“Eh, we’ve been through worse,” Quincy said, lightly scratching at the scar cutting across the left side of his face. “A little rain is no trouble at all.” Just then, thatlittle rainswooshed hard against the side of the cottage, the drops sounding like a spray of bullets. Flashes of lightning revealed the trees bowing from the force of the wind. “On second thought, sleeping here sounds great.”
Callum snorted.
After cleaning up from dinner and fetching blankets and pillows for the knights, my men and I went upstairs to wash and get ready for bed. Callum and Quincy shared the guest room, while Baden and Duke took the couches in the reading parlor. I’d set out a platter of cookies in case they got the munchies in the middle of the night.
“About the café in Exalos…” Maddox knelt by the fire in our room and added another log. “Is it something you want?”
I remembered the table of demi-humans and humans. How they’d all sat enjoying a meal together, laughing. I thought of all the people who left the café with full bellies and smiles. Then, more selfishly, I thought of how going might make me feel closer to the mom I never had the chance to meet.
“Yeah,” I confessed. “I really do.”
Maddox stared at the burning log. “Then you need to go see the lord mayor and accept his offer.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Yes.” He stoked the fire.
Something was upsetting him.
“Exalos is a beautiful place. You’ll love it.” Briar slid under the covers and spooned me from behind. “Mountains as tall as the clouds and caves with crystal-clear springs unlike any you’ll find here in Bremloc.”
“That’s right,” I said, recalling a few months back when Maddox traveled there for a mission. “Exalos is more inland with mountainous terrain, huh?”
Briar nodded. “The mountains contain powerful gems and jewels highly sought after by merchants and mages alike. Quite the prosperous city in that regard. Your café would make it even more so. And you’ve said before how you’d love to travel and see other lands. This is the perfect opportunity for that.”
Lake claimed his spot on my legs and nuzzled my thighs. I lowered my hand to his hair and petted the soft strands. It calmed some of the anxiety in my chest.
Maddox, once satisfied with the fire, joined us in bed. He pushed one arm beneath my pillow and draped the other across my waist. Being quiet wasn’t new for him, but this felt different.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Why do you believe something’s wrong?”
“Because I know you.”
He angled his head to look at me. The blue eyes I adored were like oceans that hid his deepest thoughts. “When you leave, I’m needed here and won’t be able to travel with you. That… worries me.”
“I’m a mighty muffin lord, remember? I can take care of myself.”
I mean, probably.
“Ah, yes,” he mumbled. “A mighty muffin lord who trips each time he takes a step and who has a charm that attracts everyone around him, friend and foe alike.”
Lake raised his head and bumped my palm, a silent request for more pets. I obliged, and he settled back in place with a soft sigh. “I’ll journey with you to keep you safe.”
Some of that anxiety returned. “What if someone sees you?”
“I’ll keep to the forest, staying out of sight.”
“You’ll also have your necklace.” Briar dropped a kiss to my shoulder blade. “No one can hurt you while you’re wearing it.”
“My own two feet not included.”
Maddox huffed.
“The lord mayor said you’d be gone for about two weeks?” Briar asked.
“Yeah. I’m sure he’ll give more details when I meet with him to accept the offer.”
