Yep. Lupin was an evil wizard, and the Emporium was his house of torture.
“You should join the Order,” Baden said. “Put a sword in your hand, and I’m sure you’d be a true terror.”
“To himself, mostly,” a deep voice said from behind me. A voice that caused little prickles of excitement in my chest.
I turned, ready to spout off at the jerk of a captain for mocking me yet again, but the words caught in my throat as I got an eyeful of him. Pretty sure my damn jaw nearly detached.
Maddox was shirtless, skin damp. His black hair glistened, and droplets of water gathered at the ends of the strands. His trousers hugged his thighs and ass to perfection. The valley of rippling muscle along his abdomen was a land I wanted to explore. With my tongue.
“Why are you wet?” And why was my voice so high? I cleared my throat.
“I washed off the grime of the day,” he said, taking a seat beside me. “You’re fitting in well. I expected to return and find you gagged and tied up in the shed.”
“That would make you happy, wouldn’t it?” I nudged his arm. “Too bad for you they like my rambling mouth.”
“Aye, we do.” Baden nodded.
Maddox’s lips did that twitching thing. His attempt to force away a smile. A man brought over a bowl of stew and placed it in front of him. The rest of the knights, seeing that Maddox had his food, then went over to get theirs. I didn’t get the impression Maddox had made that rule; it was more like a respectful gesture. His men adored him. That much was evident.
“Here.” He slid the bowl to me. “You need to eat.”
“But this is yours.”
That time, his smile surfaced, albeit briefly. “I’ll grab another.” Then, as though to ward off any of the budding warm fuzzies attacking my stomach, he added, “I know how much you whine when you’re hungry.”
Callum choked on his stew as he laughed.
I cut my eyes at the cinnamon roll of a knight before aiming that glare at his captain. Maddox smirked before leaving the table to grab another bowl. My feistiness was forgotten as I took a bite. The seasoned broth, juicy meat, and chunks of potato were to die for.
“Another mouth orgasm?” Maddox asked, retaking his seat beside me.
I was the one who choked on my stew then.
After dinner, I said goodbye to the knights and found the path Maddox had led me down earlier. Everything looked different in the dark. I stopped and glanced around, unsure if we had come from the left or right side.
“I’ll walk you back,” Maddox said from behind me. “Last thing I need is you getting lost and stumbling around in the dark.”
“I don’t need your help.” I started forward to prove as much. The toe of my boot chose that moment to bump a rock jutting from the ground, and I tripped.
Maddox grabbed my arm to steady me. “Yes, I can see you’re perfectly capable.”
I fought the urge to stick my tongue out at him. He enjoyed picking on me. And I… might have enjoyed it too. A little bit. “Fine. You can walk with me. But it’s not because I don’t know the way.”
“It’s so you can enjoy my company?” Maddox peered down at me. “Because I’m so warm and friendly?”
I cracked a smile. Damned knight. “Something like that.”
We walked in silence for a while, our leisurely pace allowing me to take in the sights of the castle grounds at night. Though dark, the bright moon above us lit the path and guided the way. The main part of the castle was visible above the treetops, the stone turrets stretching toward the sky. Golden light spilled out from a few of the windows, the flickers a sign of a lit hearth. It was close but seemed so far away.
“Will I ever get to go in there?” I asked.
“In the castle?” Maddox glanced at it. “Perhaps someday.”
“Did the meeting go well with the king?”
“Still so full of questions,” he said. “The meeting went as expected. I relayed the information, received my orders, and then acted upon them.” I opened my mouth, but he cut in before I could get a single word out. “And no, I will not discuss those orders with you.”
My mouth closed… then opened again. “Will I ever meet the king?”
