“I just don’t.”
I don’t bother holding his gaze. His decision’s made, so I roll my eyes and wave my hand at him.
“When are we leaving?”
As soon as the question leaves his mouth, Creed’s sunsetter blares through the kitchen. He gets out of his chair, silences the racket, then stomps toward his room.
“In ten minutes.”
He disappears through his door, and my soul immediately reaches out to him. The tender stroke that responds has me releasing my breath.
Sevryn doesn’t say a word as he gets up from his chair, squeezes Yemi’s shoulder, then heads for the front door.
“I’m so over you running off to danger. How about for the next trip, we pick somewhere nice to go?”
“Damn right. I’m with Lam-the-man on this,” Riven says as he claps Lambrit on the shoulder.
Bless it. Another nickname.
“You find a nice vacation spot and we’ll go.”
He gives me a small smile.
That was a little game we played when he was studying the region’s maps back in Oddian. He’d name off places he’d like to see. I’d tell him to pick a spot, and I’d get us there.
“Thayla.” I turn toward Yemi’s quiet whisper of my name. “Sevryn’s wrong, right? He isn’t at any of those places, is he?”
Valories know I’m the shittiest liar in the entire realm.
My body’s already growing flushed.
I’ll blame it on the Amick-after-effect if she asks.
“Everything’s going to be fine.”
She gives me a very unconvinced nod as she rises from her chair. Instead of going through the front door, she makes her way down my hallway. I give her a minute to make her way outof my room before telling the other three to sit tight while I go change into my armor.
I spare a glance at my back door as I enter my room, then head toward my closet. I’m so torn between feeling like I should’ve said more to her, but also not. The last thing I want to do is get either her hopes or worries up any more than they already are.
There’s no telling how Sevryn’s really going to handle the news that it’s Hellveilious we’re going to. If he freaks out, it’s going to freak her out.
Gods, what the hell do we say if her fourth is a piece of shit?
That sounds like a job for Doren.
The familiar material of my armor glides on like a second skin and I huff at that.
My ass had some wishful thinking when I first saw them and hoped I wouldn’t be wearing them much.
My unpleasant noise is met with a small chuckle, and my heart races.
“What’s wrong, gorgeous?”
My gaze roams across Kyzen leaning against the frame of my closet door. He’s already got his armor on and two swords strapped to his back.
A lump forms in my throat at the sight of them, but I swallow it down and return the flirty smile he’s giving me.
Goodness, he’s something beautiful to look at.
