The following morning, he had not intended to pass by her door and yet that is where he found himself when she opened it. He froze. The sight of her did something in his chest, though hewasn’t sure how much lust had to do with it, not when there was still sadness in her eyes. She hadn’t noticed him until she’d shut the door behind her and then she jumped.
“Divine above, you’re so quiet,” she breathed, hand on her chest.
“Apologies,” he offered, and awkward quiet descended. He swallowed before adding, “I was on my way out. Good day.” A quick, polite nod. Arms flexing behind his back. He hurried on his way, closing his eyes briefly as his body inevitably passed hers and every sense was briefly flooded by Sera.
Her scent, the warmth from her body, the sound of her sharp inhale—did their meager exchange of forced pleasantries threaten to crush her the way it did him?
“Where?” She asked, halting him.
He kept his back to her, not quite strong enough to turn around fully. “Some business in the Court.”
“Oh.” She sounded defeated. Had she wanted him to say something more? “Do you mind if I join you? I was going to head out myself. Seth won’t be up for hours, we were up very late, but… I found myself awake anyway.”
His muscles clenched at her admission. Turning, he saw concern in the cast of her eyes at her door, the somber angle of her lips. What had kept them up so late? A part of him feared their connection was sexual, but that did not account for her sadness.
Questions weighed in his chest, an urgent need to engage in the conversation hidden in her eyes. Instead of inquiry, however, he stretched out his arm in an ‘after you’ gesture.
“You are welcome to accompany me, but I warn you, my work can be a quite grim.”
She seemed unfocused, her gaze sweeping instead of engaging with him. “Oh. I’m sure it’s fine. Let me grab my coat. Hold on.” She disappeared into the room.
He tilted his head, trying to piece together the various clues he possessed. What could have caused such a shift in her mood that would concern her friend?
When she returned with her coat, she set off with a heavy sigh, mechanically following the path to the door. He followed a pace behind her until they reached the foyer, observing.
Sera had not seemed to notice his lagging. She ambled, her steps meandering.
She waited at the door, lost in thought, for almost five minutes. Kieran might have urged her forward—he did have a schedule to keep—but then the sun had streamed through the window behind her, lighting her body in an angelic halo. Sera was so much more than mere beauty, but in the serenity of the foyer, with her dark hair reflecting golden beams and the flush of cold on her cheeks, it was enough to steal his breath.
Once outside, the air was colder, a breeze adding some bite. A stone walkway led to his home from the main footpath used to traverse the Court. The sun caught the drifts of snow, glinting almost blindingly in their eyes. Thankfully the path veered northwest, putting the worst of the glare behind them.
He kept pace with her as they walked, not forging ahead, but still leading their direction. The cardinals chirped in the trees, their bright red plumage stark against the muted tones of Winter. It was a morning almost picturesque, beautifully mundane.
It was impossible to keep his gaze from drifting to Sera, his head constantly turning before he had to force his eyes forward. At least she hadn’t noticed. Her eyes were firmly on the ground, fingers twirling near her chest.
“Here.” He stopped at the first house after his. It was similar to his estate in size and stature. All the homes furthest toward the outer boundary of the city were inhabited by prominent faefamilies. This one belonged to the Aceria family and they had a standing appointment.
Sera’s attention turned to the manor in front of them. Some light returned to her eyes. “What sort of wood is that?”
Kieran’s brow creased as he followed her gaze. “I am not sure what it’s called.”
“It’s clearly of fae origin. I wonder if it’s a type of lumber specific to this region? Or the region that inspired this Court? Your home has that light, almost gray wood with the silvery threads and is surprisingly lightweight given the density. A lot of homes here use this lavender type of wood and if I knew the name I could—”
She stopped, and a heavy blush colored her cheeks darker than the wind chill. “But, um, it doesn’t matter. The type of wood. That’s stu—”
“Do not finish that statement,” he ordered. Sera’s jaw snapped closed. “You know more about the construction of my home than I do. Quite the opposite of stupid.”
“Well, if I could get my hands on the blueprints.”
He smiled. Smiles, it seemed, were becoming a frequent affliction.
“Are you grinning?”
He shook his head, but he couldn’t quite shake the levity from his features, a distinctive difference from a bored scowl.
“Liar.” Sera’s grin returned and maybe that was all that mattered. “I must be rubbing off if the Lord of Ice can crack a genuine smile.”
“Or perhaps it is in spite of you,” he said, and her offended scoff almost made him chuckle. Smiles. Laughter. He’d think he were ill, if he wasn’t certain of the cause.
