Page 57 of A Kiss of Embers
He slipped a brown cloak from a hook near the front door and wrapped it around her, making sure it covered her wings. Her heart caught as he untied the ribbon from his hair, and his long white tresses tumbled over his shoulders and down his back. Unable to help herself, she reached out and trailed her fingers through the beautiful locks. Soft like powdered snow with a pure hue to match.
When she dropped her hand, her pulse jumped frantically once again when he stepped behind her and gathered her hair in gentle hands. Fingers brushed against her scalp and neck in the sweetest caress as he tied her hair back and pulled the hood over her face.
“Where are we going?” she asked quietly.
“To meet my father.”
Beside him, Seraphina jumped at every sound, seeming just on edge as they traversed the village in the open for everyone to see. Bastien wore a brown patrol cloak like hers to match, though he kept his hood down so everyone could view his face.
He wrapped an arm around her waist to make it look like he was supporting her weight, to make her look like Ashryn.
Autumn forbid anyone actually look beneath her hood or visit Ashryn’s home. He wanted to prevent an outright war from breaking out within the village if possible.
Several people greeted him as he passed while casting a concerned glance toward “Ashryn.” Thankfully, no one stopped him and thought it insignificant as he led her to his father’s house. In the early evening, his father was likely home after a long day of council meetings and village audiences.
He opened the front door to his home, and they slipped inside. His father sat at the sink washing dishes, his back to them.
With an apologetic grimace, Bastien backed Seraphina up behind the corner to hide her from view. It was best to approach this subject…delicately.
His father’s mouth was pinched, his eyes hard yet somber as he focused on his task. The last time he’d seen the man smile was when Nyana had come to visit months ago. A smile had not graced his mouth since.
Because he was unhappy in Attleglade.
Bastien blew out a long breath as he watched his father for a moment more, wondering if he realized his son had entered the house. Attleglade was beautiful. Good people lived here. But it was not the life his father had chosen for himself. And he’d lost so much because of it.
“If you got the chance to remarry…” Bastien ventured slowly as he leaned against the island table separating them. “Would you?”
His father paused his washing, his expression falling even more. “I loved your mother more than anything.”
“But she’s gone.”
The man sighed again as he dried a plate and put it away, struggling for a moment with the task when he was bound to his wheelchair. “I don’t know, Bastien. I just don’t know.” And then his worried stare fixed on his lap and, more specifically, on his lame legs. He was in his early forties, plenty young enough to find another wife and have more children if he married someone young enough to bear him little ones.
But like him, he was trapped in this village, unable to escape.
Finally, his father wheeled himself around but froze when they met each other’s gaze. “Nuh-uh.” He wagged a finger at him. “I know that look. You’ve been up to something that should see you to the gallows.”
“Now, try not to burst a vein, Pops.”
His father’s eye twitched. “What did you do this time? I swear you will be the death of me, Bastien. The death of me, you hear?”
“Trust me. You’ll be apoplectic about this one.” He held out his hand, and hesitantly, Seraphina stepped out of the shadows in a swish of long skirts and uncertain wings.
The other man’s jaw dropped, his eyes as wide as two silver moons. He abruptly wheeled his chair around, dropped his head into his hand, and pinched his nose. “What have you done?” he finally whispered after a long pause.
“What I think is right. Pa, this is Seraphina. The prisoner Pri’s…uh…older sister. The Ember Queen.”
When his father turned back around, his gaze lingered on their intertwined hands, and something between joy and sadness filled his expression. “The only road this leads to is heartbreak. I should know, Bastien. Heed my warning.” But instead of expressing anger, he reached for her and cupped her free hand between his. “You are lovely, dear.” Pa’s eyes shimmered with emotion. “You will always have a place in our family.”
Seraphina blinked several times, and when she spoke, her voice escaped as a raspy whisper. “Your blessing means more to me than you will ever know.”
Wry laughter escaped his father’s mouth as he shook his head and released her hand. “The EmberQueen, Bastien? Can’t you ever do anything terrible halfway?”
“Nope.” He stretched his arms behind his head and grinned. “Everything terrible all the way. Never anything half-baked.”
Seraphina laughed, her eyes sparkling with humor, and he refused to admit how quickly his heart melted at the beautiful sight of her red-black lips pulled into a smile. He would follow this woman off the edge of a cliff if she asked it of him. Though, he hoped she would never ask him to do such a thing. He preferred keeping himself intact.
Wordlessly, his father locked the door before setting out three places around the table, accepting the new and dangerous situation with ease. After all, Bastien’s upbringing likely had taught him to roll with the punches, each punch worse than the last.
