Her brows pulled together. Then, understanding clicked into place.
She had given Cassidy a key to her flat years ago, back when she’d spent days on end at the castle trying to cancel Lord Greymane’s leasing contracts with the neighboring herd of mist elk—towering, ghost-pale creatures that roamed in great, shifting tides. They were peaceful beasts and had been on the land for years, but Greymane had wanted to install a falconry range there instead.
“Asshole.” She scowled as the door opened.
Squaring her shoulders, she stood straighter, ignoring the exhaustion clawing at her bones. She needed to look stronger than she felt. It was time to tell Lara what she had done.
The door shoved inward, and Cassidy and Lara both tried stepping through at once, their combined bulk wedging them in place. Cassidy pushed against Lara’s thick, furry shoulder, shoving with all her might. “Get out of the way, you slobbering mountain of fur!”
Lara let out a long-suffering huff, adjusting her weight just enough to allow Cassidy to squeeze through first.
Emmaline blinked, then took a long breath.Here we go.
Lara followed close behind, her massive paws making the floorboards creak beneath her weight. It was easy to forget, sometimes, just how large the Corgis really were. And Lara was small for her kind. Most were the size of horses. Their Bonded were calledRidersfor a reason. Either way, standing there, level with the kitchen counters, shoulders broad enough to block the doorway, Lara was impossible to ignore.
“I do not slobber!” she huffed, ears flattening as she nudged Cassidy hard in the back, sending the woman stumbling into the counter Emmaline was leaning against. “You drool more in your sleep than I have ever slobbered in my entire life.”
Cassidy let out an undignified squawk, shoving her hair out of her face. “That is slander—”
“Fact,” Lara shot back, lifting her head high, her tail giving a single, self-satisfied wag.
Emmaline pressed her lips together, biting back a smile.
Here stood two of the Vale’s greatest warriors—Rider and Corgi, bonded through battle and blood, their names whispered in both reverence and warning—and yet, somehow, they had the energy to bicker like siblings in her kitchen. It was a wonder their civilization had ever survived.
“Sure,” Emmaline deadpanned, arching a brow. “Come on in.”
Cassidy finally wrenched herself free from Lara’s not-so-gentle shoving and turned to Emmaline with a grin. “There you are.”
She reached forward without hesitation, wrapping Emmaline in a firm hug.
The warmth of it, the solidness of her, sent a sharp sting behind Emmaline’s eyes.
Cassidy pulled back. “I’m sorry we missed ladies’ night. I heard it was a good one.”
“Yes, well…” Emmaline bit her lip, gaze flicking downward.
Cassidy’s brow lifted, her sharp gaze catching the hesitation instantly. “I also heard you wanted to talk with Lara and me.”
Emmaline exhaled, blowing a tangle of hair from her eyes. “I do. Though I didn’t expect you to come all the way down here.”
“You weren’t at Rider School this morning,” Lara said, stepping forward. “And Ursula said you missed brunch.” Her amber eyes narrowed slightly. “She also said you were with some guy.”
Cassidy folded her arms, watching Emmaline closely. “We were worried.”
It was Sunday, then.And they were worried about her.
Emmaline swallowed, forcing the quiver from her lips. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—fall apart now.
She coughed, rolling her shoulders in an attempt at nonchalance. “Sorry about that. Rough night.”
Cassidy turned toward the stove, setting the kettle on with practiced ease. “Did you go out again?”
She didn’t wait for an answer, already reaching for the teacups in the cabinet. Her fingers brushed over the empty spot where Emmaline’s mother’s cup usually sat. She stilled. Her hand didn’t move away, didn’t reach for another. Just… hovered in a pause.
Her head turned slightly, scanning the kitchen, past the cloth Emmaline had placed over the crack Deyric had left. Not finding what she was looking for, she frowned and grabbed a different cup instead, placing it beside the other.
When she turned back, her gaze flickered over Emmaline. “You look awful,” she said, blunt as ever. Then, with the barest hint of a wince, added, “No offense.”
