Page 24 of War Queen
He paused on the last stitch, his breath catching on the broken image of the sun.
Salara put her hand on his knee. “Give him time, Soren,” she said softly. “He loves you. He just needs time.”
Chapter seven
Hopecamewiththesun. Norah lay awake in bed but didn’t move to rise. Soren had returned. Yes, the reunion wasn’t quite as she had hoped—slightly more soul crushing. But still, he was home, and she had Sephir back, and Adrian was safe. That reminded her: she still needed to kill him for worrying her as he did, although he had brought Soren home, so he might escape with a mild bodily injury and a hug. A smile came to her lips as she nestled against Mikael under the quilts and furs.
“Come closer,” he murmured.
Her smile grew as she wriggled nearer to him, soaking in his warmth.
“Closer,” he said, and pulled her on top of him.
Norah laughed.
They lay in the quiet of the morning, her head on his chest. She felt the thrum of his heart under her cheek, in time with her own.
“Will you talk to him today?” she whispered.
His chest tightened underneath her, but he didn’t answer. She couldn’t feel his heart anymore, but she knew it was there. Angry, hurting, hiding.
Norah crossed her arms over his chest and rested her chin on them. “Will you not talk to me?”
She didn’t think he’d answer her, but finally he said, “Not yet.” But the anger in him was fading.Progress.
“Okay,” she said softly, and gave him a small smile. The air became lighter with her acceptance, and he relaxed again.
She swirled her fingertips over his chest. “Will you eat breakfast with me?”
Mikael brushed her cheek, and a mischievousness came to his eyes. He drew her up and closer. “I want breakfast in bed,” he said with a smirk, and pulled her to meet his kiss.
Norah laughed as he twisted and turned them, moving her underneath him. It wasn’t unusual for him to wake with a hunger, one she was happy to satiate.
Morning Mikael, she called this side of him.
She loved Morning Mikael.
Norah frowned. Everything in Soren’s chamber remained untouched. He hadn’t been there. If he hadn’t returned to his chamber, where had he stayed? She rolled her eyes. If this was some gods-damned humble acceptance of his discharge, she’d scream.
She turned on her heel and stalked out of the castle and toward the sparring fields. When she spotted him, anger rippled through her. He was on the field with the warriors, calling moves, as he usually did. Except now he was among them, participating. What in the nine hells?
She stormed onto the field toward him. He stopped when he saw her. They all stopped.
“What are you doing?” she demanded when she reached him.
Soren’s brows creased in confusion. “What?”
She waved her hand at the field. “This. What’s this? And why didn’t you sleep in your chamber?”
“It’s no longer my chamber.”
What?“What do you mean it’s no longer your chamber?”
“I’m no longer lord commander.”
What complete and utter nonsense.“Wasn’t it your chamber before you were lord commander?”
He shifted. “Kind of.”
