Page 19 of Degradation

“It is,” Brandle said. “The farm belongs to Henry’s brother and his wife. It’s very remote, and they don’t receive guests often. So our sudden appearance might startle them.”

“Liam’s appearance might,” Daemon said, “but Sarah is going to fawn over mine. Don’t worry, Lamb. I only have eyes for you.”

Shaking my head at them, I focused on the path and not falling on the slopes. The crest of the final hill gave a perfect view of the tranquil valley below. A small cottage nestled in a meadow not far from the shores of a small lake. Chickens meandered in the muddy yard, and a goose squawked warning at the sight of us, drawing a curious cow from the opening of another small building.

“Hello to the mistress of the cottage,” Brandle called as we descended the path.

A woman cried out from within the cottage, and a man appeared behind the cow, using his shoulder to push it aside.

When the man saw our group, he fell to his knees amidst the chickens and lifted his hands high.

“Thank you! Thank you!” he cried.

The woman ran out of the cottage and stopped at the sight of her husband before her gaze found us. She began weeping in earnest and ran to her husband. Had I not been able to feel their joy and love, I would have worried.

“Brandle, hurry and go to them before she dirties her skirt by joining her husband,” I said.

He jogged the rest of the way and set his chest in the mud to help the man to his feet. The pair embraced Brandle. The woman, presumably the “Sarah” Daemon had mentioned, gripped him hard as the man patted Brandle’s back with solid thumps.

Brandle’s concern wrapped around me, and I knew he was speaking to them when Sarah abruptly quieted, but I couldn’t hear his words.

“They’ve known you long then?” I asked.

“They have,” Edmund said. “Since before we were cursed.”

When Brandle stopped speaking, Sarah nodded and released him. She wiped her face dry and smiled welcomingly at us.

“This is a day I always hoped I would see,” she said. “Welcome. Come inside. We don’t have much, but what we have is yours.”

She led the way into her cozy cottage. Like the one in our glade, it had a private room to the side, a kitchen, and space enough for sitting at their impressive table that held several loaves of bread. Edmund set his chest on the floor near the door, and the others quickly did the same before scrambling to take a seat at one of the two benches at the table. There wasn’t an inch to spare between them.

Edmund caught my skirt between his fingers and tugged me into his lap. I elbowed him and tried to stand, but the arm he wrapped around my waist kept me firmly in place.

Flushing, I glanced at Sarah.

“You’ve arrived on a good day,” she said, not looking at us as she stirred whatever she had in the pot over the fire. “Break those loaves up. There’s butter too, Liam, in the cold storage.”

He got up and went to the shelf behind the ladder.

“Release me,” I whispered to Edmund.

“Not a chance.”

He kissed my neck. My panicked gaze flew to Sarah’s turned back, and I elbowed him again. He lightly bit me, and I struggled to contain the tingle of awareness that swept through me.

“Breathe, Kitten,” Brandle said with a grin.

“How can she when Edmund won’t leave her be?” Sarah said without looking at us. “It’s a wonder she ever agreed to stay with you lot if these are the manners you’ve shown her. Henry taught you better.”

Brandle winked at me. “It was our persistent charm that won her over.”

I snorted.

“You’re obviously not cuddling her right, Edmund,” Daemon said. “Give her over.”

Edmund passed me left, and I had to defend my person from Daemon’s roving hands.

“Daemon, I will send you flying out the door if you don’t behave,” I said.

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