“He would.” Briar tried for a smile, but it missed the mark. He grabbed his stack with one hand and entwined our fingers with his other. “Let’s go home.”
My dream that night was bizarre, filled with fragmented pieces that didn’t make sense.
The wailing of a thunderstorm and lightning flashes. A man screaming for someone to run. Then, the storm faded, and I found myself in a field of red spider lilies.
And there was silence, the kind that made me aware of my every heartbeat.
“There’s something… familiar about you,”came a man’s voice, silky and smooth, bleeding through that silence.
Standing in the field, I was frozen in place. The red glow of the flowers stood out beneath the dark, angry sky.
“I suspect we’ll meet again soon.”
Then, the flowers began to wilt. As the red leaves detached and glided to the ground, it reminded me of drops of blood, splattering the landscape as though a mighty battle had just taken place.
I woke to a bright flash outside the window. A boom of thunder then rattled the walls, sounding like a canon blast.
“Come here, love.” Briar held me against his chest and petted my hair. “It’s only thunder. You’re safe.”
Lake snuggled in on my other side and kissed my shoulder. Another crash of thunder sounded, sending me deeper into Briar’s chest with a small whimper.
The shift from frigid cold to warmer temperatures must’ve triggered a storm. Other than allergies, it was the one bad thing about spring. My fear of storms went as far back as I could remember. As rain pelted against the window, I squeezed my eyes closed and hoped Maddox and my knights were safe, not patrolling the forest in the middle of it. I hoped Rowan and the spies weren’t outside in it either.
What left me more unsettled than the storm? The field of red spider lilies from my dream.
I couldn’t help but think that, like the main character in that war book, maybe they’d been sent as an omen for me too.
Chapter Thirteen
Red Wine and A Spark Ignited
Golden light spilled into the cottage, coming through the large window in the main dining room. The sun dropped lower in the sky as the minutes ticked by, taking the little warmth of the day with it.
The only sound came from the broom bristles against the floor as I swept.
Lake had gathered bell peppers and onion for dinner, then went back outside to tend to his garden. Rowan was napping upstairs before having to work later that night. With the casserole in the oven, I busied myself with house chores. Dusting the reading parlor. Sweeping the floors.
Obsessing over an evil red flower and its evil glowing ways. An omen of death.
Mydeath.
Two days had passed since Briar told me the meaning behind the lily, and I’d caught myself jumping at every small sound. I’d even screamed once when seeing my shadow from the corner of my eye.
The heavy thump of boots came from the front of the cottage, followed by a string of gruff voices as the door opened and closed. I paused in my sweeping and looked toward the archway just as my favorite group of knights stepped through, my captain in front.
“You’re home early,” I said in surprise. “I wasn’t expecting you for another half-hour.”
“How fortunate we’re here then.” Maddox looked me up and down, a slow smile forming on his lips. “It’d be a shame to miss this sight.”
“What sight?” I cocked my hip, resting my weight on the broom. “Me being a smoking hot working man?”
“More like…” Maddox neared me. “A muffin maid. With your little broom and apron.” His smile grew as he cocked his head. “A broom bigger than you are.”
“Oh, hush.” I aimed the handle at him. “I have a weapon and know how to use it.”
“I’m terrified. Truly.”
“It’s awfully endearing, you being so small,” Duke said. His red hair was tied back in a low bun. “Makes me wish I could fold you up like a handkerchief and place you in my pouch for safe keeping.”
