Because he would need it, too—soon.
I’d…managed to make him more than a friend.
I’d made us partners in our pain.
We now had a link, a bond.
And wasn’t that fucking perfect for a blindside?
I hid my victorious grin as I held his hand and followed him into his castle and all the way up the tallest tower.
When we lay down on his bed, with chilling golden mist floating on his bedchamber’s floor around us, we closed our eyes and fell into peaceful sleep right next to each other.
Chapter Twenty-Four
~ Gwynnore ~
Master Niallan and I walked on quick feet to breakfast through his castle, in companionable silence, though we instantly separated as we entered the room, heading to different sides of the ornate table. Devin, Ysander, and the Overlords turned their attention to us, where they already sat at the table eating.
Lord Otto glanced at his watch. “You’re late, candidate.” He tipped his head back up and glowered. “You knew what time we wanted to start this morning.”
Master Niallan sat on his chair in a huff. He shook his head, and muttered, “My damn alarm clock didn’t go off. My apologies.”
I sat on my chair with ease. “I told you to plug in your phone. You didn’t listen.”
His green eyes met mine. “You did not tell me that.”
“I did too. Right before you threw a pillow at my head for daring to mention the beds at our stronghold were better than yours.”
Master Niallan blinked. “Oh. That’s what you were babbling on about?”
I lifted one black eyebrow. “You just wanted to sleep in. Don’t pretend for a second that you didn’t hear me.”
Gradually, his lush lips twitched.
“That’s what I thought.” I leaned back on my chair as a servant set my morning meal before me. I turned my attention to the Overlords. “You’ll have to excuse my appearance, my lords. But the asshole at the end of the table is at fault for the pillow creases still on my face and my rat’s nest of hair.”
Lord Belshazzar grunted. “Is he also at fault for your shirt being on inside out and backward?”
I snapped my attention down, my eyes flying to my shirt. My fingers fumbled at my neckline…and a tag poked the pads of my fingers right under my chin. I slowly looked back up and lowered my hands.
This probably did look bad.
I was sure he’d been told about the druid’s and my conversation last night—my decision for no sex, manipulating the druid on a much,muchmore intimate level. The Overlord had to be wondering what the fuck had happened to change it—like, a possible remaining childhood crush.
That was dangerous territory.
A personal fuck, not a work fuck.
Lord Belshazzar merely waited.
He took a bite of his eggs and chewed.
I cleared my throat quickly. “No. In my rush this morning to change out of the shirt he gave me to sleep in, I must have put it on wrong.”
He leaned back in his chair and inhaled deeply. I knew he was trying to decipher by scent if we’d had sex or not. His blink was gradual as he untangled the smells or lack thereof. The lord chuckled quietly under his breath and turned his regard to the druid ruler. “Apparently, you can be a gentleman.”
Master Niallan munched on a piece of cantaloupe. “Nothing happened between us last night, my lord. Quit worrying your small-minded thoughts about it. I wouldn’t want your head to explode from jealousy.” His green eyes flicked to Devin and Ysander, capturing their attention. “Really. Don’t worry.”
