Page 16 of On Brutal Thrones

Talon makes a thoughtful sound. “Well, that’s inconvenient.”

“Why?”

“Because I was planning on keeping her.”

A laugh escapes me before I can stop it, and Talon smiles, but when his eyes meet mine, there’s a sincerity beneath the humor that makes my chest ache.

“I came into these Trials thinking I could win back everything my family lost,” he says. “The money. The position. The life I should have had. I still want a life again. I’m just not sure I want the same one anymore.”

His gaze holds mine.

“There are things I want more now.”

My eyes burn, and I blink quickly. Are we really having this conversation?

I’ve imagined a future with them more times than I want to admit. It started as little thoughts I could dismiss. Wondering what it would be like if we stayed together after the Trials. Imagining meals that weren’t eaten while waiting for another monster to attack us, or nights spent together without wondering whether we’d all survive until morning. Somewhere along the way, those thoughts stopped feeling impossible and started feeling like things I desperately wanted.

I just never really believed they might want them too. Especially now that they know what I am.

“There are fourteen rooms in my house,” I blurt.

Silence follows.

Talon blinks. Fenric looks confused. Thorian’s brow furrows.

“Fourteen?” Talon repeats.

“Yes.” I smooth my hands over my leather skirt, suddenly unable to look at any of them. “Some are in the servants’ quarters, but there are plenty of bedrooms. My parents had the largest one, and there’s an attached bathing room with a very large tub.”

“Now you have my attention,” Talon says.

I glance at him. “I suspected that might work.”

His grin makes warmth spread through me, and suddenly the rest comes tumbling out.

“Igor and Hilda would love all of you. At least, I think they would. Hilda might pretend she doesn’t at first, but she does that with everyone. My sister would be there, and she’d love all of you. As long as you let her do her projects and read her books. And we have parties for the holidays. Everyone who lives on the land comes to the manor. There’s food and music and dancing, and we used to have fireworks when my parents were alive. We could do that again.” The picture forms as I speak, becoming so vivid I can almost see it. “There’s plenty of land for foraging too, Fenric. And room for your family once they’re free. They could stay at the manor, or we could fix up one of the houses on the property if they wanted somewhere of their own.”

Fenric’s expression changes at that, his eyes suddenly shining in the firelight.

“You’d let them come?”

“Of course.”

His smile is small, but there’s so much hope in it that my throat tightens.

“And Talon...” I hesitate. “I don’t care what your family was accused of. Whatever happened before, whatever people might say about you, it wouldn’t change anything for me.”

His smile fades, leaving something quieter behind. “Careful, Nyx. Keep talking like that and I might actually believe you want me there.”

“I do.”

The words come out before I can lose my nerve.

Talon goes very still.

My face burns, but now that I’ve said it, I force myself to keep going. “All of you. I want all of you there.”

For once, Talon has nothing clever to say.