No sooner had she stepped off the last step than Taayin strolled around the corner. They both came up short, no words spoken between them. Not at first. He seemed as surprised to see her as she was him.
When he began walking again, his steps bringing him closer, Asmia’s breath lodged in her throat. He was finally here, standing before her. Surely, she should say something. Anything. Except her voice wasn’t working.
Taayin offered a nod of his head, then strolled right past her to the stairs. Asmia turned to see him ascending them two at a time. He never looked back, and another piece of her heart splintered, the pain so strong she would’ve gone to her knees if Obsidian hadn’t appeared. Insistent she would not look weak before him, Asmia forced steel into her spine, then lifted her head.
“Good evening,” he greeted, his eyes narrowing as they settled over her.
Asmia smiled. “If you’re looking for Penelope, she’s in the library.”
“I’m actually looking for Reidar. Have you seen him?”
Asmia shook her head. “Not since the evening meal.”
Obsidian nodded. “Everything all right?”
She held her smile in place by sheer force of will. “Of course.”
Clearly, he didn’t believe her, but thankfully Obsidian didn’t press.
If he had, Asmia would’ve crumbled like a house of cards.
Hunting down Reidar was quickly turning intoa pain-in-the-ass mission. One would imagine theladearein charge of manning the schedule for thefiestreighwould be easily located. So not the case.
Obsidian was about to reroute to the library when he heard raised voices coming from the game room. Rather than waltz over, he paused on the far side, staring over the railing to see Reidar and Winnie going nose to nose, their anger and frustration palpable.
He’d heard in recent days that the pair of them were arguing nonstop, enough that others in the mansion were getting concerned. As he watched them, it was hard to believe they’d only been together a few short weeks and Reidar was convinced she was hisamsouelot. Not that destined souls wouldn’t have normal, everyday problems like all couples, but he found it difficult to believe they couldn’t find a common ground.
“I need you to make a decision, Reidar. And I need you to do it now.”
Reidar thrust his hand through his hair. “I’m not doing this right now. In case you forgot, I’ve got a job to do.”
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” Winnie snarled. “It’s all you ever do. I’m starting to think you love your job more than you love me.”
It wasn’t his place to say anything, nor was it his place to interfere, so Obsidian slipped down the hall to the library. He peeked inside to see hisereswacurled up on the leather sofa with a book in her hands. It hadn’t been all that long ago when she’d first come to this room and he’d introduced her to some of thefiestreigh. Hard to believe only a few months had passed since then, yet so much had changed.
“What’s got your attention,ayreme?” he asked as he closed the door behind him.
The smile she gifted him with was one he longed to see on her face every day. He’d made it his mission to ensure she had every reason to smile, because she’d completed him in ways he’d never imagined.
“I thought you were meeting with your brothers.” Penelope set the book down on the table.
“All taken care of.”
“And Kaj and Bijou? They’re staying?”
“For now.” Obsidian eased onto the sofa beside Penelope, then shifted her into his lap without preamble, a move he was sure she was getting used to.
She giggled as she got situated.
“I was hoping to talk to Reidar. That’s why I’m up here.”
Penelope’s eyes shifted to the door. “I think there’s trouble in paradise.”
“Sounds like it.”
Hisereswapressed her cheek to his shoulder. “I’m starting to wonder if Reidar moved a little too quickly with her.”
Obsidian was wondering the same thing.
