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Nish sighed as Sandus and Ryder began to prowl the room’s perimeter. Frequent bursts of their magic clouded around them, and I could only guess they were searching for hidden enchantments or covert listening charms.
The energy in the room swelled with every passing moment. Seconds ticked by before the two finally stopped.
“We’re clear,” Ryder said to Norivun.
My mate dipped his head. “Thank you.”
Nish flipped the book over near the fire, thengrinned when he saw the title. “Look at this, Haxil. It’s your favorite novel.”
A small smile curved my lips when I saw it.Of Fae and Might.
I waved to the book, then looked at Norivun. “See? Michas isn’t that bad. Anybody with decent taste in books is worth a second chance.”
Norivun’s wings rippled, and he grumbled something under his breath. Nish returned the book to the page it’d been on before prowling to the window and subtly peeking through the curtains.
The other guards all positioned themselves at various points in the chamber. Their movements were so practiced, so automatic.
I cocked my head. “How long have you all been guarding the prince?”
Sandus shrugged from the corner near the door. “It’s been so many seasons I’ve lost count.”
“Three of us have been with him for eighty-seven seasons.” Ryder peeked out the window on the other side of the room from Nish, then moved away from the glass. “Except for Haxil. He joined us thirty seasons ago.”
“Should we be concerned that you know those numbers so precisely, Ryder?” Haxil joked.
Ryder snickered, then tapped his head. “It’s not my fault if I’m the most intelligent one here.”
Nish gave him his pinky finger while Sandus barked out a laugh.
A smile parted my lips, and I asked Norivun, “Is that so? Did you used to only have three guards?”
Norivun looked down, his easy smile vanishing. “Not quite,” he said quietly.
“There’ve always been four guards, Ilara, but we lost a male just over thirty winters ago. His name was Lichen.” Sandus rubbed his beard as the fire crackled. “An attempt was made on Nori’s life. It was a pretty brutal attack, and—” He shrugged. “’Tis the life of a guard. We all knew what we signed up for when we took this position.”
The room grew quiet, only the snapping fire making a sound.
I placed my hands on Norivun’s waist. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
He shrugged. “That night is when I got the scar on my abdomen that you’re always eyeing.” Norivun trailed a finger along the side of his stomach, and my heart broke when he took a deep breath. Outwardly, his features barely changed, yet his sorrow strummed toward me on our bond.Blessed Mother.He was so practiced at controlling his facial expressions.
“I’m sorry,” I said again quietly. I’d been curious about that scar since I’d first seen it. Now, I wished I’d never asked.
He kissed me on the forehead. “It was a long time ago. That night we made a mistake. We were too exposed. Too relaxed. We haven’t made that mistake since.”
Nish grunted. “And we won’t ever again.”
Ryder inclined his head. “But now we have this old bastard with us.” Ryder patted Haxil’s shoulder. “He thinks he keeps us in line.”
“Thinks?” Haxil chuckled. “Idokeep you in line. It’s like working with wee babes half the time.”
“Just because you were a commander in the Solis Guard doesn’t mean you’re the commander here,” Nish replied with a smirk. “It took twenty seasons for that message to fully sink into him.”
Haxil slugged him in the arm. “Not my fault that you were all children when I joined you and still are.”
“Children?” Sandus arched an eyebrow. “I’d rather be a child than a cantankerous old bastard like you.”
Haxil snorted. “Cantankerous...when has that word ever been used to describe me?”
