22
NEIRIN
With Evera in my arms,all outer threats fell away. The moment would not last. The time I had to embrace her was fleeting, and soon I would have to sort out what to do with Calix and return my thoughts to my brother. For now, though, I could simply enjoy her presence.
Though she’d tempered the heat, it pleased me that she felt it too—the rush, the desire, the need. Her scent frenzied my beast, and I had to fight the urge to lower my head to her neck, where it was at its strongest, and breathe her in. To find the pulse there and bite. To claim her.
No, I will do things right this time. Will not kiss her until I earn her name.
While the concept of putting such importance on a name seemed trivial to me, I could tell by her words that it meant very much to her. If she were willing to let me try to earn her heart, despite the precarious situation I found myself in—that I’d put her in—it was not asking much that I court her traditionally.
In the quiet of the stables, disrupted only by the occasional sounds of the horses, I closed my eyes and kissed her forehead once more. The touch was simple yet intimate, and it filled me with warmth. “You will let me court you, then?”
She hummed thoughtfully and drew back enough to meet my eyes. Something flickered in the blue-green hue of her irises, and from her I detected the flutter of wistfulness. “You are asking me?”
Thoughts of my prior conversation with Maerel returned to me, and in Evera’s eyes I saw the heaviness the innkeeper spoke of.
“It’s not your brother’s blessing I want.” I raised a hand to stroke her cheek. “It’s yours.”
With an exaggerated huff, Evera leaned into my hand and grumbled.
Amused by her expressiveness, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “Have I said something wrong?”
“No,” she mumbled, “you’ve said something right, and it’s irritating.”
I laughed. “Should I apologize?”
“No.” She rested her head back on my shoulder. “It is only that it was my intent coming out here to lecture you, and you’re making that very difficult.”
“I will take that as a small victory,” I replied, smiling into her hair.
She scoffed. “My brother won’t like you.”
“All things considered, I would have to agree with him.” I raised a brow, then added with more seriousness, “I must ask something of you. It is not something I wish to burden you with, but it is of great importance.”
The only response I received was a faint, muffled sound of acknowledgment.
“It is very possible that my brother’s life is at stake,” I said, and Evera looked up at me, pursing her lips. “If I am caught before I’ve had the chance to clear my name, I will not be able to protect him.”
“You are asking me to lie to my brother about who you are?”
Sighing, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I am.”
“Very well,” she said, resting her head at my shoulder again. “Then what do I call you?”
I attempted, in vain, to muffle my laughter. “I’ll admit, I’ve become quite taken with Cordelia.”
“I will not call you by my mother’s name.” Feigned irritation laced her tone.
Letting my soft laughter fade, I stroked her arm with my thumb. The casual way in which we fit together like this was indescribable. Courting a woman should be the last thing occupying my thoughts, but I was lost in a surge of gratefulness for my quick-tongued companion. Whatever we were to each other, it felt remarkablyright.
“The innkeeper calls me Lark,” I said.
“Lark?”
“Yes, it’s the family name I’m going by.”
“You have a family name now?” Evera pushed off my chest and sat. “Well, that is more than I have.” I drew a breath, but before I could speak, she smiled, showing me there were no ill feelings. “If you are courting me, I should have your given name.”
