Page 159 of Gift from the Stone

“We didn’t want to tell her like that. I know she’d be willing to bend the rules of announcing her to the realm, but there’s no fucking telling if there are spies running around the castle. We don’t know how much the Mastery knows of her or if there’s only a small group searching for her under her father’s orders. It wasn’t worth the risk. We’ll have to tell her before the ball, though,” Corentin reasons.

“Let’s wrap this up tomorrow. I’m exhausted,” I say as a massive yawn takes over my face.

“I bet you fucking are,” Caspian grumbles, jealousy evident in his tone.

About time he gives in to the call of our Primary.

Twenty-Six

Willow

“Those are some distracting thoughts this early in the morning, little warrior,” Tillman remarks, calling me out at the breakfast table.

“Really?” I sass, arching my brow at him.

I swear he does this on purpose just to watch me squirm.

Waking up this morning, I was utterly confused when the front of my body was pressed up against cool skin, with multiple hot and heavy arms slung all over me.

For a split second, I thought I had an incredibly explicit dream of me, Tillman, and Draken until my core clenched and the soreness was a sure reminder that no, that magical experience, one of my biggest fantasies, most certainly happened. Corentin and Caspian had just come home in the middle of the night.

And now this morning, it’s been pretty difficult to distract my thoughts from replaying the night over again, but also throwing the two of them into the mix with us.

“We’ve got a lot to wrap up today, and we’re not going to get shit done with you thinking like that,” he retorts, but his sly smirk tells me he’s teasing me and trying to make the others jealous.

“Is she thinking about last night? Fuck me, I wanna hear.” Draken groans beside me, causing the other three to roll their eyes and scold him.

“You’re the only one who can hear what I’m thinking and the only one calling me out about it. So let me live in the little fantasies I’m creating and quit picking on me,” I say, feeding into the game he’s starting.

“Tell us the fantasies, little wanderer,” Draken growls, causing me to shiver.

“Not at the breakfast table.” I laugh, then turn my attention to Corentin, who’s trying his hardest not to be affected. “What’s the plan for today?”

“Tillman has teams coming in from around the realm that are going to start training and prepping for missions to the locations we’ve gathered and the Forsaken Forest, so we’ll spend the majority of the day in the gym and command room,” he informs me.

Without even having to ask, he goes straight into telling me about how everything went at his parents’ yesterday. I smile at his persistence in pressing the point he’s keeping me a secret from them for now, but he doesn’t want me to think negatively about it or think he’s doing it for any other reason than to protect me.

I know they’re all unhappy about possibly having to go to this Spring Ball, and I’m not excited about meeting these people they speak so poorly about either, but honestly…

The romantic in me really wants to get dolled up in a ball gown and dance around a magical palace with my men.

I wish the situation were a joyous one, not one with the sole purpose of identifying which family is betraying the realm. If we have to go, though, I’d like to try to make it a memorable night.

“So what are me and Oakly supposed to do tomorrow morning with Gaster staying at the palace?” I ask.

“Stay in the gym or training yard with Tillman and Ry or come to my office. Caspian and Draken are going to the Rebel Castle for the morning. They need to check on Layton and his parents and organize which prisoners are going to be moved to the palace prison,” he responds instantly.

I don’t know how he keeps all these details, to-dos, and the needs of everyone straight.

“Is there anything I can do?” I ask, wanting to take some of the load off.

“What you’ve been doing, princess. Training and studying. I’m going to ask Gaster to send the files we have on the families to your journal. It’s important you’re familiar with them,” he says.

Not exactly what I was looking for, but if me learning all I can and continuing to get my ass handed to me by Tillman is going to make him feel better, then that’s what I’ll do.

The sound of Caspian’s and Tillman’s alarms on their timekeepers rings loudly across the table, and I quickly try to chug my coffee down, knowing they’re about to tell us it’s time to go.

“Are you done, Primary?” Caspian asks me.

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