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“Are you serious right now?”
She let out a sigh and sat up on the blanket, handing me yet another square, even though I hadn’t quite finished the first. “Obviously not, you hermit. I’m just concerned about the word getting out and wanted you to know about it. I was delivering the news with a little levity so you wouldn’t freak out.”
I supposed that made sense. “Sorry, I just... I’m still getting used to having a social life.”
“It’s all right. I know you have reasons for your secret, so I poke, but I don’t want to cross any lines.”
“I appreciate that.”
She nodded, then her serious expression vanished. “So…do you think the old gizzard with the stick up his ass is gonna give us some big award for our special mission where we essentially saved the whole land?”
“Hmm, for some reason, I doubt it.” I thought about telling her about Kai’s relations and the possible trek we’d have to maketo the capital, but I kept my mouth shut. It wasn’t my secret to tell, after all. Besides, while there was always going to be the risk of my curse hurting Kai, I didn’t want my big mouth to add to the chance that he’d get hurt.
“You sound like you have another secret.”
“Again, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Honestly, I was so used to Darla having everything and everyone figured out ahead of time, I was surprised she wasn’t hurriedly whispering to me about how Kai was secretly our crown prince. Evidently, she wasn’t infallible.
“Well, if you’re not gonna spill, are you gonna tell me why you and Kai haven’t done the whole bite-bite and gotten on with your shifter bond?”
“Darla!” I hissed. “Shh!There are too many shifters here for you to talk at that volume.”
She at least had the decency to whisper after. “Sorry. Sometimes I forget how freaky good your hearing is.”
“Yeah, well, if you could remember, that would be great.”
“You know, if you keep being so sour, I’m gonna stop giving you lemon squares. It’s not my fault your fated connection is like a freaking beacon to me.”
At that, I raised my eyebrow and lifted the second lemon square she gave me, silently conveying my challenge.
“Ayla, you wouldn’t.”
Then I shoved the entire thing into my mouth at once, not breaking eye contact with her as the bright and sharp flavors exploded over my tongue yet again. It was just as good as the first square, but a whole lotmoreall at once.
“Oh, man, I can’t believe you did that. Fine, fine, I bow to your sour superiority and offer another square as an apology.”
I wanted to say something witty back, but strangely enough, my mouth was too full to do so. But my hands weren’t too full to take the offering.
It really was strange luck that the one psychic in the fort who seemed to be able to sense there was something strange about me happened to be one who could see fated mates, even with inhibitor bracelets on. If only—
Wait.
Wait a minute!
My eyes went wide. I wanted to blurt out an idea, but any words were blocked by the square I was trying to chew.
“Whoa, Ayla, are you all right? Are you choking? Do I need to do the Heimlich?”
I shook my head fervently and worked hard to swallow down the delicious treat. I’d heard of being served a harsh lesson by hubris, but I’d never expected mine to come so swiftly. Betrayed by the dessert I loved. The curse truly was insidious in every way.
“I’m fine,” I finally rasped once I got most of it down. “I’m fine.”
“Well, don’t scare me like that. You looked like you were going to have apoplexy.”
As much as I’d have liked to congratulate her on the medical vocabulary, I didn’t have the time. I needed to get my idea out before I exploded.
“Darla, you could sense our fated match even when I had my veiling curse on Kai, right?”
