“I won’t,” I said, voice fierce, and approval shone in Cillian’s eyes. “I’ll work every day to show her I deserve her.”
Nevan pushed his spectacles up his nose. “Well, I’m happy for you two. Hopefully you’ll be less grumpy with her around.”
“Not likely,” Cillian mumbled, and I was tempted to throw another roll but thought better of it when Mother cleared her throat.
“And what about you two?” She looked at Nevan and Cillian, who both groaned.
“I have work to focus on,” Nevan said while Cillian said, “It’s out of my hands,” both of them a little too happy about their excuses.
Mother desperately wanted to see us all in love and happy, and as much as I was happy with Niamh, I wasn’t sure my brothers would follow the same path. Neither of them seemed remotely in a hurry to find love. Then again, I hadn’t been either.
“You two could learn from your older brother. He must be doingsomething right to have won the affection of such a lovely woman. What are your excuses?”
Jerome stood, chair scraping across the floor. “That’s my cue to go wash dishes.”
Cillian pressed his hands against his chest. “I’m literally a high prince. What more could a woman want?”
Nevan snorted until Mother turned her steely gaze on him and his smile disappeared. “I’m an alchemist, and I’m really... smart,” he finished, that last word coming out as a mumble.
I could practically hear Mother’s eye roll.
“Give them time, Karina,” Jerome called from the kitchen where he dried dishes that lifted from the basin, floating toward him.
Probably another potion Nevan was testing.
Mother and Niamh would get along well, and Jerome would likely be in the library daily, checking out books and asking Morton to eat them all and give him summaries. Oh, godwitch. Jerome, Morton, and Nevan. They’d be insufferable at family gatherings, talking books and science, and for some reason, that didn’t make me as grumpy as it should have.
I glanced at Mother, catching her staring at a painting on the wall of our family, a sadness in her eyes as she looked at Lor.
I instantly sobered as Nevan and Cillian argued about who should find love next.
“You need a queen,” Nevan said.
“I literally cannot choose one. You, however, can go find any lovely lady in this city to marry.”
Mother continued staring at the painting, and I knew I needed to tell them about Lor before I lost my courage.
“Are you staying for dessert?” Mother asked, her gaze swinging back to me. “Jerome made a delicious sweet potato pie.”
“Yes,” I said.
“Excellent!” Mother clapped her hands together and reached for the pie server. When I grabbed her hand to stop her, her brows crinkled.
“Actually, there’s something I have to tell you all first. And it’s about Lor.”
CHAPTER 42
Niamh
Ilay on Wolfe’s bed, completely naked, my body hungry for him as I imagined him walking through the door at any moment, how his eyes would go full black at seeing me, the growl that would escape him. Godwitches, I loved the way he looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
I shifted, the soft sheets caressing my skin. I’d been here for nearly half an hour, and I was starting to feel a little silly just lying here naked with no Wolfe in sight.
Then again, he was visiting his family home for the first time in years. They probably had a lot of catching up to do. Besides, it wasn’t like I had anywhere else to be with the library closed and Morton already asleep inside one of the books.
The front door creaked open in the other room, and Wolfe instantly appeared in the doorway, his eyes devouring me.
I sat up. “How did it go?” I asked.
