Page 82 of In Between Death and the Devil

“Okay.” I limped to the side of the bed.

“Maeve.” The gravel in his voice scraped over my skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

I looked up.

“I’m sorry about what I said in the Dungeon. You weren’t wrong about my wanting to be chosen.” He looked down at his hands. “Clearly, you’re not the only one with issues to work through. We both need to learn to trust each other.”

His vulnerability made my heart squeeze. I reached for his hand, slipping mine into it. I shivered at the contact.

He looked up, his eyes bright. “Can we take things slow?”

Part of me protested. I was going to be sleeping in his bed, wrapped in his sheets. I wanted to be wrapped in his arms with nothing between us. But the rest of me exhaled. Slow was good. Safe. “Yes.” I squeezed his hand.

His smile was crooked. It made him infinitely more handsome than usual. “Get in,” he said gently.

I complied, slipping between the sheets fully clothed, letting him tuck me in.

“I’ll be outside in my office if you need something.” With a wave of his hand, the floating lights near the ceiling dimmed.

I lay still under the blankets once he was gone. My mind was a swirl of everything that had happened since the Wraith in the Dungeon, jumping from thought to thought in a scrambled order. I couldn’t seem to focus. My body wasn’t helping. The siren song of the soft sheets and blankets, the firm but comfortable mattress, the pillow that perfectly cradled my head were too much to resist. Unable to fight the lethargy that swept over me, my eyes fluttered closed and I fell asleep, surrounded by Fen’s scent.

CHAPTER 23

Iwoke to an empty room, warm and rested. The clock on the mantle told me it was morning. I’d slept for over twelve hours. Stretching my limbs, I marveled at the feel of the best night’s sleep I’d had in years. Having decided to work with Fen and his team to take down Death, I could now focus on taking action. Despite the events of yesterday, I felt hopeful.

Voices in the next room drew me out of bed. The couch showed no sign that Fen had slept there aside from a pillow with a blanket folded atop it that hadn’t been there last night.

I used the bathing chamber and chose clothing from the wardrobe Fen had left open for me. It was filled with options in tan, green and gold instead of red, black and silver. Like he wanted to make sure everyone in the castle remembered who and what I was. Instead of sharply tailored lines and nipped-in waists, they were more flowing. The leggings and tunic I opted for felt lighter and less restrictive than the uniforms I’d previously worn. They skimmed my curves instead of confining them, and I sighed in pleasure at the difference.

The smell of fresh bread and cooked meat greeted me when I opened the door. Fen sat at the round table with Daphne, Titus, and Marcus, a spread of breakfast before them. Their talking ceased when they spotted me. The crack and pop of a log in the fireplace as a salamander scurried over it was the only sound.

Fen’s face broke into a smile and he stood, pulling the chair next to his out for me. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?” He wore a black shirt under his tunic, the rolled-up sleeves showcasing his forearms.

“Yes, thanks.” I played with the end of my braid as I approached the table, my eyes darting between the others.

Daphne and Marcus nodded and resumed eating, talking in low voices, while Titus spooned food onto an empty plate. He set it in front of me as soon as I sat.

“I don’t know what you like, so I gave you some of everything,” he said.

“Thanks.” I stared down at my food, something welling in my chest. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had done something like this for me.

“I didn’t poison it. Promise.” He gave me a charming smile and a wink, but I sensed he was nervous.

“It’s not that. I’m not used to… this.” I gestured to the table.

Everything went quiet again and my cheeks heated.

Fen’s hand landed on my upper back. “Take things at whatever pace you need.” His words made me flush even hotter.

“Leave her alone,” Daphne said. “Marcus, you can’t let Titus off laundry duty. I don’t care how much he begs or what he gives you.”

They launched back into the conversation I’d interrupted.

Grateful for the reprieve from their attention, I settled into my chair and tucked into my food as the three of them bickered over mundane things, with Fen chiming in occasionally. It was mouth-wateringly good. Better than anything I’d eaten in months. As I ate, the rhythm of their voices washed over me until I stopped feeling so awkward and out of place. By the time I finished, I was ready to join the conversation.

“The food was delicious,” I told Titus as he cleared my plate.

“Thank you. See?” he said to the others. “Put me on kitchen duty any time. My talents are wasted on laundry.”