Liana’s entourage preceded her into the room. Brutus sat next to the threshold, waiting for her to enter, while Jacob danced on the balls of his feet, throwing fists at imaginary villains. He thrust an uppercut into the air.
“Did you get ’em like this?”
“No, it was like this!” Liana sailed into the room, jabbing an invisible dagger into the air. Grinning from ear to ear, she twisted the hilt then wiped imaginary blood onto her skirt. She faltered when she spotted us lounging at the table.
I lifted an eyebrow, enjoying the way her cheeks blossomed pink when she realized she’d been caught pantomiming her fight.
“No weapons at the breakfast table, Jacob,” she said sternly, pretending to sheathe her invisible blade.
“Yes, Miss Archer.” Jacob stifled a smile and picked up a plate.
“Good morning, Liana.” I smiled and poured her a cup of coffee. She accepted the steaming cup and brought it to her lips, taking a contented sip.
“Good morning, Bowen.” She held my gaze over the brim of the cup.
Gavin made a disgusted sound and tossed his napkin onto his plate. “What am I, day-old bread? And this after I woke up early just to see how you were feeling.”
Liana lowered her coffee. “Good morning to you too, Gavin.”
“Save it. He’s all yours. Go hunt witches to your heart’s content. I’ll be in my room, doing what I do best: napping.” He rose from his chair and walked toward the door, patting his thigh to get Brutus to follow.
The dog didn’t budge.
“Traitor dog. Switching sides because of a pretty girl. That seems to be running rampant in this house,” he grumbled, his voice carrying down the hall.
Liana’s gaze darted back to mine, and I tensed at her reaction to Gavin’s statement. “Is what he said true?”
I opened my mouth to answer and paused, feeling a tingling sensation at the back of my neck. Her blush must have been catchy because I felt heat rise under my skin. “Gavin isn’t lucid on his best day. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” I winced at the gravel in my voice.
“Lucid or not, you told him about our plans.”
“Oh.” I coughed into my hand. “You meant the witch. Gavin’s trustworthy, and I didn’t tell him everything.”
She narrowed her gaze and crossed her arms, the universal signal for “tell me the truth.”
Why is it so bloody hot in here?I tugged on my collar.
“Fine. I told him everything,” I mumbled.
Liana sighed and cast her eyes to the ceiling. “And they say women like to gossip. The two of you are giving them a run for their money.”
“Did you say something about a witch?” Jacob asked between a mouthful of toast.
“Take your plate and run along, Jacob. You have your chores and then training.” I leveled him with an authoritative “don’t ask questions” look, which deflated his enthusiasm.
Liana turned her attention to my plate. “You haven’t eaten?”
“I waited for you,” I muttered, pushing back my chair and heading toward the line of food chafers. Steam rose from the serving dish of eggs and sausage. I scooped a pile onto my plate.
Liana brushed her arm against mine, reaching over me to grab a piece of toast. The serving spoon banged against the dish, and the corner of her mouth curved at my obvious tension.
“Do you want toswitch sides?” There was a teasing quality to her voice that made my hand still. She had heard Gavin’s parting remark and decided to use it against me.
Perfect.
I rested the spoon on the edge of the dish and caught her eye. A spark of challenge lurked in her gaze. Without answering, I took a small step backward. My hands slid over her shoulders as she moved in front of me, our bodies fitting together. She didn’t take the final step to the right and instead dropped her head back until it rested under my chin.
“Did you sleep well? How’s your jaw this morning?” I asked, my breath wisping the hair on the top of her head.
