She lowered her head back onto his chest with a groan, but he also felt the thread of tension that had started to coil through her fade away. He ran his palm down her side, over the velvet softness of her skin, the gentle undulation of her waist and hip, feeling her relax into him completely.
He might have said more, but a throat cleared loudly outside the tent, and he swallowed the quiet words, turning to growl at the intruder instead. “Go away!”
Laughter from outside the tent told him it was Nim, and he sighed loudly, knowing that she would be very difficult to get rid of.
“I heard that.” Nim chuckled, clearly amused.
Alanna flushed a deep scarlet at his sister’s words, no doubt worrying about what else the squad had heard, and ducked her head into his neck.
A rush of powerful protectiveness flooded him, and he pulled her closer, covering her with his wing before he grumbled loudly, “Nim, you’re my sister, but for the love of the gods, fuck off!”
Nim laughed again, undeterred. “Tristan says get your ass out here. We need to talk about tomorrow.”
“What’s happening tomorrow?” he asked, knowing that they were still miles away from the mountains of Tegeingl.
“We plan to reach the temple by midmorning. Tristan wants to talk about what we’ll do when we get there.”
“What?” He knew they would be going past the complex, but he hadn’t realized they were planning to stop and visit the Nephilim.
Nim sighed loudly, echoing his earlier complaint. “Maybe you two need to do some more talking and less—” she cleared her throat meaningfully “—whatever.”
He felt Alanna curl deeper into him, and he wished he could burn down the palace and everyone in it who had made her so anxious and unsure of herself. Whatever happened, he was going to show her how magnificent she was, how worthy of love. And that she never needed to feel ashamed again.
But first he had to get rid of his sister. “Nimmy, I need you to go away. Now.” And then, as he remembered that he was trying to be a better brother, he added, “Please.”
Nim chuckled from outside. “Fine, fine, I know when I’m not wanted. I’ll save you some dinner. And Val?”
He sighed. “Yes?”
Her voice lowered and became completely serious. “I’m glad for you. For both of you.”
“Thank you.” His answer was just loud enough for Nim to hear.
He hoped she knew how much her support meant to him. Especially when Alanna gave him a sweet smile, unfurling slightly against him.
They heard Nim’s footsteps fade away, and he ran his thumb down the soft skin of Alanna’s cheek and tipped her chin up against his chest so that he could look at her properly. “Why are we going to the Nephilim Temple?”
She felt so small and vulnerable in his arms, but her eyes were clear, her voice firm as she replied, “I want to petition the assizes. I thought that if I could just explain everything in front of the justice; tell them what really happened at Ravenstone, that they might drop the charges against us.”
Gods. She humbled him. Her strength. And her hope.
But he didn’t want her to be disappointed. “Even if they find for you, the king is still the king.”
She nodded sadly. “I know. It won’t change that we have to live in hiding. But it will change what the public knows. What your friends know. I wanted to give you that.”
His voice was gruff as he replied, “You amaze me. Thank you.”
She lifted her head to kiss him gently at the same time as her stomach gave a loud, determined rumble, and she giggled against his mouth.
He grinned back. “You need to eat.”
She shrugged as she chuckled. “I could manage something.”
“Come on then.” He sat up and made space for her to sit up beside him, and then froze, shocked and appalled.
She had turned away to pick up her jerkin and breeches, and for the first time, he saw her back.
She glanced back at him, still giggling, but the sound died at the expression on his face. The color drained from her cheeks as she frantically dragged at the leather corset of her jerkin.
