Page 139 of Season Warriors & Wolves

Kilian dragged me there before I could show the old hag what a grump I was.

We perused the market for a little, but my stomach had protested for food, and he pulled me to a faraway stall where they were selling some of my favourite salty dishes. The man who had known me for a decade and had fed me most of my dinners throughout my teenage years pulled two stools back and made us take a seat right in front of where he was cooking.

“Evan makes the best meatless pies,” I said, taking a fork and biting on a tinsel while the man stirred the vegetable fillings over the hob.

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Heard you visited him the most, so I’ve come to have my dinners here for a while now.” Apparently, I must have been looking at him funny because he smiled. “What?”

“Nothing.”

Evan set two plates before us with some massive portions of pie and sauces. “He was keener about the stories than the food.”

I stopped chewing. “What stories?”

Evan gave me a sly look. “Exactly. What stories. There were too many to tell.”

Glaring up at Evan, I said, “I can ruin you.”

The man did not even flinch. “You will starve.”

Fair.

“So,” Kilian started, resting an arm over the back of my chair. “What did you get out of Malena?”

“They told you?”

“Who?”

“Nia and Thora.”

“No,” the man said, smirking at me. “Your soldiers did. They are good gossip. They know you well. Your habits too.”

I lowered the fork before taking a bite out of my food. “Are you preparing for an exam or what?”

“I’d like to know about my woman. It’s not fair that random men know you better than me.” His fingers skimmed the back of my neck. “So, are you going to tell me or would it be better for my health to live in the dark?”

My cheeks were about to explode with how much food I’d stuffed in my mouth, so he waited, entertained considering the grin he had in his face, till I chewed all of it. “No, I will tell you.”

He stopped the other helping of pie I had loaded in my fork. Carefully prying the utensil from my strong fingers, he separated a bite size chunk and lifted it to my mouth. “I love watching you eat, woman. Love seeing you have your appetite back.”

“Why lie to her?” Cai asked, sliding onto the stool next to me and stealing my plate of food, immediately gobbling up the pie in one bite. “She’s the ugliest when she eats.”

“That is why she is married to me, not to you, Caiden,” Kilian said, pushing his plate in front of me and lifting a spoonful of the warm stew to my lips.

Ignoring him, my friend helped himself with seconds without even asking Evan. “So, what did the sea bitch tell you?”

“Father has mercenaries all over Solarya. Two of Magnus’s court members are on his side and plan on locking the city when the fleet he’s dispatching soon arrives on their shores. His plan has apparently always been to take care of Solarya first—quietly.”

“Like Olympia. At night. City gates locked from the inside, making it impossible for troops to go in or out.” Cai sighed, leaning back. “Silas is a one-party trick sort of man. What else?”

“Adriata was next. Day time. Ambushed south by his supposed unblessed alliance and held up north by Eldmoor. Also trapped. Then Hanai. Trapped, too. This time on all sides. Apparently, he already had ships stationed in the Sayuri before Jayre burned the ones in Heyes. Doubt Moriko can abandon the west borders to guard the east, too.”

“Could be what Silas wants,” Kilian said. “Weaken the west's defence by separating her guard.”

Cai shook his head. “All this without even considering Aurora and Demir. He knew an alliance would form. He is trying to separate us from facing him head on.”