Page 75 of On Silver Winds
She shook her head and laughed again, and this time Kai joined her, threading the same lofty tone into his own deep chuckle.
Good, she thought at him, wishing he could hear her.Very good.
Captain Doran’s jaw looked as though it might break from the pressure of his grinding, but he curled his lip and forced out a flathumthat could have passed for a laugh.
“Quite right, Princess. Thank you,” he gritted out, bowing again so that he wouldn’t have to look at her, “for your understanding.”
“Of course,” she said, with a gracious nod. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, it’s supper time and I amfamished.Your Majesty?”
Kai offered her his arm and they swept away without glancing back at the Captain, though from her periphery Adeline could see him standing rooted to the same spot, glaring after them. She tightened her hand on Kai’s elbow, pulse jumping in her tight throat.
They walked in terse silence for several minutes before Kai tugged gently on her arm, pulling her into a quiet alcove. She let him, waiting in the dim while he paced the mouth of the alcove, clasping his hands in front of his chest as though in furious prayer.
“We should probably go to the dining hall.”
Kai stopped in front of her, cocking a brow. “I’m not hungry right now.”
Adeline shrugged heavily. “Well no, neither am I, but Doran’s gards –”
“Please –” Kai threw up a silencing hand, more exasperated than she’d ever seen him. What waswrongwith her that the gesture made her want to lean over and bite his lip?
“Please, a minute. I wanted to thank you, while we’re alone. And to explain myself.”
“You don’t have to explain anything, Kai. Ceriwyn, your people, that’s entirely your business.”
“Iwantto explain.”
He frowned a little – to himself, she thought. Almost as though he was surprised at his own words.
“Captain Doran wasn’t wrong; the Gard have no record of Ceriwyn’s survival. She’s all I have left, and she has to be safe. I don’t want to offend you, Adeline, your family has been good to me but… you have to understand, I emerged from the ice with no idea what world I was stepping into. I didn’t know what stories had been told of my people, of what happened between my family and your ancestors, and I had to - ”
“Kai,” she said gently. He was spiralling, and she worried his heaving chest would collapse if he didn’t breathe. “That’s entirely understandable.”
She reached through the shadows and took his hand, and though she felt him flinch, he quickly laced his fingers through hers.
“She’s your sister?”
“Yes,” said Kai. “How did you guess?”
Adeline’s lips curved. “The way she speaks to you.”
He gasped out a laugh.
“And the way you look at her. I have a little sister, too.”
“Iseult?”
She nodded. He was still holding her hand, and he turned it over in the dark, studying the pattern of her fingers overlapping his. Goddess, was hand-holding a fixture of Merrow culture? A gesture of pure and platonic friendship she wasn’t aware of? She tried to ignore it even as her heart gave a quiet little leap in her chest.
It’s nothing. He’s just relieved, and grateful. It’s nothing.
“When the Marquess offered his home, I asked him to house a family of two. The Gards account only for the head of each household; as far as they know, Ceri is a little girl. The grandchild of our Chief Elder, Eda.”
“Clever.” She pulled on his hand, urging him to look at her. “I want you to know, as far asI’mconcerned, Ceri is Eda’s granddaughter and nothing more. You can trust me.”
Even in the low light, Adeline could see the soft look that passed over Kai’s face. He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand. “I know I can.”
Nothing,she told herself again, despite the quickening that had taken root in her chest.It’s nothing.
