“Well, I kind of barged in and he was in bed.” Aegir gave him afor-fuck’s-sake-go-onlook. “And Darius was in his bed,too.” My eyes widened; they didn’t strike me as the type. “The princess was also there. In bed. Between them. Naked. One was fill—”
“All right, all right. I take your meaning,” Aegir cut in.
Oh.So she overcame Aegir’s rejection by bedding two of his males. I see. And not that I didn’t believe him, but to have it confirmed made it just that bit better.He rejected her.
“Darius said they found her downcast on the first floor. He described her as a damsel in distress that desperately needed some gentle care and tending.”
Aegir let out an annoyed grunt, raking his fingers through his hair. “Oh, I’m going to fucking freeze them both to death. Do me a favour, will you? Go tell them to get the fuck out of Ramel.”
“You want to send Darius and Joel back home?”
Aegir’s words were misty. “Send all of them.”
“All of the Vanguard?” Eldric asked, two lines forming at his brow.
“Yes, you heard me.” Eldric only shrugged, not thrilled with Aegir’s decision. “Then come back here. I think she’s ready for Obstacle,” Aegir said, extending his arm towards me.
“Obstacle?” I whispered in confusion.
“I agree,” Eldric said. “We can set it up in the paddock.”
“Uh, what are you two talking about?”
Eldric squared his shoulders, and his voice deepened into a baritone. “It’s a type of agility and strength training involving a strategically organised obstacle course. It has a lot of technique and timing involved.”
Oh.
“Soundsfun,” I said flatly. I swore these two were going to kill me at some point.
“Where is it?” Aegir asked for the millionth time. Eldric fetched a grey sack from beneath the bench he was sitting on earlier and handed it to Aegir. “Go.”
It looked as if Aegir was tellingmeand not Eldric to leave. His gaze did not leave mine. And the second Eldric flew away, my heart thumped and my eyes fluttered. “Where did you get that?” I breathed.
“From Dunehaven. I thought you’d remember it.”
“I—of course I remember it.” I just couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Here, it’s yours.”
“No, I…that’s too much, I cannot accept it.”
“But I bought it…for you.” I just stared at it. I had almost forgotten the profound beauty of its craftsmanship—its carvings, so attentive, delicate yet bold. “Why are you looking at it like it wronged you?”
“What? No…I—It’s magnificent.”
He nudged it towards me. “It’s yours. I wanted to gift it to you when I was certain you were ready. You’re ready.”
I finally reached for the bow. I held it proudly, my left hand fully clenched around the Osage orange wood. I spent some time looking at its meticulous designs. My fingertips traced the various lunar phases, burned and carved along its spine. Aegir observed me with as much intent as I was observing the bow, like he was watching a neglected child opening an expensive birthday gift.
“I—I don’t know how to thank you,” I whispered. “Well, actually, there is something I must confess…The wolf—I made it for you…and I didn’t really run out of blue buttons.”
“I know that already,” he said, a flicker of amusement tugging at his lips. Then he opened the bag he carried over his shoulder and added, “There’s more.”
“More?”
I stared at an arrow.
It looked like it was crafted from the bark of a redwood, its deep red contrasting the two freshly painted strips—one silver, one blue—at the arrow’s tail, splitting the feathered end in two.
