I take the moment to redirect my eyes, topretendI’m unfazed, and it lands on the far hidden corner of the room.
Canvases, a crate cluttered with pencils and paper, jars of paint half-open.
“An artist, huh?” I ask, voice a little softer.
Kai pauses; he’s back to me, but I can see the way his shoulders tense. His grip on the ointment tightens slightly before he answers.
“I’m not.” The words are clipped.
No room to tease, no invitation to dig deeper. And just like that, the heat shifts, cooling into silence. Whatever that was between us, it vanishes. I don’t have the luxury of dwelling on it, though, because Wyll’s voice slices through the tension.
“Can I join in on the fun, or do I need to find my own date for the night?” His words yank us both back into the present. Slowly leaning on the doorway, getting comfortable like someone who just arrived, which makes me slightly less mortified.
“Fuck off!” Kai snaps back.
“We can have our own fun, Wyll. No need for the grumpy one.” I hop off the bed before Kai finishes wrapping me up, doing it myself instead. It’s quicker this way, and I know Kai has aperfectview of the curve of my ass as I do it. Just a little act of rebellion, and enough to get under anyone’s skin.
“Yes, darling! Smoke some weed and play Monopoly. I’m gonna annihilate you!” Wyll says with all the enthusiasm in the world.
“You have Monopoly?” I ask, laughing.
“Of course! I love board games. I always make sure to bring a new one when I’m in the Mundane World.” He leans against the doorway, arms crossed, clearly enjoying the attention.
“And the cowboy hat?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“What about the hat?” Wyll asks, confused.
“Nothing, I love it. Just... not very military-like?”
“True. But it’s veryWyll Lindir-like.” He winks, totally unbothered. I roll my eyes, but the smile creeping up on my lips is hard to hide.
“That’ll have to wait. We’ve got patrols tonight.” Kai’s voice cuts through, unapologetic as ever. He stands behind me, clearly impatient.
His gaze flickers between Wyll and me. I catch a brief flash of something. Something darker, possessive, but he quickly masks it. Before he walks past me, he presses a band-aid to my forehead, his fingers brushing a curl away, lingering briefly, but I must have imagined it.
The room they’ve given me is almost identical to Kai’s, same layout, same vibe. But my walls are deep crimson, matching the curtains. As if it were designed with mood lighting in mind.
I spot a piece of paper on my pillow, pinned down by a joint.
A little welcome gift. Before you enjoy it, draw these runes on the door and recite “sgòt.”
Night!
Wyll
Well, this isn’t as dreadful as I expected. I find a tray on the nightstand with white chalk and quickly copy the rune. As I utter the incantation, the symbol glows for a moment, lighting the room briefly.
Stepping out onto the balcony, I light my welcome gift. Watching the boys disappear into the night, I catch Kai’s gaze, and despite myself, my heart skips a beat. But I keep a neutral expression, and I slowly straighten and offer him a salute. He shakes his head unamused, a strand of blond hair falling in his annoyed eyes. But I swear I could see the faintest tug at the corner of his lips.
Turning around, I lean back against the railing, looking up at the stars. The vast, sparkling sky makes me feel small in a way I’m not used to, as if I’m part of something bigger. The wind tousles my curls, and I savour the feeling on my skin. As I inhale more smoke into my lungs.
I have no choice but to accept this new reality, and maybe, just maybe, find a way to make it my own.
15
Kai
PAIN IS PART OF THE DEAL
