bed wet.”
“I’m too tired to care.”
He chuckled and pressed his lips to her forehead, noting how icy her skin felt. “You’ll sleep better once you get out of these wet clothes. I’ll take them downstairs to dry.”
She let him undress her, her eyes half-closed throughout it. Her shivering grew stronger with each layer he removed, and he longed to take her in his arms until she warmed up. Instead, he retrieved a dry shirt from his bag and pulled it over her head. She scrambled under the quilts when he finished and was out before he closed the door behind him.
As soon as he entered the main room, he felt Dev’s glare on him. “That was fast,” he said, pointing to her clothes.
“I’ve gotten used to removing her clothes.” Kell hung them up by the fireplace, enjoying the small thrill he got every time he caught a glimpse of Dev’s jealousy. He’d been patient, waited for Arden to come around, and she was his now. Or almost as good as his. He knew she loved him, even if she still hadn’t said it yet. Why else would she be sharing his bed every night?
Fane had already procured food and a strong ale by the time he sat across from the other two men at one of the long tables that stretched the length of the room. He dug into the hearty meal of roasted meat and potatoes, noticing that both Dev and Fane hadn’t touched their food. “This isn’t your usual stopping point, is it?”
Fane replied with a barely perceptible shake of his head. “That is about another hour’s journey away, but the storm grew too strong for us to carry on.”
Both of them seemed to be watching everyone else crammed into the main room, their shoulders tense.
“Are you expecting any trouble?” Kell asked.
Dev leveled his gaze with him. “That remains to be seen.”
“What Dev means to say is that with other places, I knew the owners only allowed certain parties to stay with them.” Fane cast one more glance around the room before reaching for a hunk of bread. “Here, I have no guarantee.”
“You’d do best to act inconspicuous,” Dev added before following Fane’s lead.
Kell looked up from his meal and noticed several men staring at him. His mouth dried up, the food inside it becoming difficult to swallow. He lowered his eyes and focused on eating. “Do I stand out that much?”
“You’re a Ranellian, and they know it.” Fane then shrugged. “But don’t worry. Dev and I will look out for you.”
The way the corner of Dev’s mouth rose told Kell exactly how much he’d love seeing him get into trouble. He tossed a piece of meat on the floor for Cinder and rubbed the wolf’s head when it plopped up on the table looking for more. “Go upstairs and protect Trouble,” he ordered before giving the wolf a large joint of meat.
The wolf grabbed it and carried up the stairs like a trophy, the red of the firelight shimmering along his coat.
Kell played with the potatoes on his plate. He should’ve been the one concerned about Arden’s safety.
“Take your time eating, Kell.” Dev waited until he finished chewing before adding, “I’d like to see the man that tries to mess with Cinder.”
Kell knew all too well what a good watchdog the wolf could be. Cinder had bared his teeth more than once at him when he was first pursuing Arden.
He resumed eating and almost didn’t hear Fane when he said, “What made you want to re-establish ties with Gravaria?”
“I think it’s time we put our old feuds behind us and work together.”
Dev peered over his mug. “What he means to say is that he didn’t want to let Arden out of his sight.”
The meat seemed tougher than before. Dev knew him better than he thought, but he also needed to make sure the Empress wasn’t biased against him before he even had a chance to meet with her. “I won’t lie—Arden did play a part in my decision, mainly because I saw what good magic could do for my kingdom.”
“So you admit you’re only interested in her because of
“I’m too tired to care.”
He chuckled and pressed his lips to her forehead, noting how icy her skin felt. “You’ll sleep better once you get out of these wet clothes. I’ll take them downstairs to dry.”
She let him undress her, her eyes half-closed throughout it. Her shivering grew stronger with each layer he removed, and he longed to take her in his arms until she warmed up. Instead, he retrieved a dry shirt from his bag and pulled it over her head. She scrambled under the quilts when he finished and was out before he closed the door behind him.
As soon as he entered the main room, he felt Dev’s glare on him. “That was fast,” he said, pointing to her clothes.
“I’ve gotten used to removing her clothes.” Kell hung them up by the fireplace, enjoying the small thrill he got every time he caught a glimpse of Dev’s jealousy. He’d been patient, waited for Arden to come around, and she was his now. Or almost as good as his. He knew she loved him, even if she still hadn’t said it yet. Why else would she be sharing his bed every night?
Fane had already procured food and a strong ale by the time he sat across from the other two men at one of the long tables that stretched the length of the room. He dug into the hearty meal of roasted meat and potatoes, noticing that both Dev and Fane hadn’t touched their food. “This isn’t your usual stopping point, is it?”
Fane replied with a barely perceptible shake of his head. “That is about another hour’s journey away, but the storm grew too strong for us to carry on.”
Both of them seemed to be watching everyone else crammed into the main room, their shoulders tense.
“Are you expecting any trouble?” Kell asked.
Dev leveled his gaze with him. “That remains to be seen.”
“What Dev means to say is that with other places, I knew the owners only allowed certain parties to stay with them.” Fane cast one more glance around the room before reaching for a hunk of bread. “Here, I have no guarantee.”
“You’d do best to act inconspicuous,” Dev added before following Fane’s lead.
Kell looked up from his meal and noticed several men staring at him. His mouth dried up, the food inside it becoming difficult to swallow. He lowered his eyes and focused on eating. “Do I stand out that much?”
“You’re a Ranellian, and they know it.” Fane then shrugged. “But don’t worry. Dev and I will look out for you.”
The way the corner of Dev’s mouth rose told Kell exactly how much he’d love seeing him get into trouble. He tossed a piece of meat on the floor for Cinder and rubbed the wolf’s head when it plopped up on the table looking for more. “Go upstairs and protect Trouble,” he ordered before giving the wolf a large joint of meat.
The wolf grabbed it and carried up the stairs like a trophy, the red of the firelight shimmering along his coat.
Kell played with the potatoes on his plate. He should’ve been the one concerned about Arden’s safety.
“Take your time eating, Kell.” Dev waited until he finished chewing before adding, “I’d like to see the man that tries to mess with Cinder.”
Kell knew all too well what a good watchdog the wolf could be. Cinder had bared his teeth more than once at him when he was first pursuing Arden.
He resumed eating and almost didn’t hear Fane when he said, “What made you want to re-establish ties with Gravaria?”
“I think it’s time we put our old feuds behind us and work together.”
Dev peered over his mug. “What he means to say is that he didn’t want to let Arden out of his sight.”
The meat seemed tougher than before. Dev knew him better than he thought, but he also needed to make sure the Empress wasn’t biased against him before he even had a chance to meet with her. “I won’t lie—Arden did play a part in my decision, mainly because I saw what good magic could do for my kingdom.”
“So you admit you’re only interested in her because of
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