Page 38 of The Sun He Buried

“I heard.”

My cheeks warm. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“All eleven were pretending they didn’t hear you.”

He noticed. Of course he did. I may need a new country after all.

Baldr braces one hand on the wall beside my hip. He smells of clean sweat, salt, and the soap he used after the market. I know the soap because he kissed me outside my room last night and I spent far too much time close to his neck.

Tonight is going very well.

“You’re very patient with them.”

He glances toward the yard. Runa has come out from beneath the target with two arrows and a rock.

“They’re learning.”

“You teach the youngest group yourself?”

“When I can.”

“Why?”

His gaze returns to me. “You think I’m doing it badly?”

“No. You’re annoyingly good at it.”

“Annoyingly?”

“It’s difficult to maintain standards when you keep adding talents.”

His hand closes around my knee through my skirt. “What standards?”

I look down at his fingers.

I had standards.

Probably.

“Sól?”

“You’re distracting me during a serious conversation.”

“I’m standing.”

“Very close.”

“You’re speaking quietly.”

“There are children with arrows.”

“They’re fifty feet away.”

“Runa is collecting rocks. We can’t assume anything.”

Baldr laughs. He leans down and kisses me.

His mouth is warm. Mine opens under it, and his hand slides from my knee to my waist. I set both palms against his chest.