Something crosses Red's face. Then, just as quickly, the moment breaks.
"Well," Red says lightly, clapping his hands once. "Since you insist on staying to be judged and probably executed, you might as well leave behind something worthwhile."
He strolls toward the anvil.
"I need a sword."
Hrolf scowls. "Go buy one."
"I could." Red leans against the worktable. "But I'd prefer one forged by a master who is the son of Durakain."
My grip tightens on the hammer.
"I'll pay generously," Red adds. I know he has the means to make the promise. Before Garrett became Rhianelle's knight, he was heir to House Clayborne.
Hrolf ignores the request, muttering something in Dwarvish that sounds suspiciously liketoo many long-eared visitors spoiling good work.
I cast a glance at the assassin to check his progress.
Shade hunches further over his work, determined to ignore the interruption. His quill scratches against the parchment, leaving another ink blotch.
But the wolf…
The wolf's entire demeanor changes the instant Red speaks. Its ears perk forward, swiveling toward him with sharp attention. The sapphire eyes that had been focused so intently on the parchment now track Red's every movement with predatory focus.
Red steps further into the forge, and I notice his gaze lingering on the wolf.
"Interesting addition to your classroom," he murmurs, his eyes still on the creature. "Tell your dog to sit."
The wolf's ears flatten against its skull in aggression.
"Not mine," Shade mutters without looking up. "It's just… around."
"Then whose is it?"
"Maybe the Queen's."
Garrett tilts his head slightly. "Why is that mutt looking at me like it's calculating my weight in meat?"
"I think he likes you," Shade says blandly.
A low, rumbling growl rolls from the wolf's chest. His lips pull back in a snarl.
Hrolf has stopped hammering entirely. He watches the exchange with narrowed eyes, his bushy brows knitting together.
"The wolf was friendly earlier," he mutters. "That's odd."
It is odd.
Because I can see what Red cannot. A faint thread of light stretches between him and the wolf. I can feel it humming in the air. Fate has decided their futures are knotted together. Their paths are meant to collide.
I file the observation away for later. Whatever is happening between Red and this wolf, it's none of my concern. Unless this thing becomes a threat to Rhianelle. Then it becomes very much my concern.
"I almost feel sorry for you," Red says lightly. "Now that your wife has Blaire. Must be strange. Sharing her attention."
Shade glances up from his parchment. "Does she like Blaire better?"
"Probably," Red considers this with genuine thoughtfulness. "She has known Blaire since childhood. Those two in the same room together. The rest of us basically cease to exist."
