“The tomb collapsed during the war between the king and the Duke of Harlston,” Lorien replied. “Drathnor and her bones, they’re all still there, just under a whole lot of earth and rock.”
“Something you neglected to tell us,” Lance growled.
“Didn’t see the point.” Kael’s cocky smile had Lance’s jaw working. “It’s not as if it’s an impediment to us. Not sure about your beast, but our dragons will make short work of the rock and reveal the bones for Auren.”
“Viridian—” Lance started to splutter.
The answer is in the earth. We all turned to see the green dragon lift his head and stare at us steadily.Whatever my queen needs, I will find.
“Seems like we are well equipped to deal with the situation, then.” Kael clapped Lance on the arm, the lieutenant obviously stiffening. “I’ll go and find Dain and work out what happened. Lorien, skin those rabbits and get milady’s dinner started.”
“Rabbit?” Lorien rustled around in a bag he was carrying. “Or cheese on toast?” He procured a loaf of crusty bread and a cheese wheel. “I know which one I’d prefer.”
“Where the hell did you get bread and cheese from?” Kael asked.
Lorien winked at me with a shrug.
“While you idiots were sleeping off a hangover, I went to the kitchens. When I told them I needed to provide for my girl on this trip.”
My. Girl? Lorien had said something similar before, but it was the general’s words I remembered, not the silver rider’s.
“They gave me all manner of things, so, milady.” He pawedthrough the bag he was carrying. “I have some very nice bacon, some flat bread, a wide array of crackers and?—”
“Cheese on toast would be lovely,” I replied, if only to bring this conversation to a close.
“Talk to your brother,” Lance said, his brows drawing down. “And when you do, make him understand that spying on Fern once could be construed as a mistake, but twice?”
The threat was obvious. Kael’s grin widened.
“Heard loud and clear, Lieutenant.” He turned to me. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, milady, I’ll ensure that next time Dain sees you naked, it needs to be a consensual thing.” With a wink, he turned to go. “And one where all three of us are in the room.”
I couldn’t help that gasp. Relationships with more than two partners existed in Nevermere since the moment humans landed on our shores, but it was usually seen to be a low class thing after Queen Glorianna and her consorts were deposed. Social mores didn’t stop me from seeing exactly what Kael described, if only for a second. His jaunty whistle made me think that was just what he intended.
Because he wants to mate with you, Auren said.
But why me?I asked her, wanting, fearing her answer, lest she look into the man’s mind.And would he be half as brazen if I…
If you what?Auren asked.
“So cheese on toast it is.” Lorien walked over to the fire, adding some more sticks before pulling free a dagger to start sawing a piece of bread off. “Some for you as well, Lance, or are you happy with travel rations?”
“I’m going to get more firewood.”
Lance turned on his heel and marched off into the forest, leaving just Lorien and me. The man patted the log beside him. I could sit there or stand around aimlessly, so I walked over and took a seat, keeping a very proper distance between us. Lorien shot me a sidelong look, then speared the first piece of bread on a long green stick, before handing it to me.
“Hold it out to the flames.” His hand covered mine, bringing it closer to the fire. “That’s it. Watch it closely and pull it freeand turn it over when it’s toasted to your satisfaction.” The sound of the fire crackling, the resinous smoke, it was somewhat relaxing. “So are you alright?”
“What?”
As I turned to face him, the bread was pushed deeper into the fire, forcing Lorien to grab the stick and haul it backwards. He set it at the right distance again, my fingers tingling in the wake of his touch.
“Well, I’m assuming you didn’t invite Dain to bathe with you and that bastard? He’d cut out his own tongue before he’d approach a girl. Whatever happened, it must’ve been a terrible shock.” It was then I realised my heart was still racing, as if I’d run from the lake screaming, rather than dressed and walked more sedately. Was it fear or excitement, I couldn’t tell. “Not sure if you wanted to talk about it.”
My lips pursed, ready to part and spill the beans, but something silenced me. I pulled my stick back, saw that the toast was perfectly golden brown, then turned it over as he suggested, being more careful in the way I held it up to the fire.
“More of a shock to him than me, I think.” My lips curved into a smile, but it wasn’t an especially happy one. “He looked horrified.”
“At his own actions, not at the sight of you.” Lorien’s eyes began to slide downwards, but he jerked them up with effort. “Trust me when I say that he’d have liked to see everything under that uniform of yours, but Dain will never admit to that. His affliction.” He tapped at his temple. “It has him seeing things, doing things he wouldn’t normally. Lady Fate lays her hands on all of us, but him she has by the throat, controlling his every move.”
