Page 66 of Fate's Sweetest Curse
“It’s the curse of a high-raking knight,” Oderin said, raking his hair back with his fingers. “I spend most of my days either at a desk or ordering people around.”
“Sounds dreadful,” I deadpanned.
Oderin’s features scrunched in a sassy pout. “It really is.”
I set down my cup. “I think you just wanted to train with someone against whom you were guaranteed to win,” I joked. “It’s shameful, really, knocking down small and bookish apprentices just to feel superior.”
“Fates, and I thought Anya was mouthy,” Oderin said on a chuckle.
Together we walked over to a patch of lawn at the opposite end of the yard, where we liked to do our cool-down stretches. Sitting cross-legged in the grass, I started with a few spinal twists, keeping my movements slow.
When I glanced over at Oderin again, he was watching me—clearly waiting to see if I grew woozy. “Still fine,” I assured him.
“Phina will never let me hear the end of it, injuring one of her researchers like this.”
I chuckled at the image of Phina—petite, but strong-willed—standing up to her hulking Mighty Knight of a brother. “Are you two close?”
“We are now,” Oderin said. “When we were children, however…” He trailed off, snorted, shook his head. “We were in constant battle. It was ugly.”
I extended one leg and leaned forward, relishing the deep stretch in my hamstring. “What changed?”
“We aged,” Oderin said with a shrug. “Took on more responsibilities. Got serious about our respective Orders. My friendship with Idris mellowed me, too.”
“Thisis you mellow?”
“You should’ve seen me in my early twenties. I wasunstoppable.”
I giggled and switched my position, stretching the other leg. “You know, Idris didn’t mention how funny you are.”
“Didn’t he?”
I shook my head.
“WhatdidIdris say?”
“He said you were soft.”
Oderin’s laugh was immediate, harsh, and loud. “Of course, he did.”
“He also said you were loyal,” I went on. “Anya told me you were kind to her, when she went on her…” I trailed off, remembering that Anya and Idris were not supposed to speak of their journey to the Well of Fate, and that I ought not divulge how much I knew. “On her quest to clear her name,” I finished.
Oderin nodded slowly, but he didn’t seem concerned by what I knew; in fact, it seemed to relax him.
“And how is Anya?”
Just the thought of my friend had me grinning. “She’s wonderful.”
Oderin’s return smile was doting—then shifted into that haughty smirk I was beginning to recognize as his default. “Did she speak of my gallant deeds?”
“She said that in spite of the grim circumstances, you spoke mostly of your romantic trysts.”
Another loud laugh. “Gallantconquests, then,” he said, bouncing his eyebrows. I must’ve made a face because he went on defensively. “I had to lighten the moodsomehow, didn’t I?”
In truth, I’d thought Anya had been exaggerating when she first told me about how—while escorting her to her possible death—Oderin had gone on and on andonabout his lust-life. As he was a Major of the Order of the Mighty, I hadn’t quite believed her tales, but over the past couple weeks, I’d found her descriptions of Oderin to be quite accurate. He was boisterous, warm, impossibly charming. I could see how easy it must’ve been for him to sweet-talk men into his bed.
“You know Idris shackled me to a tree so he could go after Anya?” Oderin asked.
“He did?”
