Page 47 of Blood and Fate

Kais had never in his life seen any use in the skill his mother had taught him when he was small. But suddenly, he wanted to thank her. Had she been alive, he might have written her a letter. He was concerned his skill might be rusty, but as he held the hook, it came back to him with ease. He wrapped the yarn around the tip, pulling it through the existing loop. It only took him a few stitches before his confidence was stoked, and he was crocheting a chain the length of a scarf and then back up.

Teague clapped his hands together, letting out a laugh and rocked back where he sat. “Our leader, a man of many talents, indeed!”

Kais didn’t dare to look up at Satori, but he could feel her attention on him, her eyes burning into his face.

A half smile turned up his lips. “Oh yes. I have many skills; this one just never came in handy until now.”

When he looked up, Sawyer’s project rested in his lap, and his face was screwed up into a mask of confusion as he watched Kais. “How are you doing that, sir?”

“Don’t feel bad, Sawyer.” Kais handed the chain he had crocheted back to Teague. “My mother taught me when I was very young. I don’t know why, except she saw into the future and knew I would need it on this night to put you all to shame.”

“Excuse me.”

Kais turned to Satori. Her words and expression said she was offended, but he felt no offense from her. On the contrary—his head cocked to the side, and he had to stop the smile that threatened to overtake his mouth. She was playing. Her words were in jest.

“Yes, Princess?”

“I take issue with being included in your sweeping observation.” She held up her yarn; clearly she had been busy. Her scarf was long and already a few rows deep. “There is no shame in my work. Nor do I feel threatened by your talents, sir.”

He wanted to grin as his chest warmed. She was playing with him. Was he dreaming?

He dipped his head. “Forgive me, my lady. Yours is clearly the superior project, and I would never dream of pitting my meager work against your obvious skills.”

She appeared to study him for a moment before she nodded once. “You’re forgiven.”

Teague snickered quietly.

Bram, who had been quiet, spoke up, “Had I known this would turn into a competition, I would have taught you all how to do something productive, like mending tents.”

“You should have,” Sawyer said, tossing his hook and yarn to the dirt at his feet. “That’s something I can do.”

They laughed quietly and when the sound died away, Satori spoke up again, “What is that sound?”

Kais met Teague’s eyes, confused. He looked back to Satori. “What sound, Princess?”

“It’s a sort of rumbling. I thought it was my ears ringing or something at first, but it hasn’t gone away.”

Sawyer laughed. “The river?”

She turned wide, fiery brown eyes on him. “That’s the river?”

“Yes, Princess,” Teague answered. “It’s just on the other side of the trees.”

Satori’s surprised expression changed, and Kais felt the fear as soon as it rose.

“That’s the crossing.” It was something between a statement and a question.

Her eyes roved over the ground as she seemed to process the idea that what she was hearing was the river they would cross in the morning. Large, violent, and waiting.

Then her eyes met his, and the emotion he felt from her, if only for just a moment, threatened to send him backward to the dirt. She quickly masked it, fear taking its place once again, but it had been there.

Concern. When she had looked at him. It was concern. Not for herself. Not for his men. For him. He swallowed and then swallowed again, trying to get the lump that had appeared in his throat to move back down. But it stayed, lodged there. She cared. She didn’t want to, but she did.

He latched onto that one emotion and wrapped it tightly inside himself, holding it there. He would keep it as a reminder until something came of it. Unless, of course, it was just a by-product of the bond. He pushed that thought to the side.

“Kay?” Teague nudged him, and he turned toward the other man. “Are you okay?”

“I am,” he breathed out the words.

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