Reaching out, Killian tucked a stray piece of hair behind Kade’s ear, letting the silky strands fall through his fingers slowly.
Kade’s lashes fluttered against his cheek, his nose scrunching cutely as he blinked himself awake. He groaned, “I fell asleep.”
“You should go to bed.”
“I can’t. The test is tomorrow.” Kade yawned. “I still have a hundred pages to go over.”
“There’s nothing more you can learn tonight. The best thing you can do is get good night’s rest before Hokda sucks out your soul. You’ll need all your wits about you tomorrow.” Killian tapped two fingers against Kade’s forehead. “Killing yourself like this won’t help you pass. What good would all this studying have been if you keel over and die in the middle of the test?”
Kade glowered down at the text. Killian could tell the moment that Kade decided to go against him and dive back in. He could see it in Kade’s eyes.
In that moment, Killian made a decision of his own, one he would ruminate on for the rest of his life, wondering if that was the moment it all changed. But there, at that time, all he was thinking about was Kade.
“Get up,” Killian ordered. “There’s something I want to show you.”
“What? Right now?” Then, “No.”
“Come on. One hour, that’s all I’m asking for.”
“Killi, I can’t. I have to finish this.”
“Fuck that! When has a book ever helped you in the real world? Come on!” Killian held out his hand. “Trust me.”
Kade, helpless to do anything but, put his hand in Killian’s and let him pull him to his feet.
Killian smiled. Kade’s hand was warm in his. “You’ll love this.”
Kade didn’t look convinced, but he followed Killian anyway, like he always would, like it wasn’t ever a question. He wasconfused when Killian led him out of their room. He started grumbling when Killian led them outside. He stopped dead in his tracks when they stood at the edge of the labyrinth.
“What?” Kade flinched at a sharp snap that came from deep within the labyrinth. From where they were, they couldn’t even see the top of the hedges through the mist and the dark. “Dantel told me this area of the grounds is off limits. By punishment of death.”
Killian shrugged. “Eh. We’ll be fine. Probably.”
Kade shoved him.“I’m going back.”
“No, you’re not,” laughed Killian, stepping close, bending a little to catch Kade’s wary eyes. His hands trailed down Kade’s arm, gripping his elbow lightly. “You’re safe with me. I’ll take care of you. Always. Just—be careful. Don’ttouchanything, and, for the love of god, don’ttakeanything. If you do, I’ll have to kill you.”
Kade nodded slowly.
The first time Kade saw one of the hedges move on their own, twisting apart to show Killian the way, he squealed like a stuck pig and nearly trampled Killian into the ground in an attempt to flee. Killian had to grab him by the back of his tunic and haul him back.
Killian nearly doubled over when Kade glared and pouted and told him toshut the fuck up. The effect was lessened when Kade twisted his hands nervously into the back of Killian’s uniform at the next creak in the distance. Kade stuck close to him the rest of the time, grumping all the while, muttering about never trusting Killian ever again.
“Are you ever going to tell me what this spirit guards? Dantel says it’s a garden,” Kade whispered, his eyes never leaving theever moving hedges.
“It’s more than that. It’s the heart of Netyere.”
“Yes. Yes. Whatever. What does that mean?”
Killian hummed. “It was a gift from the previous king to his queen before her death. It’s said that she loved all living things so he wanted to build a place in nature for her and her alone. He gathered plants and animals from all across Netyere, and he planted them here, for her. Every species he could find. Her son, Fyar, shared her love for nature and life—don’t give me that look, Kade, he does—and they would spend hours in the dirt together. When she died, it fell to ruin, and the king…went mad.
“When Fyar took the throne, he restored it, expanded it, and put up these hedges to protect it. He’s always bringing in new species, more than I think he knows what to do it, honestly.Thisis Fyar’s heart, and Fyar is Netyere. Therefore, the heart of Netyere.”
A somber silence. Then,Kade said, “And you of all people are allowed in?”
“Well, we’re very close, you see. Me and the king. The best of friends. Soulmates, if you will—”
Kade pushed the flat of his fist into Killian’s back. “I don’t want to hear that.”
