And he was left on his own…with the king.
No, Caelan.
Caelan Talos. The last Talos and the Guardian of the Godstone. The man who was currently bonded to three gods and was fighting to save all of Thia.
There was no way in the world Adrian would ever be able to talk to this guy like he was a normal human being.
As if reading his thoughts, Caelan twisted around to smile at him, this one seeming a little more amused and lighter. He patted the empty seat next to him at the breakfast bar. “Sit. Dinner won’t be ready for another few minutes.”
Forcing his own smile that he was sure fooled no one, Adrian slid onto the pub stool next to the king and glanced at the kitchen lined with dark cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. Everything was surprisingly neat and tidy despite the work Rayne was doing. The rich scent of pesto and steak drifted through the air with the hint of fresh-baked bread.
“Can you cook?” Caelan asked.
Adrian startled, earning another amused smile. He hadn’t expected the king to talk to him, which was probably a stupid thought. “Some. The basics mostly. Nothing fancy.”
“Rayne is an excellent cook. He’s what makes camping tolerable. What he can make over a campfire is amazing.”
“I can make a damn good deer steak and potatoes,” Eno bragged. He’d set the bottle on the center island and was currently working the corkscrew into it.
“Steak is not rocket science,” Caelan teased.
“So says the man who can’t even cook a steak,” Eno countered.
“Or rice,” Rayne added.
Caelan groaned and slapped his hand over his face. “I’m never trying to cook for any of you again. You can all starve.”
“No, the only way to learn is to continue to practice.” Rayne stepped away from the stove where he’d been stirring a boiling pot to pull down a colander. He set it into the sink and returned to the pot. “Maybe we should let you take over cooking while we’re on the road.”
“No! I don’t want to starve too!” Caelan cried, but for the first time since they’d returned to Stormbreak, he saw a real smile cross the man’s face.
At that moment, Adrian understood why Rayne had invited him to dinner. He would never have guessed that Caelan, Eno, and Rayne enjoyed this level of comfort and easy banter. He could so clearly see exactly how Drayce would fit into this group. The guy would have been right in the thick of things, tossing out comments and stirring the pot just to see Caelan laugh.
Well before the death of Queen Amara, Adrian had seen Caelan and Drayce from afar in the Towers. They’d both shared quick grins and secretive laughs. That Caelan had shone brighter and was significantly more relaxed. A young man with a long future stretching ahead of him.
Based on what Rayne and Eno had told him, Adrian had to wonder how long that future stretched now.
“We can share cooking duties,” Adrian offered. “Or I can cook and you can clean up.”
Rayne and Eno both looked up at him and smirked. “Sucker,” they said in unison, and Caelan cackled.
“Don’t be drawn in by his woe-is-me eyes,” Eno warned. “Both Caelan and Drayce are lazy and easily distracted. You can’t take your eye off them for a second, or you’ll be eating burned rice.”
Adrian glanced over at Caelan and was stunned to find a faint blush to his cheeks. “Is it not enough that I’m saving the world?” he complained.
“No,” Rayne immediately replied. “It doesn’t hurt to be a bit more self-sufficient as well.”
Caelan grinned over at Adrian. “Evil. They’re all cruel and evil.”
But he didn’t believe it. What they were was a family. A bickering, teasing, complaining, and very likely meddling family. And he’d been thrust right into the center of them. An outsider who didn’t have much hope of fitting in or finding a place among them, though he wanted to very much. He had two older siblings and had experienced this kind of affectionate teasing firsthand, but he’d never had friends quite like this.
His friends had largely been the “What can you do for me?” type, which had led him down a lot of bad paths until he’d started training for the Royal Guard. Now his social circle was limited to acquaintances he saw on occasion that he’d met through work. Over the past few years, he’d been incredibly focused on being the best soldier he could be, so he’d not worried too much about making close friends.
Oddly enough, Drayce Ladon had been the one regular face that continuously popped up in his life. When Caelan was away on his royal duties, Drayce would coast through the barracks on Adrian’s afternoons off to shoot the breeze or play cards. He was the guy who always went out of his way to say hi if he caught sight of Adrian while he was on duty.