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“Thank you,” I breathed, holding him tighter.
“You’re welcome,” he said automatically, then added, “For what exactly?”
I snorted and began to release him.
He held on tighter. “Nope. Not ready to let you go yet.” When I tightened my arms again, his purr grew. “Wanna tell me what I did to get such a reaction from you? I’ll have to make sure I do it again.”
I chuckled. “You brought my book with us.”
“Oh, Braz.” He rubbed his cheek against mine a little, a cat-like gesture I’d seen him do a million times before. “I couldn’t leave it behind when I know how much it means to you.”
“Thank you, Nica.”
“It’s no big deal.”
“It is to me.”
After a moment, he said, “Then you’re welcome, big guy.”
A smile tugged at my lips before I finally released him. As he stepped back with a huge-ass grin on his face, I felt my cheeks heating. Never in all the years that I knew him had I ever done anything like that.
Nica opened his mouth, probably to say something to embarrass me further, but Theon moved into our space and asked, “Are you okay, Braz?”
My cheeks felt even hotter. “Yes.”
Nica chuckled and put his arm over Theon’s shoulders, saying, “Aw, little bird, look at him. He’s blushing.”
Theon poked Nica’s rib. “Stop embarrassing him.”
I groaned and leaned down to peck Theon’s lips, only when our lips touched, a small shock singed my arm. I startled back and blinked down to where Theon had grabbed my bicep.
His wide eyes stared up at me as he whispered, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened.”
“It’s alright, angel,” I said, rubbing his arm.
Nica met my eyes over Theon’s head and nodded at me, so I knew he’d keep an eye on our little mage, and Nica said to me, “So cute when you’re embarrassed.” He was obviously saying it to keep Theon’s mind off his little magic display, but it still made me blush harder.
“Piss off, Nica,” I muttered as I pressed a kiss to Theon’s forehead, then turned on my heel and rushed away before they could say anything else to make me turn a deeper shade of red. It was not an appealing color on my greenish-gray skin. As it was, everyone under the large food tent was already staring at me like I was an alien they didn’t understand.
Hurrying back into our tent, Florin startled, took one look at me, and his eyes went wide. “Are you alright?”
I waved him away because I didn’t want to talk about it.
He eyed me, then patted his bed, saying, “Sit with me?”
Sitting in bed with him sounded a lot better than sitting in my bed alone, even if it was a small bed, so I nodded and made my way over. Once I was leaning against the metal frame—I was surprised it was able to hold me up because these beds were so tiny, well, tiny for me—Florin moved until he was pressed against my side. Gently, I put my arm around him, mindful of his wounds, and he turned on his side, resting his head on my chest with the book propped up on my stomach.
We had each been given a bed when we’d arrived, although every one of them was different. We’d decided amongst ourselves to give Florin the only bed with a headrest since he was still healing and may need it to get comfortable. It was the biggest bed for the tiniest human, but his comfort was more important than anything else. Now, I was grateful for it so I could sit with him.
Since I’d carried him almost the entire way from House Natas to this encampment, he seemed comfortable around me. On our travels, even in his sleep, he’d stayed pressed to my side, and I’d clung to him. Maybe we were both a little desperate for the comfort in an uncertain time, but I’d enjoyed his closeness, and it seemed like he had as well.
If he wanted to continue it, I was all too happy to oblige. Maybe I could push my bed against his so we’d have more room. I’d always loved the nights he’d snuck into our cell and slept in bed with Theon and me.
As if summoning him from my thoughts, Theon walked into the tent and smiled at us, Nica following behind him. Without a word, they pushed my bed up against the one we were in, and Theon climbed in, immediately snuggling into me, opposite Florin. Nica lay down on Theon’s other side, nuzzling our mage’s stomach as his purr filled the air.
Nica mumbled something that sounded like, “We need a nap.” I couldn’t argue with that. We were all still exhausted from our week of travel and because none of us were sleeping well surrounded by strangers and strange noises. We needed rest and food. We needed a chance to breathe, a chance to come to terms with everything that had happened, a chance to figure out where we went from here.
All I cared about was staying together. With these men beside me, we could face anything, although I wished we could find a place where all we’d know was peace.
