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Joel put her down, and her leg wobbled with both pain and the aftereffects of fear. Her father wheeled himself forward in his chair, glancing between them before he spoke. “I was worried none of you would return.”
“You don’t have enough faith in me, Father,” Bastien chuckled as he lowered the hood from his head.
“No, I have too much faith in you. Perhaps that is my problem.” Her father turned and smiled. “The children are in bed. It’s such a pleasure being a grandfather. And, by the way, I spoke to the council. You and your family can stay in Attleglade for a week. No more.”
She nodded, grateful for the time with her father and brother but sad it would come to an abrupt end. Before she managed a reply, Bastien began wheeling their father toward the door.
“You will be all right?” Bastien asked over his shoulder, worry creasing his brows.
At last, her throat opened up. “Yes. Though, I’m worried about you. Is Ashryn trustworthy? I’m curious about your relationship with her.”
Father snorted and muttered something under his breath while Bastien shrugged. “It’s…complicated?”
“Are you planning on marrying her?”
He choked. “Ash? Not in this lifetime.”
“Then why…?”
A grin accompanied his shrug. “Like I said, it’s complicated. Sometimes you just need to tumble in the woods with a friend, you know?”
“Oh, dear,” Father murmured, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.
She cast him a dubious glance. “A friend. Really?”
“Uh-huh.” He continued wheeling exasperated Father out the door. “She’s trustworthy. She won’t tell a soul.”
And just like that, they disappeared into the cold night, closing the door behind them with a resounding bang.
Now without an audience, she pulled down her dress just below her collarbone. Shock pulsed through her when the black curse mark continued to swirl and stretch across her skin as if it still latched to her very soul.
“It didn’t work.” Her voice escaped as a raspy sob as her fingers trembled over the black markings. She should have known already. Her leg still hurt. It hadn’t healed either. And just the reminder incited yet another sob. “Joel, it’s still there.”
“Shh, shh,” he soothed, pulling her closer until her head rested against his chest, his strong arms keeping her steady. Instead of anxiety at his touch, a sense of comfort wrapped around her. Instead of fear…relief. “Maybe it just takes time. You heard your father. We have a week in Attleglade Forest.”
“I don’t have a week!” Lungs heavy, each breath became labored as the anxiety of losing her family churned inside her. Each of her limbs trembled, either from fear or the cold, she didn’t know. But Joel continued to hold her, his fingers gently stroking her hair.
“We’ll sneak into the Glades every night if we have to,” he murmured against her temple. “We’ll wait and see what tomorrow brings.”
They were hardly able to sneak into the Glades tonight as it was. Another night wouldn’t be possible. Still, she held tight to him and focused on taking long, slow breaths until her trembling subsided. His warmth scared away the chills in her bones and the fear and uncertainty in her heart.
When she attempted to pull away, he captured her chin between his fingers, gazing down at her with an intensity that set her heart racing. Her lips parted in surprise, his expression unreadable in the darkness.
So badly, she wanted to stand on the tips of her toes and find out if he would accept a kiss. Fear held her back. Fear of rejection. Of abandonment. Fear of loving again.
His jaw clenched several times before he dropped his hand. Disappointment fell over her like a bleak curtain. “Get some sleep. There is another bedroom upstairs. I’ll sleep down here.”
“Are you sure?” she whispered, noticing the draft entering through the window’s wooden shutters. “It’s cold.”
“Not for long. If I recall correctly, the hearth crystals provide enough warmth to suffice.”
Nyana bit her lip as she opened the closet to find several folded blankets on a shelf, watching Joel touch the hearth crystals from the corner of her eye. Her heart pounded more than she was comfortable with, and she was extremely aware of his proximity in the dwelling.
“Have you…” Thinking of Bastien’s comment earlier, she shrugged one shoulder before draping the blanket over her arm. “…ever tumbled in the woods with a friend?”
He snorted. “Not yet.”
His head snapped in her direction, his eyes wide. “What I meant was…I didn’t mean…ugh.” Too suddenly, he broke eye contact, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he laid out a blanket over the sofa. “Why? Have you?”
