Kara frowned – she’d never heard anyone else call him Seb. She turned instead to Morra, intending to keep a close eye on her the rest ofthe night, but after some food and time on dry land, she seemed perfectly fine.
“I can’t thank both of you enough,” Morra said to her and Sebastian for probably the tenth time. “Going in that river after me–”
“It was nothing,” Sebastian said.
“It was not nothing,” Morra exclaimed. “You could have been killed.”
Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck, looking at anywhere but Morra. “Well, I wasn’t. I’m fine.”
“If you ever needanythingfrom Sorrel – I’m a good baker – honey cakes are my speciality – but I can have whatever you want sent up to Thorne–”
“I’m going to get another drink,” Sebastian interrupted, getting to his feet. “Do you want one?”
Morra blinked. “Erm, no, I’m okay thank you–”
He was gone before she’d finished speaking.
Morra turned to Kara. “He’s not good with gratitude is he?”
She smiled faintly. “Doesn’t look like it.”
Sebastian had his back to them now, taking far longer than he needed to with the mead jug. Kara wasn’t entirely surprised. He’d been studiously avoiding her since the trial, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the river anyway.
Magic sharing.
A Thorne and a Hale.
Father really wouldn’t like that.
The thought made her smile far more than it should.
Sebastian moved back to the fire, cup in hand, and Jax cornered him immediately. Kara only heard snippets.
“–women in the Isles–”
“–it was one night, Jax–”
“–not theonlyone–”
Kara busied herself with her bandages in her satchel. She didn’t need to hear about that. She lasted about a minute before she glanced over again. Met Sebastian’s eyes for half a second. He’d been looking at her already. He turned away quickly, his brow creasing.
Jax suddenly bounded to his feet and climbed on the short stone wall by the fire, apparently deciding he had to regale anyone who’d listen with the story of their survival over the waterfall.
“We soared! I tell you, flew right over it!”
Oryen corrected his story under his breath, and Sienna perched herself next to him by the fire with her flute, a melodic tune filling the air.
“Two more to go,” Jax shouted, lifting his drink with a grin. “Just two more!”
Kara took a seat by Sienna, letting the music wash over her for a few moments as the sun began to set. Jax looked almost affronted, and reached for her hand enthusiastically. He pulled her to her feet, pushing another mead cup into her hand.
“Come on Hale!” Jax called. “You’ve got to celebrate with me!”
Kara laughed. Jax’s attitude had changed dramatically since he’d seen her healing in action, and his joy was infectious.
Then the music stopped.
Kara looked over at once. Team one had returned. And the looks on their faces silenced the courtyard.
