Page 39 of All Her Feelings

“So, Synora told me a little bit about her childhood, but what about yours? Were you wild children growing up?” Holly asked.

“I was a perfect angel,” Kieran said with a sniff.

Kallan rolled his eyes, breaking his stoic mask. “As if.”

“Kallan was the wild child,” Kieran informed her in a loud whisper. “Did you hear about the time he stole Friednar’s staff?”

“No!” Holly brought her hand to her chest in mock affront.

Kieran nodded solemnly, laughter dancing in his eyes. “Yes,” he said, nodding. “His wild roots run deep.”

“Excuse me,” Kallan sputtered. “I seem to recall both of us breaking into his cottage to steal his staff because of a dare fromyou.”

“Well, what happened?” Holly asked.

Kieran grinned at her. “Friednar is sprightlier than he looks, so we both ended up with a few good raps across our calves with said staff as he chased us out of the cottage.”

The image of old Friednar chasing two twin boys out of his cabin had Holly giggling.

“You find that funny, don’t you? Laughing at your poor mates,” Kieran teased.

“From what I can tell, you deserved it for that one.”

Kieran tickled her side and Holly squealed, twisting to get away.

Luca, who’d been walking behind them, growled and puffed out his wings, and Holly held up a hand to placate him. “It’s okay,” she said. “We’re just playing.”

He grumbled but settled down, and Kieran looked at her with a mischievous grin on his face. “Well, little dove, tell us about you. What are your most wild childhood stories? It’s only fair.”

“I don’t have any wild stories,” Holly said, shaking her head.

“Not even one?” Kallan asked.

“No. I was the good child growing up. I mainly played inside with dolls. No rough and tumble for me, I’m afraid. When I got older, though, Desmond would include me in the Triad’s games. My papa wasn’t thrilled, but Desmond has always been charming.”

“What do you mean your father wasn’t thrilled?” Synora asked.

“He was scared of me getting hurt. And tumbling around with the boys, even though they were my cousin and his Triad. Just overprotective-father stuff,” Holly said. “He and I both love books and learning, so I spent a lot of afternoons reading in our library.” Escaping into worlds that were so different from her own—where bloodlines didn’t matter, and the characters could be themselves. Such a different world from the one her papa believed in.

“So, he’s where you got your brains from.” Kieran smiled at her, and Holly blushed.

“What did he think of you going to the Academy?” Kallan asked.

Holly bit the inside of her cheek as she remembered that conversation. She had thought he would have blown up when Desmond brought it up, but he had instead been focused on the opportunity. “He was excited for the opportunity I was given,” she answered honestly. He thought it would make her more attractive for marriage.

“How did his overprotectiveness take it, though?”

She wasn’t sure why Kallan was harping on that question, but she answered him anyway. “He was worried at first, constantly checking in, but Desmond promised he would look out for me, so he eased up. I don’t think he expected I would get wrapped up in all of this, though.” Holly waved her hand around, referencing the Realm.

“Was he at the battle?” Synora asked. “I’m trying to remember if we may have seen him.”

“No.” Holly shook her head. “He stayed back at Brandlevine to help protect the coven, with Frederick at the battle.”

Kallan and Synora exchanged a short look. Holly wondered what that was about, but Kieran distracted her by skipping ahead with her, leaving the other two and the dragon a bit farther behind. Holly laughed as he exaggeratedly swung their hands between them as they slowed back to a walk.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you how you’re doing with everything,” Kieran said, his eyes serious. “With us, I mean. I know it’s been fast…”

“It has.” Holly squeezed his hands. “But it’s been fine. Synora told me earlier that we have the rest of our lives to explore each other.”

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