Page 177 of The Thief and the Traitor Bride

Then, Ola said, “Did it work?”

That broke the stillness between them. The commander lurched to his feet, then across the circle. He took Locke from Caspian’s arms, spreading her out on the ground, wrestling her out of her heavy cloak—and Nore caught, with some confusion, the moment Locke’s gasping breaths turned to laughter.

They all froze—Caspian with his hand half to Nore, ready to haul her up from the ground.

“Your Highness?” Nore asked, uncertain. She reached up, gripping Caspian’s hand. He did pull her up then and folded her immediately against him.

Locke sat up, gripping the commander’s shoulders. “It’s right,” she said. “It feels right.”

He studied her face. “Your power? You have it?”

“Every last bit,” she said, her smile a little bit feral. Nore leaned back, feeling the sturdiness of Caspian’s body behind her, as she wrapped his arm more securely around herself.

“And it doesn’t hurt?” the commander asked.

Locke flexed her hands, then shook her head. She laughed again, almost gleeful this time, as she buried her face in the commander’s chest. Nore barely heard the muffled, “Will you marry me now?” as Locke spoke it against the commander’s chest.

He wrapped his arms around her, sighing. “I was never the one who needed convincing, you miscreant.”

“Will you, though?”

“Not right this second, obviously,” he said.

“You have to tell Scaelas.”

Nore watched the blood drain out of the commander’s face. “Grey—”

“No. You promised to take all the unpleasantness. You swore it.”

“I’ll handle Scaelas.” A pause. “Will you come home with me tonight, then?” the commander asked, a tone lower, as if none of the others were there.

“We should, erm.” Brit nodded toward the path. “We should leave them. They get… hmm.”

“Do not want to be trapped in this room,” Eron said, even though they were, quite clearly, outside and very much not in any sort of room.

“You want to leave them unprotected?” Nore asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They can make it to Kier’s,” Eron said.

“They’re fine,” Ola agreed, already turning back. “Eron, you coming? Terlo, you, too. Trust us on this one. Leonie, did Clea go to the pub with Garna? If they’re still there, it looks like we’re off duty tonight.”

They followed the others, leaving Locke and the commander, against Nore’s better judgment. They were halfway down the path back to the fortress when Caspian paused, turning to her. He cupped her face in his hands, studying her. “You’re all right?” he murmured.

“It was unpleasant,” Nore agreed, “but I’m okay, Cas.”

“Promise?”

“Would I lie to you?”

“A thousand times, yes.”

Nore smiled, and this time, it didn’t feel forced—and it didn’t feel like a temporary happiness, either, like she only had it for the barest moment before it would be shattered. She leaned up, knotting her fingers in Caspian’s curls, drawing him down.

“I’m perfect,” she said. “Never been better in my life.”

He laughed against her mouth. “You have the worst meter for happiness, Finch,” he said. “But I would be lying if I said I didn’t love that and everything else about you.”

Nore bit his lower lip. Cas’s laugh sounded again, and it was her favorite sound in the world, in every context. She pulled him close to her, as close as she could manage—because this wasn’t ending. No one was taking him away from her again, not even her own mistrust. She would have his laugh, and his heart, and his lies for the rest of her life, even if he was a thief and a scoundrel and a spy, who had once set out to destroy her—and that was the best betrayal of all.