Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 152616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 610(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 610(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
I said nothing, eyeing him warily.
He exhaled roughly. “I can retrieve a fresh plate of food for you.”
The Baron sounded like he was truly sorry. Not that it made his outburst justified. “It’s okay,” I said with a smile, because it had to be.
The Baron hesitated. “No, it’s— ” He stopped himself and took a deep breath. “I am sorry,” he repeated, and then he started toward the door, stopping to speak to Grady. “Can you make sure this is cleaned up?”
Grady nodded.
I rose as the door closed behind the Baron and his cousin, turning to the disaster on the floor.
“I got it,” Grady said roughly, approaching the table.
“It’s my food.” I knelt, beginning to retrieve the scattered slices of ham and cheese.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t help.” Grady knelt across from me, picking up the plate. “What a waste of good food.”
I nodded as I dropped a few of the pieces onto the plate he held, thinking there was a time when neither of us would’ve batted an eye at eating food that had fallen on the floor and been stepped on.
Finding a tomato, I cringed at the slimy dampness. “He’s in a mood, isn’t he?”
“Understatement of the year, Lis.” His jaw worked as he picked up the cup and set it on the table. “That wasn’t okay.”
“I know.” I briefly met his gaze. “He’s not my lover,” I reminded him.
“What is he to you? Your boss, who randomly gets far too friendly with you?”
“No, he’s my boss who pretends to be more than he is.” Probably wished he were, too— wished he felt more for me, that is.
“Still doesn’t make it okay.”
I nodded, scooping up the last piece of food, placing it on the plate as I rose. “But it’s not every day you have ni’meres swarming your gardens.”
Grady snorted. “Thank the gods.” He picked up a piece of bread. “I would’ve pissed myself if I had been out there, on the wall, and saw them coming.”
“No, you wouldn’t have.”
He pinned me with a stare, brows raised.
“Okay.” I laughed. “You would’ve done that and then fought them off.”
“No, I would have done that and then run, or pissed myself while running, which is the only sensible thing when faced with something like a ni’mere.”
Shaking my head, I picked up the last bit of food and dropped it on the plate Grady was holding. I started to rise when I noticed an angry, shiny reddish-brown patch of skin on Grady’s arm, just below his wrist. I reached for his hand, but caught myself. My gaze flew to his. “What happened to your arm?”
“What?” He glanced down. “Oh. It’s nothing. I was making a new blade and my hand slipped. Got too close to the heat.”
“Gods, Grady. That looks painful. Have you put anything on it?” Immediately, I started thinking of the different poultices that could be used. “I can— ”
“I already used the stuff you made last time. See?” He tilted his arm toward the light. “The sheen? It’s from the aloe stuff you made.”
“You need to use more than that.” I took the plate from him, placing it on the table. “And you should cover it when you’re outside, especially when you’re working in the shop.”
“Yes, Mother,” Grady replied dryly.
Eyeing his wound, I was reminded of something. “Have you talked to Claude about taking over for his blacksmith? Danil should be retiring soon, right? And with what happened to Jac . . .”
“I haven’t.” Grady turned away.
My eyes narrowed. “But you will, right?”
One shoulder lifted.
“I can ask him— ”
“Don’t do that.” Grady faced me.
“Why not?” I crossed my arms. “You’re good at that— ”
“I’m good at what I do now.”
“Yeah, but you actually enjoy working with iron and steel. It’s rare that someone is good at something they enjoy doing.” I watched him fiddle with the leather strap across his chest, holding one of the blades I knew he had crafted himself. “You need to ask Claude. He’s not going to tell you no.”
“I know. I will.” He was quiet for a moment. “You’re going to hate what I say next, but you should probably stay out of the gardens for a little while.”
“Yeah, probably.” I crossed the chamber, the gown snapping at my heels. I stared out the window, my thoughts drifting back to that odd feeling I had last night. That I should’ve stayed by his side.
It was still there, like a shadow in the back of my mind. That I should be out there.
With him.
Where I belonged.
CHAPTER 12
In the days that followed, things had calmed around the manor and within Archwood. There had been no more ni’mere attacks or word concerning the Iron Knights and the Westlands’ princess, nor had I found any more guards involved in the shadow-market trade.
Things were normal.
I spent time in the gardens and with Naomi, sat with Grady in the evenings. I joined Claude for his suppers and rode Iris through the meadows between the manor and the city, and I found pleasure in these things, like a good little lowborn.