Page 106 of The Bound Blood
“No,” he says flatly. “But thank you for asking.”
Lindsay shakes her head, amusement softening the worry still lingering in her eyes. “You two aren't getting enough sleep.”
“We’re fine,” Nolan and I say at the exact same time.
She snorts. “My guys are disasters.”
My heart stops. Nolan freezes like someone hit him with a stun spell. And then—slowly—we both look at her.
My guys.
She said it casually, as though it’s a throwaway comment. But it sinks into my chest like something holy. I try to play it cool and fail.
“Your guys, huh?” I manage, hoping my voice doesn’t sound as wrecked as I feel.
She rolls her eyes, but her cheeks pink slightly. “You know what I meant.”
I absolutely do not breathe for three full seconds. Beside her, Nolan looks like he’s either about to pass out or propose marriage.I’m right there with you.
“The bond’s fine,” Lindsay adds, nudging my foot. “You’re fine. And nobody is losing anything.”
My chest loosens—the knot of fear finally, finally untying.
“Yeah,” I say quietly. “Okay.”
A soft, icy-sweet voice floats over my shoulder. “Raiden?”
I tense before I turn, because that voice hasn’t been anywhere near me for weeks. Adeline glides between the tables like she owns every inch of the space. Pale-blonde hair braided with frost-glimmer strands, perfect posture, eyes bright and intelligent.
She doesn’t hesitate—just slides into the empty seat beside me as if she never stopped doing it.
“You’ve been impossible to find,” she says, studying me with that familiar worry she always hid behind coolness. “Loki and I thought you died.”
She’s completely exaggerating, we both know it. I’ve just been with Lindsay most of the time, and she’s probably felt too self-conscious to come over. She might act cool and collected at all times, but I know her.
“I didn’t,” I say dryly.
“You could have at least told us you were ditching us.”
Her tone is light, but only barely. She cares. She always has.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lindsay go still. She schools her expression fast, tries to smooth her features into something neutral, but I know her too well now. She’s jealous, even if she won’t say anything.
And damn it, I wish she wasn’t.
Adeline notices the pause. Of course she does—she misses nothing. Her attention flicks to Lindsay, assessing, curious. There’s no hostility in her gaze…just calculation and interest. She taps her spelled fingernails on the table and one eyebrow lifts.
“Oh,” she says softly. “Hello.”
“Hi,” Lindsay replies, but her fingers curl around her cup a little too tight.
Tamsin arrives three seconds later, takes one look, and blurts, “Oh. Frostbite Barbie’s here.”
Silence.
Tamsin blinks. Then her face goes pale. “I—” she sputters, hands flailing in front of her like she can shove the words back into her mouth. “I did not mean to say that out loud.”
Adeline turns her head slowly toward her, one perfectly arched brow lifting. “Frostbite. Barbie,” she repeats.
