Simon let out a gruff, noncommittal “Heh.”
But while Kalder and Rosie knew they were teasing each other, as was their nature, Marcel gaped. “You’re allowing him to speak to you in such a manner?” he asked Rosie.
Dropping the staff down to his side, Rosie braced his arm on Kalder’s shoulder and leaned against him. “We’re brothers, Kal and I. But I guess you can’t understand that, can you, now? What it means to bleed for someone and have them bleed for you. His words to me aren’t barbed to bite. They’re good-natured sport meant to poke fun and make him laugh at the absurd bitch that we call life. As are mine to him, and he well knows I would never hurt his tenderlings, as I value them far above me own.”
“That is why I brought them here when we were being attacked,” Kalder said. “Their lives mean more to me than me own does, and I’d rather die than see any of them harmed.”
Simon took a step forward. “And it’s why if anyone or anything comes at our fish-brother, here, we’ll be taking it personally.”
Rosie nodded. “And be taking it out of the throat of the fool what does it.”
Yet even as they said those words, Kalder’s bad feeling tripled. The skin on the back of his neck crawled with a sense of hostile foreboding.
Aye, there was something sinister here. Something foul.
And it was coming for all of them.…
Coming for their blood and their bones.
The threat was real and it was imminent.
You will have to choose. No one gets to eat their cake and have it.…
10
Cameron stared in shock at the image of herself in the mirror. “Is this really me?”
Belle smiled at her from over her shoulder, while Chthamalus grinned in approval. “Aye, love. Who else would it be? You act as if you’ve never seen yourself in a gown before.”
She hadn’t. At least not since the death of her parents, when Paden had burned every girlie item she’d possessed in order to protect her as best he could. To keep her from being separated from him byothers, and to make sure that she didn’t fall prey to some drunken randy male while they were forced to work menial jobs for their sustenance and survival. Because of his paranoia for her safety, Paden had forced her to dress and act the part of a boy for most of her life.
Truth, she could scarce remember being a girl, never mind a woman.
“I can’t believe he sent this to me.”
“Aye, my lady.” Chthamalus settled the hem around her feet, which were bedecked in the prettiest shoes she’d ever seen in all her life. Dark blue velvet shoes that sparkled with pearl and crystal buckles. Peeking out from just below the delicate lace hemline, they caught the light every time she moved. “His Highness was emphatic about it, and the colors. Said he’d seen the way you admired the gowns of other ladies and he didn’t want to see that hunger in your eyes go unsated for another hour. You mean a lot to him. Admittedly, I haven’t been with him in quite a while, but never have I seen him care for any person the way he cares for you. And in spite of all the centuries we’ve been parted, I know that he isn’t the type to have changed much, if any, from the man I knew so long ago. ’Tis not in his nature to let others close to him. So you can trust when I say that you are very special to his heart.”
Cameron felt giddy with joy over Tally’s words and Kalder’s thoughtful gift. The beautiful white dress was softer than anything she’d ever owned. Modest and fashionable, it contrasted sharply against the vibrant peacock blue silk jacket that hugged curves she hadn’t known she possessed.
She really was a woman!
Tears of gratitude choked her as she fingered the curls that Bellehad styled for her into a proper chignon. She looked so posh and fine that if she hadn’t known it was she herself, she’d have never guessed it.
“Do you think Mr. Dupree will like what he sees?” she asked them.
“Mr. Dupree?” Belle teased.
Heat stung her cheeks as she realized how silly she was being with her insistence on something so formal given what they’d shared, especially since Belle was more than aware of it. Still… “Can’t help it. It’s foolish of me, isn’t it?”
Belle hugged her. “Nay, love. Not foolish.Precious.Your unassuming sweetness is what I adore best about you.” She gave her one fierce squeeze before she let go and stepped away. “Come, me dear. Let’s go find him so that you can thank him properly for his gift, and make your brother go off into a right apoplexy over it. Want to take bets on what manner of colors that man’ll be turning when he sees how fair and lovely you are dressed like that?”
Cameron laughed, even as she clearly envisioned Paden’s tantrum well in her mind. Paden would indeed explode into a fit over this. Not just because Kalder had given it to her, but because she did indeed look like a woman, and Paden refused to see her as such. Ever. And God have mercy on any should they ever catch even a modest glimpse of anything even remotely resembling the teensiest bit of a breast bump on her body. She could only imagine the conniption he’d have over the whole swell of her tender bits showing on her décolletélike this.
If he’d had his way, he’d have cut off entire parts of her anatomy long ago and turned her into one of those Amazon warrior maids like he’d read to her about when she was a wee lass.
But she supposed that was fair enough, since most days she, in turn, wanted to cut off his cod-dangle.
“You’re an evil one, Lady Belle.”
