He looked at the ground between them. ‘No one’s managed to kill me yet.’ It was the only reassurance he could offer her. Gesturing towards the stables, he said, ‘Let’s go.’
CHAPTER16
Eda watched Roul from the front step of Wright House until he was out of sight, feeling like the sun had just disappeared behind the clouds. They had shared a horse like usual, and she had held loosely to his tunic, her forehead occasionally tipping forwards to rest on his back.
‘Don’t you fall off,’ Roul had said every time she rested against him.
But he would never let that happen. He would catch her before she hit the ground. The thought was as warm as his mouth had been on hers earlier that day. Now he was gone again, and her heart felt heavy at his absence. She did not know whether the intimate moment she forced upon him was to blame or if it was the time spent in the royal borough waiting to find out if he was alive.
As she turned to the door, it opened. Her mother stood there looking her up and down, then launched forwards, hugging her youngest daughter tightly. ‘Thank goodness. Is Birtle all right?’
He’s fine, Eda signed.
Candace held her at arm’s length. ‘You’re speaking with your hands, which suggests otherwise.’
Had she? She cleared her throat. ‘Sorry.’
Candace’s eyes moved over her again. ‘Whose blood is that?’
‘Not mine.’ She looked past her, then signed,Where’s Blake?
Candace searched her eyes. ‘Tell me what happened?’
The habit was harder to break with her family. She shrugged. ‘I fought a little.’
Seeing she was going to get nothing more from her daughter, Candace exhaled and stepped aside. ‘Blake is in the kitchen.’
Eda offered a reassuring smile as she stepped past. She found Blake and Luella standing at the bench with their backs to her. Blake looked over her shoulder at the approaching footsteps, then heavenward. ‘Thank Belenus.’
Eda went to the other side of the bench, a hand pressed to her stomach.
Blake’s eyebrows came together in concern as she held tightly to Luella. The tiny girl was attempting to beat eggs with a fork. The egg mixture was splashed from one end of the bench to the other. When Eda did not speak, Blake pried the fork from her daughter’s hand and placed her down on the ground.
‘All right,’ she said, crossing her arms and looking at Eda. ‘Out with it. What happened?’
So much. So much had happened. One topic in particular was burning on Eda’s tongue, but she had promised Roul she would not tell her sisters.
Blake tilted her head. ‘For goodness’ sake. Out with it.’
I can’t tell you.
Blake looked down at Eda’s hands. ‘The fact that you’re signing suggests you really should.’ She closed her eyes. ‘Please don’t tell me there’s a body out front you need help burying.’
‘No body.’ Eda drew a breath. ‘If I tell you, you must promise to never tell a soul.’
Blake looked past her to the back door. ‘Before you go on—’
‘I need to get this out.’
‘Eda—’
‘Roul and I kissed today. I mean, wereallykissed. There was so much heat, I thought my skin was going to combust into flames at one point—’
A throat cleared behind her, and Eda whipped her head around. Harlan stood at the back door.
‘That’s what I was trying to tell you,’ Blake said quietly.
Eda prayed the floor would open up and swallow her. ‘Oh.’
