Instead, as Nyfain started to walk me across the ground wrapped up in his arms, and Hannon and Arleth waited for Delaney, I asked quietly, “What happened with my brother back there?”
He sobered a little. “He has a lot of power he’s keeping under wraps. When his animal finally decides to show itself, I think he’ll widen a lot of eyes.”
“Why does that worry you?”
“I’ve never been afraid of a challenge in my life. I’ve also never met someone I thought could overpower me. I’m not sure about him. I think it would be a battle, and for your sake, I hope it never comes to that.”
“Because you wouldn’t back down?”
“Not from a challenge, no. It isn’t in me. Nor is losing.”
Shivers rolled across my skin, and I snuggled into him a bit more. “It won’t come to that. I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”
“He might not always let you call the shots.”
“You need to pay more attention. I don’t call anything. I do me, and he does him. Together we kept our family alive. I only tell him what to do when it pertains to the me side of things. He’s not in charge of anything at the moment, so he doesn’t need my help. When he has the advisory circle, though, just you wait. He can get bossy when he needs to be.”
Nyfain grunted, and I hoped that satisfied him.
I hoped the advisory circle satisfied Hannon. He was definitely keeping something under wraps, and while I really wanted to press him, I didn’t sense it was dangerous. Not to him or to anyone else. I did sense, though, that he was uncomfortable with whatever was going on with his animal. Maybe that was why he hadn’t shifted yet. Goddess knew I’d had a rocky start with my animal. He probably just needed time.
Sable and Dash both came, Dash tagging along because Father had asked Vemar to keep him out of trouble. My little brother rode with Hannon while my sister rode behind Hadriel. The cart had a squeaky wheel, and Hadriel grumbled about it the whole way out to the field.
I swung my foot over the saddle but was given a command to wait. The power caressed me like a lover, however, so I allowed Nyfain to come around and lift me down so I didn’t “hurt myself.” I was pretty sure he was using my wound as an excuse to baby me without my pushing back, but given he’d let me come all the way out here after he’d expressly told me not to leave the castle, I let him.
“Over there, Hadriel, hurry now.” Arleth pointed toward the large birch tree at one end of the field.
“What happened to the kind queen from back in the day?” he murmured, walking his horse before throwing the reins over a tree limb to keep the horse from wandering. “This one is pushy.”
“Sawhorse…just there.” Arleth pointed. “Nyfain?”
“Of course.” Nyfain gave me a kiss on the temple and walked to the cart to retrieve it.
“And there.” She pointed to another. “Hannon?”
Hannon followed Nyfain without a word.
“Vemar, clothes, if you please,” she said without turning to look. Vemar stood at the edge of the field, watching everyone. “There’s a reason we dressed quickly. There are children present.”
“My apologies, Miss Queen. Let me just go don my dick jacket.”
She shook her head lightly. Dee’s attempts at a scowl were undermined by the telltale tilt at the corners of her lips. I hoped the kids weren’t listening, but then again, they were in the castle now. Although it was much less likely they’d walk in on an orgy now than it had been a few months ago, language was harder to tone down.
While Arleth barked out orders, I followed Nyfain over to the birch out of curiosity. When I got close, it burst into life, shaking and shimmering, its branches waving.
“Holy shitstains, Finley, watch out!” Hadriel jumped away from the horse and ran a few steps, turning to shield his face with his arm while he looked up at the shaking tree.
Everyone but Nyfain stopped and stared, wide-eyed, as I worked around the tree to the little bush where Nyfain had always stored his notes and things for me.
“Nyfain put your sword right here, Arleth,” I told her, pointing. “When I needed weapons. We weren’t…seeing each other at the time, but we communicated through letters. He didn’t tell me that the sword was yours.”
“You wouldn’t have accepted it if you’d known,” he replied, fondness in his voice as he set up the sawhorse.
I pulled my lips to the side, not quite sure that was accurate…
“I have not seen you wear that sword since the battle, young Finley,” the queen said, motioning for Hadriel to grab a cedar tray for collecting leaves.
The sword had been waiting in our room after our dinner with Arleth. There had been no note. Obviously she’d meant to give it back to me, but no way would I wear something I could not use and that did not belong to me. I’d told Leala to return it.