She looked at me with big, worried eyes, but she didn’t argue. She just leaned up and kissed me deeply enough to make my body thrill.
We weren’t ready to let the world intrude, and silently agreed to rest there in her stable room for a time.
Curling up with her, I lay on my side, with her pressed into my chest, one arm over her. She fell asleep almost immediately. She was exhausted.
Yet another aspect of this picture I had mismeasured, I thought.
As she drifted into dreamland, I turned my thoughts to God, to pray for her silently, and beg Him to protect her. I vowed to do anything I could to fill her with confidence. But admitted that I wasterrifiedwe were out of time to train her. And once we were in the forest of the Fyrehold Court… well.
Only God knew.
Her survival instincts will help, but in pure skill, she would be a sheep among wolves.
Help her. Help me to help her. Help both of us.
And bring us back. Together. Safely.
Please.
38. Dress for Success
~ BREN ~
It was disconcerting to wake up the next morning in my little stable room. It took moments of blinking to clear my sight and foggy mind, and remember everything that had happened.
The argument with Donavyn.
The reconciliation.
Benji, and my concerns about others looking for me.
Donavyn’s reassurance, and staying with me in this little bed and—
I sat up quickly. But there was no sign of Donavyn in the room, and the morning sun angled through a small crack in the door from the stable.
‘Akhane—’
‘Our mates were called out early, together. Donavyn begs your forgiveness. He wished to leave you to sleep. He worries you haven’t had enough rest. I agree with him, Bren.’
I sighed and shook my head.‘I would have wanted to say goodbye.’
‘He says he’ll see you this evening—and to come to his apartment after dinner. He thinks you’ll both sleep better with more room.’
I hadn’t slept poorly. Quite the opposite, I remembered nothing since drifting off in his arms. But this was a narrow bed. Probably far more uncomfortable for him.
Shaking off the weariness I still felt despite the sleep, I got up and hurriedly washed again with the water in the basin.
I needed to bathe properly.
Thoughts of Donavyn’s bathing room called. I gathered up my discarded leathers from the night before and heard the crinkle of paper in the pocket and was reminded of Benji’s note. I needed to get to the Seamstresses today in case it was a question or fitting they needed. But I hadn’t even finished buttoning the fresh pair of leathers that I always left in the drawers here, before a knock echoed in the stable.
‘Akhane?’
‘It’s a stranger. I haven’t tasted his scent before.’
The stable door was closed, so I hurriedly buttoned my jacket as I rushed out of the room, calling that I was coming to open the door.
A moment later, I heaved the sliding door aside to reveal a tall, very clean man in colorful livery, including a tabard that bore the king’s clawing lion embroidered in golden thread. He stood with his chin high and didn’t meet my eyes when I greeted him.
