Page 71 of Tisak

“Shh, I’ve got you, precious. Don’t cry. We’re all going to be okay.”

I wasn’t sure I believed him, but I so desperately wanted it to be true.

It was a few minutes before his rushed whisper reached my ear, and when it did, the vice tightened around my heart. “Promise me you’ll never leave us again.”

“I promise. Goddess, I promise, Wey. Never again.”

He blew out a breath, and I felt him give a single nod. I wasn’t sure he believed me, and I only had myself to blame.

“I’m sorry,” I cried out.

He kissed my head and continued to whisper sweet nothings into my hair as I eventually calmed down. But even when I stopped crying, he didn’t let go. I had a feeling he was going to be holding onto me more than he usually would because of what I’d done. Too bad the same couldn’t be said for Nica.

Our sweet tiger finally came back into the tent. He paused as soon as he saw me on Wey’s lap, and when I saw his expressionless face, it felt like my heart dropped to the floor.

Wey was right. I’d taken away Nica’s smile.

I honestly couldn’t remember the last time Nica didn’t offer me a smile upon seeing me. I was quite sure that had never happened before.

His eyes scanned over both of us before he walked past us and over to a chest. He began rummaging around in it, ignoring us.

I turned to Wey and watched him watching Nica, a concerned expression on his face.

A minute passed before Nica said, “I washed your clothes from yesterday, Wey. They’re hanging on our line outside to dry.”

I noticed that my clothes hadn’t been washed but had been picked up, folded, and set on a small table. I didn’t know how to take that. It was kind of him to fold them, but why wash Wey’s and not mine? Not that it was his responsibility, but… maybe he simply hadn’t wanted to do me a favor. Not that I expected him to wash my clothes. I didn’t expect anyone to do that.

Wey’s brow furrowed. “Thank you, baby.”

“I’m going to the mess for lunch. I’ll save you a spot at the table, yeah?” He headed for the tent flap, his back to us.

Before Nica could escape, Wey said, “Why don’t you wait for us so we can all go down together?”

Nica’s shoulders rose, and if he’d been in his tiger form, I had no doubt his hackles would be raised. “I told Braz I’d meet him there.”

“You saw Braz?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Yes.”

“Was Florin with him?” I worried about my sweet half-orc walking around this camp alone with all the judgy stares and cruel words that always seemed to find their way to his ears.

Nica’s shoulders tensed further, but he finally turned around to face us. “Yes.”

I blinked at the venom in the word. Right. Despite the nice greeting earlier, Nica was pissed that Florin had been the one to suggest going to Safire in the first place. Clearing my throat, I decided to leave that aside and asked, “Is Braz alright?”

“He finished helping get the fae settled in and was searching for a second bed to bring in here—not that I know how they’ll fit it. We’ve been living in a space made for two for a long time, so…” He trailed off with a shrug, and I winced.

“Nica,” Wey said with a sigh before he kissed my temple and set me on the bed. He offered an apologetic smile before standing and walking over to Nica. To my astonishment, he didn’t hesitate to pull Nica into his arms, hugging him tight, rubbing his back, and kissing his hair. Nica didn’t look at all surprised by the easy affection coming from our steely gargoyle, so I assumed this was something Wey often did now. Yes, they’d touched each other often before, but this seemed different—softer, sweeter, maybe even tender.

Not something I would’ve associated with Wey in regards to Nica before I’d… left them behind. I winced internally at myself.

“You’re okay, baby,” he said to our tiger, and even the way he saidbabynow felt different. It used to be almost mocking, but now it sounded like a true endearment. If nothing else, it seemed my absence had brought the two of them closer. I was glad they’d leaned on one another instead of pushing each other away. “I’ve got you, Nica. We’re both here, and we’re both okay.”

Nica nodded against him, rubbing his cheek along the skin of Wey’s neck. Wey whispered something I couldn’t hear, and Nica purred in response, hugging him back tightly.

I felt awkward.

For the first time since the first week I’d known them, I felt awkward in their presence, like I was intruding on a private moment. But it only lasted another minute before they broke apart with a kiss, and Nica moved over to me.

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