Page 64 of Fated or Knot

Tormund announced us at the door and earned an ear flick from Marius and a sleepy sound from Fal. They’d sprawled out over the couches. Marius was in my favorite reading pose, flat on his back with his book held aloft at just the right height, while Fal had been napping face down. He still wore his mask.Damn. I could’ve taken it from him if Tormund was quieter.

“Li’l bird’s fed and happy. Where’s Kauz?” the giant asked.

Fal muffled a yawn. “Laundering our bedding, presumably.”

“Ach. Still?”

“It’s being washed to Marius’s satisfaction. Most sensitive sniffer in this room.” The dark elf poked his own nose.

Marius made a wordless grumble. Not quite a growl, but close.

“Oh, I see,” Tormund said. He headed for the couch with Fal and plopped down once the dark elf made room for us. I stayed with the giant for now, cozy against his padded chest.

“See what?” I asked.

Tormund covered his mouth to tell me in an aside, “He’s almost done with his book. He gets very mad if anyone interrupts him.”

Marius grunted, sounding annoyed.

“Relatable,” I whispered back. If I was a grumpy alpha kelpie, I would do the same thing to get to the end of a story undisturbed.

We sat quietly until he closed the book and rested it on his chest. He lay there with a contemplative look.

“Well, was it any good?” Fal asked.

“It was…unexpected. I thought I was reading about a Seelie female’s firsthand account of the last war, just for it to become a fictional romance between her and a human alpha.”

“Wait,” I blurted. “Have you been readingThe Battle of Marsh Hillthis whole time?”

Marius tilted his head to look at me. “Aye.”

“I’ve read that book!” I exclaimed. With a title like that, it’d been one of the last books left in my old home that I’d finally picked up rather than reread one of my dog-eared favorites again. “It really gets you in the first third, doesn’t it? You think it’s a gritty war memoir, and then Sylvie meets John.”

“John?” Fal echoed with a little laugh. “What kind of name isJohn?”

We both ignored him. “Yes, it tricked me too,” Marius agreed. “This was one of the only books written in Serian at the bookshop. I wanted the tale of war.”

“Oh, I skip that part on a reread.”

He snorted, though it was a gentle one. Not annoyed. Amused, perhaps. “Of course you do. What was your favorite part, then?”

I stroked my chin thoughtfully. “When they kissed behind the waterfall,” I said. “No, wait. When they kissed on theirweddingday.”

“What is a wedding?” Tormund asked.

“It’s a human thing. It’s very romantic.” My wings fluttered with my giggle. “A human couple or pack throw a party afterexchanging vows to love one another for their whole lives in front of their loved ones and friends.”

“Vows?” he echoed, eyes widening. “That sounds dangerous.”

“Humans aren’t bound to their word like fae are,” I explained. “And I guess they don’t have pack bonds either.”

“Oooh.”

“The kisses were your favorite part?” Marius asked in disbelief. “Not the saucy bits?”

“Did you like the saucy bits?” I countered.

“They didn’t strike me as particularly well-written. I think John had three hands in the cave scene. However,” he mused, “that could be the fault of the translator.”

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