moment before she put a hand on his side and pushed him back into the washroom.
“What are you doing? Put that back on,” she whispered as she closed the door.
“But, Prince Nolen—”
“Leave it off, then. I’ll not be complaining.” She surveyed him and waited patiently for him to meet her eyes, but he kept them on the floor. He looked drawn, paler in the face, and he stood with a slump to his shoulders, holding his shirt in both hands in a most unconfident way. She put a hand on his chin, and he visibly flinched, blinking and resisting the urge to pull back. “Gabriel,” she whispered, astonished by his nature. “It’s me .”
She lifted his chin so he would raise his eyes. They flitted to the background, searching for something to focus on, but he resigned and met her eyes.
“What did he do to you?” she breathed. He looked terrified and tired. “You—you are jesting, yes?”
He blinked once, twice, and she realized his eyes had gone glossy. She removed her hand from his face, and he dropped it, blinking rapidly and taking a deep breath. ‘He did break. I had hoped….’ “I’m here to help you.”
“There is nothing left to help, Mikelle,” he replied and pulled his shirt back on.
“I can help,” she retorted. “I’m very good at getting what I want.”
He shoved his shirt back into his trousers and laced the front of them. “Don’t…don’t get too attached to me.” He shrugged on a long brown coat, and he hesitantly met her eyes, averting them for a second as if he expected backlash. “I don’t think I’ll be coming back from this,” he whispered.
“Are you two almost done?” Nolen yelled from the other room, and Gabriel flinched again.
Mikelle stepped up and buttoned his coat as he ran his hands through his hair. “I’ll make sure you do,” she said quietly. “I have need of you.”
She pulled the door open and felt the weakness take her breath away. Gabriel stepped past and hid her face from Nolen. She quickly took his arm to keep from losing her feet. He stopped and bent his elbow, staring ahead at the floor as if the motion was so normal he was unbothered. If he felt her weakness through their touch, he said nothing. Instead, he reached over and took her bag from her shoulder putting it over his.
“The blonde girl is late,” Nolen muttered, standing at the window, watching them. “She looks an awful lot like Princess Robyn did, I think, what with her hair. It would be a shame if I had to harm that pretty face for her insolence. Tell me, how was she last night?”
Mikelle proceeded cautiously. “Fine.”
Nolen smirked but made no reply as he pointed to a black satchel. “Carry that,” he said to Gabriel and strode out of the room. Gabriel obeyed, and Mikelle grabbed his handsomely embroidered Mage cloak. He kept his eyes downcast and extended a hand to her, pointing at the cloak and opening his palm, but she slipped her fingers around his and kept his cloak on her arm.
“You don’t know what you’re getting into,” he whispered and led her to the door and into the anteroom. “You shouldn’t be coming.”
They waited another several minutes before Lace entered, bundled in her warmest wolf skin coat with a pinched look on her face. Bianji stepped through the door behind her with a stern expression. Neither carried more than a small bag.
Lace and Gabriel locked eyes for a silent moment before he looked away. ‘What happened last night?’ Mikelle wondered.
“I will take you where you want, but I will not be staying,” Lace stated, folding her arms. “Bianji and I will return together.”
“Ha!” Nolen scoffed. “I am the one who gives orders. You will be accompanying us, and your friend can come too. I am sure the Mage could use another companion to warm his sheets.”
“I will not be going,” Lace insisted. “I will take you there and ride back.”
“You will stay.” Nolen snapped. “I need a Class Six Air Mage to
“What are you doing? Put that back on,” she whispered as she closed the door.
“But, Prince Nolen—”
“Leave it off, then. I’ll not be complaining.” She surveyed him and waited patiently for him to meet her eyes, but he kept them on the floor. He looked drawn, paler in the face, and he stood with a slump to his shoulders, holding his shirt in both hands in a most unconfident way. She put a hand on his chin, and he visibly flinched, blinking and resisting the urge to pull back. “Gabriel,” she whispered, astonished by his nature. “It’s me .”
She lifted his chin so he would raise his eyes. They flitted to the background, searching for something to focus on, but he resigned and met her eyes.
“What did he do to you?” she breathed. He looked terrified and tired. “You—you are jesting, yes?”
He blinked once, twice, and she realized his eyes had gone glossy. She removed her hand from his face, and he dropped it, blinking rapidly and taking a deep breath. ‘He did break. I had hoped….’ “I’m here to help you.”
“There is nothing left to help, Mikelle,” he replied and pulled his shirt back on.
“I can help,” she retorted. “I’m very good at getting what I want.”
He shoved his shirt back into his trousers and laced the front of them. “Don’t…don’t get too attached to me.” He shrugged on a long brown coat, and he hesitantly met her eyes, averting them for a second as if he expected backlash. “I don’t think I’ll be coming back from this,” he whispered.
“Are you two almost done?” Nolen yelled from the other room, and Gabriel flinched again.
Mikelle stepped up and buttoned his coat as he ran his hands through his hair. “I’ll make sure you do,” she said quietly. “I have need of you.”
She pulled the door open and felt the weakness take her breath away. Gabriel stepped past and hid her face from Nolen. She quickly took his arm to keep from losing her feet. He stopped and bent his elbow, staring ahead at the floor as if the motion was so normal he was unbothered. If he felt her weakness through their touch, he said nothing. Instead, he reached over and took her bag from her shoulder putting it over his.
“The blonde girl is late,” Nolen muttered, standing at the window, watching them. “She looks an awful lot like Princess Robyn did, I think, what with her hair. It would be a shame if I had to harm that pretty face for her insolence. Tell me, how was she last night?”
Mikelle proceeded cautiously. “Fine.”
Nolen smirked but made no reply as he pointed to a black satchel. “Carry that,” he said to Gabriel and strode out of the room. Gabriel obeyed, and Mikelle grabbed his handsomely embroidered Mage cloak. He kept his eyes downcast and extended a hand to her, pointing at the cloak and opening his palm, but she slipped her fingers around his and kept his cloak on her arm.
“You don’t know what you’re getting into,” he whispered and led her to the door and into the anteroom. “You shouldn’t be coming.”
They waited another several minutes before Lace entered, bundled in her warmest wolf skin coat with a pinched look on her face. Bianji stepped through the door behind her with a stern expression. Neither carried more than a small bag.
Lace and Gabriel locked eyes for a silent moment before he looked away. ‘What happened last night?’ Mikelle wondered.
“I will take you where you want, but I will not be staying,” Lace stated, folding her arms. “Bianji and I will return together.”
“Ha!” Nolen scoffed. “I am the one who gives orders. You will be accompanying us, and your friend can come too. I am sure the Mage could use another companion to warm his sheets.”
“I will not be going,” Lace insisted. “I will take you there and ride back.”
“You will stay.” Nolen snapped. “I need a Class Six Air Mage to
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