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“Silly? What happened to your wound?”
He looked down. “Healed.”
“Does it hurt when I touch you?”
“No.”
“You pushed away my hand.”
“For other reasons, Naia. I like it too much.”
She wanted to put her hand back there and torture him, see him lose control and drop that superior smirk, but he was looking at her with some vulnerability and fear, and perhaps he was about to open up for once.
Still, her anger hadn’t subsided. “Why didn’t you listen to me? I knew something was wrong. I felt it. All day I kept feeling it and telling myself I was imagining it.”
He took her hands in his and kissed one after the other.
“I’m sorry, Naia. Listen, I had a deal with the Ironhold King. It bound me. I couldn’t simply decide to walk away and no longer help them, I couldn’t tell anyone what I was doing. And I had to find out their secrets.”
“What happened?”
“Is this room safe?”
“If we don’t speak too loud, nobody should hear us.”
River kissed her cheek. “Through it all, the one thing that made me worry the most was that I had to come back. What I most wanted was to come back to you, Naia. And it’s not only that I missed you, I wanted you to know that I’m willing to do things the hard way. Work together, trust you, and open up.”
Naia wanted to kiss his lips, but she also needed him to tell her what was happening, what was going on, and why he’d gotten hurt. “I’m glad you’re ready, and I want to know every little detail.”
“I offered to help the king a couple of months ago. It was my opportunity to infiltrate them, but I couldn’t tell anyone about it.”
“But you told me some of it.”
River shook his head. “I didn’t deny it when you guessed it correctly, and there’s a difference. I wasn’t the one telling you.”
“But now you can talk about it?”
“I can—but I’m starving. Aren’t you hungry?”
Great. Right when she thought he would tell everything, he found a way to change the subject. “You know, I fear that if I go down and bring something to eat, this helpful, truthful River won’t be here anymore and then you’ll start giving me vague and useless answers.”
“Great point.” He chuckled. “And you didn’t even check if I’m an impostor.”
Naia scrunched her face. “I know it’s you. A different you, but still you.” She got up. “I will bring something, though, as I’d hate tostarveyou.”
In truth her stomach was growling as she descended the stairs and crossed the yard to reach the kitchen. Howls coming from the prisons reminded her of their unwelcome night guest.
The cook was already working, as the sky outside was turning purple. It was morning already.
“Princess,” the man said. “It will be ready soon. I can call you, or ask someone to bring you your breakfast.”
Naia smiled. “It’s fine. I’ll just grab a few things. Don’t mind me.”
She put some bread and jam in a basket, then hushed back upstairs.
When she got back to Fel’s room, River was sitting at the table, wearing a white shirt. “I took it. Hope your brother won’t mind.”
“I thought fae were all natural and free and didn’t mind being naked.”
