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“You’re a bragger, Papa,” the boy giggled.
“And you’re in a good mood,” Poet teased. “What could possibly be the reason?”
“Giant fireflies,” Nicu chirped as if his father was silly for forgetting. “Remember? Aire said they’re flying through town and making flames.”
“Ah, that’s right,” Poet pretended to recall. “Reaper’s Fest and the bonfire ball.”
“Are you excited?” I asked while combing through Nicu’s shaggy hair, which had grown long and now swept his shoulders.
Because the library reading and night market had proceeded without a disruption, we had cautiously deemed it safe enough to bring Nicu. He deserved to have fun, and despite lingering reservations about his well-being, I could not wait to show him the revels.
The one great sorrow to the evening was the absence of those who had a right to be there as well. Born souls were locked up and kept out of sight. By contrast, Lark’s Night in Spring had done the opposite, to an equally heinous degree by exhibiting them at the carnival for ridicule and sport.
At least here, Nicu would not suffer such degradation.
Yet I thought of the prisoners trapped throughout Autumn, particularly Flare. Perhaps it was the drawing she’d created in that mound of dirt, but the young woman had a dreamy nature to her. I suspected she would marvel at the fest, were she permitted to join. And it pained me to imagine Flare isolated, confined in a solitary cell at the Winter Prince’s behest, merely because her defiance had insulted him.
As for Jeryn’s whereabouts, I predicted he would turn up without fanfare in the lower town. At which point, he would make the obligatory rounds with us and then slip away when he’d had enough.
How the future king planned on hosting events in Winter was beyond me. But neither did I concern myself. So long as he refrained from directing any contemptuous looks toward Nicu, we would get on fine.
With their masks in hand, Vale, Posy, Cadence, and Eliot spilled through the door, laughing and joking. Eliot carried his lute and dropped a kiss on my cheek, and the ladies inspected the expanse of Poet’s naked chest, though they wisely refrained from remarking on it. Instead, they gathered around Nicu, played with Tumble, and cooed over the pair.
Aire followed behind Mother, the knight’s features at ease for once. He smiled and ruffled Nicu’s hair, then positioned himself at the door.
My mother beamed at Poet’s son and scooped the child from his father’s arms. “Ready to see the bonfires?” she whispered.
Excitement eddied through me at Nicu’s grin. Telling Poet about my chat with Spring could wait. With all of us gathered and secretly armed, and with surveillance measures in place in case of a breach, it was time to head out.
Except for one hindrance, which Poet gave voice to. “I’ll need to freshen up and fetch a shirt and coat first.”
“Please don’t,” Posy begged without shame.
Cadence snorted and raised her hands to ward off my frown. “At least it wasn’t me this time.”
“You were thinking it,” I said, crossing my arms.
“Hon, everyone was thinking it,” Vale remarked, winding her arm around Posy.
Avalea rolled her eyes. “We shall wait in the courtyard.” She set Nicu on the ground, enabling Tumble to scamper up the boy’s frame and drape that furry body across the child’s shoulders. Taking Mother’s hand, Nicu skipped out the door.
Before turning to follow them, Aire grunted to the group, “Iwas not thinking it.”
The women smothered their hysterics and trailed the knight from the room.
Poet idled with me in the gallery, the mirrors and sconces painting our shadows in candlelight. I shuffled, torn between savoring our moment alone and catching up with Nicu.
The jester’s lips turned up, and the kohl lining his eyes creased. “Go on, sweeting. You know you want to.”
I wavered. “He will be safe tonight. Won’t he?”
Poet’s grin dropped, his face hardened, and he cupped my jaw. Banding his arm around me once more, the jester pulled my body flush against his. “Nothing will happen to either of you. I swear it.”
“And will he have fun?”
“’Tis ever the goal.”
Yes, it was. I melted into Poet, strapped my arms around his neck, and mussed his hair. “Never stop telling me what I need to hear.”
