"The wise words of an eternal bachelor," Malachi says flatly.
I bite back a laugh as I pour passion fruit juice into three glasses. But my amusement dies when my gaze catches on the bookshelf across the room. We put it back in place. Organized the books. Made it look untouched.
But someone was here. Someone went through our things. And they either used that hidden passage or discovered it. Either way, we're exposed.
"I got into the Keep," Kage says, pulling out the chair across from me. "Found your brother."
My knees nearly give out. I sink into my seat before they can. "And?"
"Exhausted. But unharmed." He nods at the black book on the table. "He asked me to bring you that."
"You're certain he's not hurt? They haven't?—"
"I asked. He hasn't been touched." Kage meets my eyes. "Not physically, anyway."
"Thank you." The words come out unsteady. I reach for the book, but Malachi's hand closes over mine.
"Eat first."
The concern in his eyes makes something in my chest tighten. My stomach growls again, betraying me, and I decide not to argue.
Everything else fades when I tear off a piece of the warm, flaky bread and find melted guava inside. I close my eyes and let myself have this one small moment of sweetness. When I open them, both men are watching me with undisguised amusement.
I look at Kage. "You bought these?"
He nods, wary.
"I've never given marriage much thought," I say, reaching for another piece. "But between news of my brother and Milly's guava bread, I'd marry you tomorrow if you asked."
Kage throws his head back and laughs, the sound rich and startled. Through the bond, I feel a flicker of annoyance from Malachi, quickly smothered by reluctant amusement.
"I was the one who sent him to the Keep," Malachi says, a glint in his eyes that makes my pulse stutter. "And told him to bring the food."
I shrug, reaching for another piece. "Then you can be a contender."
He barks a surprised laugh. "You're going to make us compete for your heart?"
"My heart?" I raise an eyebrow over the rim of my glass. "I thought we were discussing marriage."
Kage chokes on his bread.
"You don't think you can have both?" Malachi asks, his voice dropping into something more serious.
"I do. I just wouldn't expect you two to care about the distinction."
"What makes you say that?" Kage manages between coughs.
"Outsiders have a different view of marriage."
Malachi's eyebrow rises. "As opposed to the High Sage, who selects your partners for you?"
I shoot him a look but don't take the bait. "The merchants who come through Siren's talk about marriage in terms of legacy. Heirs. Bloodlines. They don't see their spouses as people. They see them as warm bodies to share their beds and raise children who'll carry their names forward." I take a sip of juice. "The entire institution is clouded by the obsession with what comes after."
"And how do you view it?" he asks quietly.
"We don't have children in Lunaris. Marriage isn't about legacy here. It's about partnership." I turn the glass in my hands. "Companionship. Comfort. Emotional security." I meet his eyes. "We have our own work, our own income. We're not looking for someone to provide for us. We're looking for someone to weather the storms with."
Kage makes a sound of quiet surprise. Malachi's frown deepens, as if the concept of marriage is entirely foreign to him. I suppose it is. Three centuries in stasis doesn't leave much room for thinking about partnership.
