Page 123 of Infernal Bonds

I lifted my head to find Cyn staring at us from the doorway.

We just stared at each other in silence while Zeke nuzzled into my hair, oblivious to Cyn’s presence. When he made no move to enter or leave, I lifted my hand and reached for him.

Zeke lifted his head when he felt the movement and froze.

Cyn looked from him to me as I lowered my hand.

“There’s room,” I said, squeezing Zeke’s arms around me, hoping I wasn’t making a mistake. That Cyn wouldn’t be angry. That what happened in Feranzis meant more to him too.

He took slow, deliberate steps toward us until he reached the foot of the bed. The weight of his palm on the bed felt like a small victory. He crawled onto the bed, his gaze shifting between us until he propped himself against the pillows next to us.

No one said anything for so long that I wondered if I’d made a mistake. Zeke never let awkward silences linger. But then Cyn finally spoke up.

“How are you feeling?”

I looked over at him, but he was looking at Zeke.

“My headache is gone. Eating helped.”

Cyn’s gaze shifted to me. “What about you?”

“Now that I don’t have to eat berries, I’m fine. I don’t wanna see any berries for at least a week.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I actually believed he would. The kitchen was his domain. He handled most of our meals. I assumed he took care of the groceries as well.

Cyn scoffed and leaned against the headboard. “I can’t believe you got Ezra to compromise.”

“What?”

“That bit about letting you go to the palace and back with only an escort? He wouldn’t have done that if it were us.”

“I’m sure he would if y’all were uncomfortable.”

Zeke shook his head.

I turned on the bed to sit facing them both. “You’re joking.”

“Nope,” Zeke said. “Ezra can be a hardass.”

“He’s no Cornaith, but he doesn’t compromise if he believes his way is the best way.”

Ezra had conceded to a lot of my wants and needs since arriving on the infernal plane. He’d even had Lymsrana let me see my friends before I left. Did he do those things because I was his mate or because he genuinely cared?

Or is it a manipulation tactic to get you to comply?

I dismissed the nagging voice in my mind that tried to sow seeds of doubt. Ezra was a master of strategy, but I couldn’t expect the worst when the positives outweighed the negatives in our interactions—at least since Cholian, when Ezra found out I wasn’t a manipulative bitch.

“We only want to protect you,” Cyn said so quietly I almost missed it.

I hummed and toyed with Zeke’s fingers in my lap.

“Are you sleeping in here?”

Zeke glanced at me. “If she wants me to. I mean, I want to.”

“I already asked you to stay.” I took a breath. “Are you gonna stay?”