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I pull her into me, savoring the curve of her back, the feel of her tiny body against mine. It hurts to touch her sometimes, to feel how fragile she is in my arms, how easily she could be taken away from me.
Humans die.
Asha is human.
Therefore, Asha…
Someone clears their throat. I look up the blue velvet–lined staircase to find Fin, hands in his pockets, looking purposefully at Evander and Ellie.
“Welcome back, old friend,” he says, clapping Evander on the shoulder.
Evander immediately punches him in the face.
We all stand there in shock for a moment, Asha’s eye wide as she glances up at me in faux horror, when I know she’s only covering her mouth to hide her laugh.
“Evander!” Ellie cries, though more in shock than true reprimand.
My mind returns to a scene of Fin taking Ellie by the hand at her betrothal ball, leading her onto the dance floor and sweeping her away as Evander watched, fuming.
A sheepish grin overtakes Evander’s face. He just shrugs, then reaches out and claps Fin on the back as if they’re old pals, Fin still rubbing his jaw in confusion.
“I would say I deserve that, except I think you probably have me to thank for helping you uncover those feelings of yours,” says Fin, straightening.
“Pretty sure I would have figured it out on my own,” Evander says, any sign of animosity washed from his features.
Ellie gives Evander a look that he can’t see—one that indicates she’s not convinced. But soon the entire group is laughing, and Evander and Fin are making plans to fence in the courtyard tomorrow.
Something twists in my chest, and Evander looks over at me. “You’re invited too, of course.”
“Kiran hates fencing,” says Fin, hastily. “I’m sure you’d rather spend your time doing something more productive, wouldn’t you?”
Fin’s smiling, but in his eyes is a dare, one that challenges me to see what he’ll do if I ruin one more thing for him, even a stupid fencing match.
After Asha and Ellie barrage us with questions about our journey, and the two decide we’ve answered their questions satisfactorily, Asha’s fingers interlock with mine, and she tugs me away from the group. We find ourselves in a coat closet, of all places, which is much too small for us. Well, too small for me.
“You can’t wait until we get back to the room?” I ask, though not at all in judgment. My magic boils in my veins, as if I haven’t been allowing myself to feel just how much I’ve missed her.
“No,” she says, then apparently feels my magic run cold, because she corrects herself. “That’s not what I meant. I’d rather not wait, but I need to talk to you about something.”
“And talking can’t wait?” I say, tracing my thumb around the curve of her hipbone.
She wriggles a bit, nervous energy practically spewing out of her. “No. Well, Imogen’s up cleaning our rooms right now.”
“Imogen? How have they not fired that woman yet?”
“That’s an excellent question, and altogether beyond the point. But I don’t want her overhearing this. Kiran…. Kiran, I think Fin and I did it.”
“Did what?”
She takes a deep breath. “I think we found your father.”
Something in my head buzzes a bit. “My father?” The word feels strange on my lips. Strange, because all my life, Rajeen was my father, or so I believed. About a year ago I discovered Fin and I were the byproduct of my mother seeking out a lover to provide the king the heir he so desperately desired.
Asha bites her lip. “I didn’t tell you the right way, did I?”
I wrinkle my brow, then let out a short laugh. “No, I can’t think of a better way than pulling me into a coat closet, getting me excited that you pulled me into a coat closet, then bringing up my illegitimate father.”
Asha hits my chest playfully, though the contact is lighter than usual given she has no room to rear back in this coat closet. “Well, when you put it that way, it sounds worse.”
