“You stare.” His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Oh. Um.” I cleared my throat. “Just surprised you actually ate that.”
“I ate the brownie as well.”
“You did?” I asked with an uncontainable smile. “Reign took three pieces the night you came to the cottage, but I thought he ate them all himself. Did you like it?”
“It was… edible.”
Fairly sure it was the closest I’d get to a compliment from him. I surrounded myself with stubborn men. But I suspected, in his case, that stubbornness came from years of hard training that forced him to conceal his true emotions. To hide his wants and any sense of individuality.
I adjusted the basket on my arm. “I should get these to the mess hall.”
“I’ll walk with you.” Draven pushed from the tree trunk.
Correction: I surrounded myself with stubborn andoverprotectivemen.
“I’m fine. I know you promised Rowan you’d watch over me, but the knights are my friends. I’m also wearing my protection stone. Nothing can hurt me.”
Draven’s mask moved as he expelled a breath. “All magic has limits. The physician crafted a strong stone for you, yet it won’t protect you from everything.”
“Yeah, my clumsy feet are proof of that.”
Another sigh. “You are quite troublesome for someone so small.”
“I’ve heard that once or twice.”
Commotion came from behind us; shouts and the thud of hooves pounding against the ground. One second, I was standing in the middle of the path, and the next, the tree was at my back with a warm body in front of me as knights on horseback rode past us. Draven had one arm around me and the other rested on the dagger sheathed at his hip.
It wasn’t the first time a man had shoved me against a tree.
“Thanks for that,” I panted. “They came out of nowhere.”
Draven released me but stayed close. “A patrol party, by the look of it. I’m sure they’re joining your knights in their search.”
“Ro said Reign can detect magical energy.” A certain masked man held me captive beneath the shaded tree, not letting me step even a foot away from him. “Is that how they’ll track him?”
He nodded. “More difficult if the mage is using a concealment spell, but even a spell such as that leaves behind a residual energy. It will alert Reign to his location.”
“Young Evan!” I flipped around to see Finnian and Ban walking down the path. The spy was no longer beside me. He must’ve leapt back up into the tree, staying out of sight just as his code dictated.
“Afternoon,” I greeted them, stepping from the shaded tree and into the sunlight.
“We heard you were here at the castle.” Finnian combed his fingers through his wavy brown hair. The warm breeze had swept his bangs in front of his eyes.
“I come bearing gifts.” I motioned to my basket. “Consider it my contribution to fighting the cause, since Maddox won’t let me carry a sword. I’m forbidden from pointy objects.”
Ban snorted.
“Was that a laugh?” I smiled.
He looked the other way. Unlike previous encounters, he wasn’t wearing his helmet, giving me a clear view of his chiseled features, hard brow, and gray eyes that reminded me of rain.
“I know a certain prince who would be delighted to see you.” Finnian bowed his head. “He’s been in quite the somber mood as of late. He wished to visit the market this afternoon, yet with a dark mage on the loose in the kingdom, it’s unwise for him to leave the castle grounds.”
Sawyer once told me he felt like the castle walls were a prison—that he was trapped. I was sure he felt that way even more lately.
“I’d love to see him,” I said. “Good thing I came prepared. Kuya would never forgive me if I showed up without treats.”
