Page 74 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

Damn, I hadn’t realized the conversation could get worse.

“It’s just because of the bond,” I admitted, tugging my sleeve down to show them the glowing handprint. I noticed fascination in most of their eyes, more than anything else. Tugging my sleeve back up was a bit of a war, since I’d gained weight and all. “There are no real emotions.”

Most of them looked unconvinced, but thankfully, none of them asked any more questions.

“You’ve bonded with Coarse too?” one of the women asked, her voice curious.

Coarse growled.

“No,” I said quickly. “He’s just here to make sure no one tries to kill me since I snuck away from Ravv while he was sleeping.”

Elwynne grinned, shaking her head at me. “Bad call, Laeli.”

“I couldn’t stay trapped in that room any longer. It was starting to feel like another prison.” I started on my food, hoping it would get the subject off of me.

No luck, though.

“What was it like to live in a cellar?” Orvay asked.

“About like you’d imagine. Dark. Humid. Uncomfortable. Lonely. Everything was made of stone, so I couldn’t burn it.”

Grimaces went around the table.

“One of the other human girls was trapped in a tower, though. I’d take a cellar over a tower.” I tried to lighten the mood, but the words were at least partially lie.

I was afraid of heights, but Nissa had been allowed outside. She’d felt the sun on her face and seen other people, even if they were unpleasant people to see.

I’d only had Jern and Gora. And they were great… just not great enough that I wanted to spend all of my time with them, without any kind of reprieve.

“Damn. What about the third?”

“Oh, Kaelle was in a cave. She actually liked it, though.” I changed the subject, before it turned to something in my past that I wasn’t willing to discuss. I could barely think about those memories, so sharing them was out of the question. “Which of the events did Loire win? No one told me.”

The question was like lighting a fire inside all the warriors. They launched into a debate over which events they’d won, versus which ones they would’ve won if they’d chosen the correct warrior to fight in it. According to them, they could’ve taken all of them.

The confidence didn’t surprise me at all after my experiences with Ravv, though. And anyway, it wouldn’t do them any good not to believe in themselves.

Eventually, the group of fae at the table disbanded. Some went to bed, others went to train, and the rest went to a tavern.

Elwynne and Orvay remained seated though, their gazes lingering on me.

“Stop staring at me,” I grumbled at them, brushing hair out of my face.

“We’re not staring at you,” Orvay said with a grin. “We’re trying to figure out how long you have until Ravv wakes up and realizes you’re gone.”

Elwynne rolled her eyes at him. “He’s joking.”

He mouthed, “I’m not joking.”

“You’re right; he’ll be furious if he wakes up and I’m gone. I’d better get back.” I flashed them both quick smiles.

“I’d recommend a shower, too. You smell like a man.” Elwynne waved her hand in front of her nose.

I grimaced.

I’d hugged Jern, which I wouldn’t apologize for, but she was probably right that Ravv would be annoyed by his scent on my skin and in our bed when he finally woke up.

And I didn’t want to be alone in the silence with my thoughts, anyway. Showering would be a distraction, if just a short one.

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