Page 72 of The Hopeless Romantic’s Guide to Enchantment

“He almost kissed you?” Tasi leaned forward in her seat. “Of his own volition?” Her voice was dry now, laced with sarcasm.

Cera threw a pillow at Tasi’s face, but the woman caught it with a swift hand and smirked. Cera flopped back onto the four-poster bed, scrubbing her face. “I don’t know what happened, Tasi. I was buzzed, and he was hot.”

“How romantic,” Tasi drawled.

Guilt prickled through Cera’s chest, and as always with this kind of situation, things got complicated. She fought past her initial surge of you agreed to this, mostly because they’d had that argument before, and it usually ended with one or both of them in tears. Instead, she pulled back, swallowing hard.

Opened her mouth to say what she really wanted.

And then closed it again.

Because ever since the first day, when Tasi had pointed out a tube mounted in the stone wall behind a picture frame and mouthed, they’re listening, they’d had to bite their tongues and twist their words.

No matter what it seemed like, they were deep inside enemy territory here. Cera had almost forgotten that.

Tasi sighed. “I just… don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I don’t think Raiden is the type to hurt me,” Cera said.

Tasi shook her head. “I don’t think that matters.”

And the resulting silence said everything they couldn’t.

* * *

The morning after The Almost Kiss, someone rapped on Cera’s door with urgency. She opened it to reveal Raiden, dressed in riding attire, his hooded cowl coiled around his neck, his ocarina on full display. “Cera, please know I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t necessary—”

“What’s wrong?” she demanded.

He grimaced. “The earl’s lands are being invaded by Welk, our neighboring region. I’m obliged to help shore up defenses, as the duke and—”

“—warbird rider.”

“Yes.” Raiden frowned, casting a glance at Tasi. He cleared his throat and brought his gaze back to Cera. “Are you willing to ride with me? No militia in their right minds would attack two warbirds. With your help, we can save lives.”

“Korvi isn’t a fighter.” Cera crossed her arms.

“Korvi is a warbird,” he replied.

They stared at each other, and she could feel the chemistry between them slipping away. Of course, of course, some thing like this would interrupt the wedding. She finally set her jaw. “Fine. But I am not a soldier reporting to you, Raiden. Raliana riders operate differently, and I have an obligation to Korvi first and foremost.”

“I will ensure neither you nor your bird comes to harm,” he swore.

She believed him. And that meant Pinske would be in danger instead.

She cast a glance at Tasi, who set her jaw and nodded once. Approval – to do whatever was needed. No matter what, they had to focus; this was a stark reminder that Raiden wasn’t marrying her for nothing. He’d proposed because she carried the rarest gene in the world.

She was a warbird rider, even if her bird wasn’t meant for war.

“I will follow you,” she said, solemnly.

He bowed deeply and said, “Thank you, duchess.” Without a word, he sprinted down the hall. Cera closed the door behind him, feeling sick to her stomach. She pivoted to face Tasi, and was startled to see the anger in her companion’s eyes.

“This can’t continue,” Tasi said.

Cera knew what she was remembering: a forest. A collection of humans walking past mountains, stifling sobs because they weren’t mountains. Two little girls staring in horror at bloody feathers and vacant avian eyes. Their elders smoothing the broken feathers of birds felled in a battle that was never theirs.

Warbirds.