“Kritak!” She crossed the room in a few quick strides and stormed outside with a curse. The front door slammed shut behind her with a bang that rattled the windows.
I took a deep breath and glanced at Bane, who was still perched on the kitchen counter. “Not following your mistress?” The black tomcat tilted his head, eyeing the butter churner, his little pink tongue darting out. “Traitorous little beast.”
After putting the finished butter in a clay jar, I fetched a small bowl and filled it with some of the remaining cream. I had barely set it down before the cat was bent over it, purring as he devoured the bluish delicacy.
“Always looking out for your advantage,” I said with a chuckle.
This time, when I scratched his small black head, I did not get swiped at. If only it were as easy to bribe myself back into Rada’s good graces.
“I’ll tell you a secret, little menace.” I stared at the door she had vanished through. “Countless ages could pass, and I would never forget her.”
Rada wasn’t entirely wrong. Part of me had been analyzing and cataloging every single one of her reactions since I came here. A part of me that couldn’t help but devise a desperate plan, with one simple goal.
“Whatever it takes, I will prove to her that I have changed. That Iwill do better this time. That I canbebetter with her by my side. And then I will make her mine again.”
I hoped it was only my imagination, but there seemed to be something very close to pity in Bane’s amber eyes as he licked my hand, begging for more cream.
CHAPTER
20
Rada
Poppy neighed softly, giving me a long-suffering look with big brown eyes as I adjusted her bridle for what felt like the hundredth time. My aging mare was reluctant to leave her comfortable stable for the two-hour journey to Dalath. My nervous fussing around her and the small wagon hitched behind her probably did not help.
Once again, I was seeking refuge in keeping busy, all to avoid the gaze of the man loading the goods on the wagon for the farmer’s market. After our intense argument yesterday, the most severe since his arrival, we had hardly spoken. When I’d mentioned during breakfast that I would drive to Dalath today, Noctis had simply grunted, eyes fixed on his plate. Yet he had offered to help me get the wagon ready.
I was lucky he had little farming experience. Otherwise, the pitiful amount of goods—some vegetables and two wheels of cheese—would have made him question my decision to undertake the journey. But perhaps he was just as eager as I was for a few hours of solitude.
I needed to escape the house, to put some distance between usbefore I snapped and either plunged a kitchen knife into his chest or tore off his clothes to ease the unbearable tension between us. The heat coiling low in my stomach as I watched him secure everything on the wagon, his elegant, long-fingered hands swift and sure, told me which option my traitorous body preferred.
I climbed onto the wagon and picked up the reins. “I’ll be back in the evening,” I said with a terse nod, ignoring the peculiar feeling of seeing him stand in my doorway as if he belonged there.
A demanding meow made me scoot over, making space for Bane. The tomcat jumped up, his little body a warm, reassuring presence. Bane loved going to the village with me, enjoying all the attention—and treats—he received from his admirers.
I urged Poppy forward. The brown mare settled into a steady pace, pulling the wagon out of the courtyard and onto the road. Resisting the impulse to look back was harder than I liked. The impossible man hadn’t even said goodbye, his gaze cold and unreadable.
What if he leaves?The thought struck me with piercing force. Nothing was keeping him here. He was healed, his horse and weapon within reach. He had no reason to stay and help me, a goddess who had lost her powers and could offer him nothing if he really intended to restore his magic. As he had said, I had betrayed him. More than once. To save the world, because it was my duty, but still, still…
No judgment between us.The one thing that had always held true. I had thrown those words in his face when he’d raged at me yesterday, his dark eyes brimming with fury and heartbreaking vulnerability.
That terrible day when he had been stripped of his power, I had believed he was too consumed by insanity, driven solely by his hatred, to care for my feelings. But I couldn’t deny the truth any longer. He had cared. Me being among those who had judged him had destroyed him—as much as it had destroyed me.
Had he hoped I would save him? Had he prayed for my intervention when the power of the Ten tore into him, ripping away his magic?
Back then, he had been all defiance, snarling at us like a savage animal, his face twisted with pure hate. But I knew he was always at his most vicious when he reached his breaking point. I had seen the fear behind the hostile facade. I had always seen.
Anguish filled me, and I instinctively tightened my grip on Poppy’s reins, causing her to stop abruptly. I breathed in deeply. Just one glance. If he really left, I couldn’t bear it…
“Rada!”
The voice behind me was closer than expected. I swiveled around on the wagon. And there he was. Breath quickened after sprinting to catch up with me, face carefully composed as he leaned against the fence, rattling it as if checking it was the reason he had come here.
He cleared his throat, his eyes flitting to the spear at my side before fixing on me with sudden intensity. “Be careful.” His lips curled into a smug grin. “We both know you have an unfortunate tendency to get into trouble.”
I couldn’t help but smile back. “You mean lettingyoutempt me into trouble. I should be safe this time, then.” I motioned to Bane, purring contentedly in my lap. “And I am not alone. Bane will look after me.”
Noctis’s gaze softened. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the farm and your animals while you’re gone.”
