“From behind pillars. While she was with other men. Very protective.”
Malrik snorts. I can’t help it — I do too.
Kieran’s eyes narrow. “I am capable of watching over her safety while she’s otherwise occupied.”
“Uh huh. And the watching had nothing to do with wanting to be the one she was occupied with?”
Silence.
Kieran doesn’t answer.
“That’s what I thought.” Finn leans back, satisfied. “You’re a voyeur, Kieran. Just admit it. It’s fine. We’ve all got our things.”
“I am not a—”
Rule #68 — if you’re going to call an ancient dragon a voyeur to his face, make sure he’s too exhausted to retaliate. Or that you can run faster than dragonfire.
“You watched me and Malrik in the hot spring. You tried to watch Torric and Kaia through the wall. You were at the cave entrance during Darian’s—”
“I was standingguard.”
“You werewatching.”
“Those are not mutually exclusive.”
“So you admit it!”
Kieran pinches the bridge of his nose. “I admit nothing.”
“Your silence speaks volumes.”
“My silence is the only thing keeping me from throwing you into the fire.”
“See, that’s the thing though.” Finn grins. “You won’t. Because then Kaia would be sad. And you’d rather die than make her sad. So I get to mock you forever.”
Kieran stares at him for a long moment.
Then his mouth curves. Just barely. “You are insufferable.”
“I’m delightful.”
“Thosearemutually exclusive.”
“They really aren’t.”
The tension breaks. Malrik shakes his head, but he’s almost smiling. Aspen makes a sound that might be a laugh. Even Darian’s shoulders have loosened.
This. Right here.
This is what we almost lost.
“She was happy,” Darian says quietly. Almost to himself.
We all look at him.
He flushes. “I mean — through the bond. What I felt from her. She was…” He trails off, searching for the word. “Safe. For the first time in weeks. Really safe.”
Kieran’s expression softens. “She was.”
