieved a new cup and set it in front of her on the large center table used for food preparation.
Her lips were drawn. Face scrunched as if she could sense his mood. He did not wish to seem the brooding dark lord locking the lady away in his castle, but tonight, he was too tired to care one way or the other. His countenance hovered closer to exhausted irritation, at present.
“Here.” He set a loaf of bread next to her.
“Thanks. But how did you know I wanted bread?”
He set down a knife and gestured to the jar she’d attempted to balance in her arms.
“Right.” She quickly cut a piece and began to spread the preserves.
Kieran went to the storeroom where there were often pastries leftover from the morning. The staff didn’t hold dinner for him, but they did lock away the odd leftover or non-perishable snack. He’d told them it wasn’t necessary, but today he was grateful.
Pine cake was good at any time of day, sitting out in the cold only made it better. He didn’t bother to slice it, set the whole confection on a plate and hooked a stool with his foot so he could sit on the opposite side of the table.
Sera’s movements were stilted. Kieran hardly looked at her, but he noticed that much.
“So…” she started, and he braced himself for conversation. “What’s that?”
Kieran had expected her to address the awkward encounter from earlier. To demand answers to questions he didn’t wish to answer. ‘Why had he put his hand on her leg?’ ‘Why had heshut down after a single touch?’ This line of conversation was manageable.
“What’s what?”
She motioned to his plate. “That. I’ve never seen it before.”
“It’s pine cake. A faery dish. Rather, a Winter Faery dish. I doubt your Summer Fae friend would enjoy it.”
“Can I try?”
He cut a piece free and set it on her plate, careful not to initiate contact with her. Touching her again would be devastating.
“Oh it’s…” she struggled to chew. “That’s, um.” She swallowed, fumbling to get water into her cup and chug it down. “That’s gross.”
His lips quirked, the threat of a smile. He was simply too tired to fight it. And a wave of warning went off like distant sirens in the back of his mind, easily ignored, but not unnoticed. “That’s why I didn’t offer.”
“Ah, so that was gallantry, instead of rudeness?” She laughed at her own jest and he tried not to dwell on the sound. Tried not to think about the warmth that filled his chest or the way it seemed to make him feel calm when his mind was screaming for panic.
“So. What happened?”
He looked at her, almost begging that she not start this conversation.
“No one is this detached without a reason,” she said, but her eyes were soft with sympathy. “You don’t have to tell me. I just figured, maybe you want to.”
That caught him off guard. “Why would you think that?”
“Mostly because I feel like I’m the first person to ask.” She was not wrong. “But also, if anyone can understand fucked up, it’s me.”
He continued to eat without responding. Sharing his fears? Talking? Heart to heart conversation? These were the stops on the road to affection.
“Or not.” She said, her full lips jutting in a pout as she finished eating. “Are you really determined to go to Wraith?”
Kieran chewed slowly, waiting until he fully finished and swallowed before responding. “Yes.”
She huffed. “I still think it’s a waste of time. Or worse, dangerous. You don’t want your name to catch Wraith’s interest.”
“What choice do I have? I intend to end Cole’s threat to you. I see no other way to do so quickly without going down there and killing him myself. Which would put me at risk with the Watchmen.”
“But—”
