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“Only the best for the Laesornysh warriors.” Merrik pressed a light kiss to her forehead. He wouldn’t do more kissing until they were somewhere more private than the central foyer. “I am surprised you could not requisition a truck.”

“I probably could have. But all the trucks were still in use, and I needed the walk.” She grinned up at him. After a moment, her teasing look faded as she met his gaze. “I had to come. Dacha and I are being sent back to the front the day after tomorrow.”

His hold on her tightened. He didn’t want to let her go back into the fray once again.

But he would. He would never hold her back.

“Then take a walk with me?” He forced himself to step back, his smile forced and yet true. “I have not had a chance to explore the grounds yet.”

“More walking…” She heaved an exaggerated sigh.

“I am sure there will be a convenient bench somewhere for both of us to rest our legs.” He tugged her toward the door.

“In that case, a sit-and-take-in-the-gardens sounds lovely.” Adry’s smile returned, her fingers clasping his. Her smile softened as the two of them navigated the stairs, then set out on the gravel path that circled the mansion. “You’ve come such a long way.”

He drew in a deep breath of the grass-scented air, letting the crunch of the gravel beneath their boots fill the silence for several long moments. “I have.”

While he’d had some anxiety that morning before climbing into his aeroplane, it hadn’t been nearly as bad as when he’d returned to Fort Defense from Estyra. He’d gained confidence that he could navigate a new, unknown place and handle the accessibility issues when they presented themselves. And he had.

She squeezed his hand and smiled before the two of them turned into the gardens extending from the back of the manor house. Gravel paths meandered between the neat arrangement of flower beds, ornamental trees, and hedges. A few, darker spots of drying dampness marked the places where pots had stood before the elven pilots had hauled them inside.

Only a couple of elves remained in the gardens. One of the male elves was trying to lug a rather large planter through the glass-paned double doors at the back of the mansion while a female pilot was digging up flowers at the far end of the garden.

One of the windows in the third story creaked open before one of the other female elf pilots leaned out. “Grab some of the hostas. Oh, and that wisteria. It would look lovely growing around my bedposts.”

The elf digging up the flowers waved back, her fingers coated in dirt.

Adry sighed, frowning. “I suppose a kiss is out of the question.”

“We would have an audience.” Merrik shot a look, first at the elf in the garden, then upward at the windows.

“I don’t mind, if you don’t.” Adry turned to face him, her hands coming around his waist. “I’m going back into war. I don’t care who sees.”

When she put it that way, he had no reason to do anything but cradle her face and kiss her.

Merrik sat on the back step of the patio, his legs stretched out before him as the evening breezes toyed with his hair.

Fieran plopped onto the step next to him, similarly stretching out his feet before him. “Moping?”

“No.” Merrik didn’t look at Fieran. If he did, Fieran would see that was a lie.

Fieran’s huff and shake of his head showed that he’d seen right through Merrik anyway. “She’s going to be all right. She has both of our dachas looking after her. And she has the magic of the ancient kings. She’ll be fine.”

Merrik bit back the protest that it was easy for Fieran to say. Pip was a mechanic who stayed behind the lines when they flew into battle.

But he’d seen for himself that Pip was far from safe. She’d held off bombings and recently had gone into battle with a contingent of dwarves to retrieve a Mongavarian magic-stealing machine.

Besides, Fieran was right. Yes, war was unpredictable. Even Fieran had crashed. Even Uncle Farrendel had had his magic drained and been knocked unconscious. But if anyone would be all right in battle, it would be Adry.

Instead, Merrik heaved a sigh and leaned back on his hands. “You are correct. But that does not make it any easier not to worry.”

“Worry is for things we can change, and right now there is nothing you or I can do.” Fieran clapped Merrik on the shoulder. “But we’ll be there when she goes into battle. You’ll be able to protect her from the skies.”

True. Merrik clasped Fieran’s shoulder in return. The whole of the Half-Breed Squadron would be looking out for Adry this time.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight