Page 147 of Dream Reaper

His smile broadened as he leaned closer. “Aye. I rather enjoyed pretending to be husband and wife, Meat Pasty—loads of fun, that—and I’d like to give it a genuine go. If you’re willing.”

A small crease formed above his brows, his face hovering directly over hers.

“Oh my.” Ava choked on something halfway between a laugh and a sob.

In that moment, he sounded so much like Dragon and Jerrid, with Dragon’s sarcastic humor and Jerrid’s subtler insecurities, that it made her heart hurt a little.

His eyebrows wrinkled above his nose. “Is that a no?”

She leaned onto her tiptoes and pressed a hard kiss to his mouth. He tasted like sweat and ash and dragon fire, and it ignited a fire in her chest. He kissed her good and proper and then left a final lingering kiss on the tip of her nose.

“You haven’t answered my question,” he growled.

She grinned. “I just did.”

The furrow eased between his eyebrows, his smile widening.

Someone cleared their throat, and they pulled apart while exchanging guilty smiles.

Persis and Haryk stood nearby, arm in arm. The princess’s grin was so wide, Ava feared it might split her face clean in two.

“I see you two are getting along well,” she teased. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Haryk has some business he needs to discuss with you before everyone cleans up and rests.”

Ava’s gaze flicked to the prince, her stomach churning unpleasantly. “Business?”

The prince nodded and leaned his shoulder against the wall, weariness etched on his face. Ava frowned, her gaze lingering on the wrinkles at the edges of the prince’s eyes that she had never noticed before, and were his temples more white than silver?

This recent battle had taken a toll on him.

“I’ve been thinking about the girls,” he said in a low tone meant for their ears alone. “I have plans to reengage Haldor in peace talks, to try to amend the treaty, but that’s going to take time.”

Ava’s heart gave a wild stutter, and her gaze clashed with Jerrid’s.

“But in the meantime, I’ve been thinking about starting an investigative committee to look into the conditions of the Haldorian brides. To make sure they’re being treated right. I also want to enforce the age limits more rigorously.” His mouth turned down here, his expression almost angry. “I had a talk with Brynja before we left. Her input was…enlightening.”

Persis leaned closer into his side, her lips pressed into a taut line.

The prince’s expression smoothed. “I’d like to assign the job to you, Jerrid, and maybe Finnr, if he’s interested. I want people working on this who have the girls’ best interests at heart. Eventually, I’d like a joint committee of both elves and humans to improve relations. But this means you would have to stay in Eroth…”

Were his eyes twinkling?

Ava shot a glance at Jerrid, warmth surging through her chest. Would they both be able to stay here in Eroth, then?

“I would be honored to consider this position,” Jerrid said, taking his time as he chose his words. “But I will need to speak to my father, of course, to ask for reassignment.”

“Of course. I would expect nothing less.”

“Are you sure,” Jerrid began, licking his lower lip and frowning, “that you won’t mind having a dragon shifter running amok in your city, poking his nose into people’s business? I won’t be popular.”

The prince’s face cracked into a weary smile. “Unfortunately, change is rarely popular. And a dragon shifter might be just what this peace treaty needs.”

Ava slid an arm around Jerrid’s waist, so proud of him in that moment that she thought her heart might burst.

Prince Haryk cleared his throat. “That brings me to you, Ava.”

Her smile froze as a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Oh no…

“I’m sure you noticed that Glamren was injured recently—it’s a long story I won’t get into now—but she has expressed an interest in retiring.”