Page 43 of A Thieving Curse

Alexander stood. “I was going to have Meredith bring you dinner…after…” He swallowed audibly. “I didn’t want to bother… Do you want me to go?”

“This is your home, I can’t kick you out,” Raelyn replied without thinking.

He ruffled the hair between his horns. “It’s your home now, too.”

Home.That was probably meant to put her at ease, but it just made her miss her family more.

The prince cleared his throat. “Where’s her food?”

Meredith stood. “Right here.” She walked around the table, and Raelyn noticed the wooden cart waiting close to the flames. Meredith removed a metal lid, revealing another plate of food.

“You can take it to your room, if you would prefer.” Alexander’s voice sounded scratchier than usual, but in a human way. “You’re free to stay, too.”

Raelyn hesitated, then slipped into the chair at the end of the table. “I think I’ll eat here. Thank you.”

The prince stood a moment longer, then sank back into his seat. “Good. Good.”

Meredith set the plate holding a slice of meat pie down in front of her. Raelyn picked up her fork and started eating.

“How are you feeling?” Meredith rubbed Raelyn’s arm in a reassuring gesture as she returned to her chair. Raelyn shied away with a strangled moan of pain, and Meredith clenched her hand over her chest. “I’m sorry! I forgot.”

“Forgot what?” The dragon prince looked from Meredith to Raelyn, his forehead deeply furrowed. “Are you hurt?”

She curled over her plate, embarrassed. “Just bruises.”

“Bruises? Show me.”

She poked at the crust of her piece of pie with her fork. “It’s nothing—”

Alexander rose, his wings quivering and tail knocking against his chair. He walked toward her, concern lining his face. “Show me.”

Raelyn was too emotionally drained to argue. What did it matter if he knew? Turning away from his intense regard, she pushed the loose-fitting sleeve up nearly to her shoulder.

The prince sucked in a breath. Raelyn looked at her arm and winced. The bruises had darkened. Most of her upper arm was yellowed, with dark purple and blue marks in the shape of a grabbing hand. She let the sleeve fall back down.

“Both arms?” he asked quietly, his voice tight.

She nodded.

Alexander knelt next to her. “Princess.” She raised her gaze to his brightly glowing eyes. “If you ask me to, I will hunt the minotaur down and burn it alive.” The others all started talking at once, but the prince held up his hand and they fell silent.

“Why?” she managed.

“Because it hurt you.” His tail flicked over the stone. “Because I want you to believe that I don’t want you hurt. I know you don’t want to stay here, and I know killing it won’t make it up to you, but maybe…maybe it’s something.”

She shook her head. “It won’t change or fix anything.”

Disappointment shrouded his face. “All right.” Slowly, he stood and moved back to his seat.

Everyone returned to eating, the room quiet except for the sounds of forks scraping plates, chewing, and the crackle of the fire. Lucas got increasingly fidgety until he finally looked right at her and broke the silence.

“So…you saw Alex naked?”

Raelyn choked on her food and started coughing.

Meredith’s eyes widened. “Lucas!”

Raelyn tapped her chest as she struggled to breathe past the food lodged in her throat. Her face and scalp burned; she had to be bright red. Across the table, the prince stared down at his plate, his cheeks flushed, but his lips tugged upward.

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