“You nearly got dragged to your death by murder water horses,” I snapped, too frayed to soften it. “You’re allowed a bit of fussing.”
Torin glanced between us, reading the tension in the room like it was printed in bold. He rested a big, warm hand briefly on my shoulder.
“I’ll put the kettle on,” he said gently. “Give you two a minute.”
He disappeared into the kitchen. The soft clink of mugs and the hiss of the kettle filled the silence. Mitch hopped up on the bed, pressing his head into Zara’s lap with a whine. She slid her fingers into his fur automatically, shoulders loosening a fraction.
I hovered near the end of the bed and then sat, hands linked so tightly in my lap my knuckles ached.
For a long beat, we just breathed together.
Her dark hair was mussed, curls escaping her plait. She had dirt on her cheekbone, a leaf stuck in the sleeve of her cardigan, but she was here. Alive. Not broken at the bottom of a gully with Kelpies bearing down.
My eyes burned.
“You scared the absolute shite out of me,” I blurted, voice wobbling.
Zara’s lips parted, the fight that had been coiled in her easing into something softer. “I could say the same about you, you know. Coming after me like that. I know how hard it hurt to fall down there.”
I let out a somewhat hysterical laugh. “Very on-brand of me.”
“Aye, it is.” She sighed and leaned her head back against the pillows. “Come here then, you menace.”
I scooted forward and curled into her side, sharing the same pillow as we did as teenagers gossiping about boys.
“I’m sorry,” we both said at the same time.
And then, ridiculously, we both started laughing. It broke something open in my chest, all tangled with tears.
“You first,” she said.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything,” I said in a rush. “About Torin. About the truth spell. About the whole Order thing, and the chartweaver … situation. You’re my person, Z. I should’ve come to you. I just”—I blew out air, trying to find words for the knot in my ribs—“I didn’t want you to look at me like I’d messed it all up again,” I admitted. “I thought if I said it out loud, you’d tell me I was being naïve or reckless, and I already… I already think that about myself most days. I didn’t want to hear it from you too.”
Zara’s face crumpled, just a little. “Oh, L,” she whispered. “Is that what you think?”
“Have you met me?” I couldn’t help but give a small laugh.
“In fairness, the truth spell was impressive work,” she muttered.
“That is not the takeaway,” I groaned, but a little snort escaped me.
She shifted, wincing slightly as she adjusted her leg. “Listen to me, you daft ray of sunshine.” Her voice softened. “When I get… sharp with you, it’s not because I think you’re a screwup. It’s because I see you walking into storms without a coat and I want to run after you with a brolly.”
“That’s… actually quite sweet,” I said.
“I know. I wish you would see that more.” A corner of her mouth lifted. “Iwasupset you didn’t tell me about you and Torin. But underneath that? I was just worried. You just dove right in.”
“I wish you could see how built he was. It might explain it, just a little?” I protested. “Ridiculous shoulders. Woodsman thighs. Very dive-in-able.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose like she had a headache. “Aye, I felt how strong he was, all right? But I can also see things you can’t.”
“His aura,” I said quietly.
“Aye.” She stroked Mitch’s ears, her fingers steady again. “Last time I saw him? It was dull. But since you came back?” She huffed out a breath. “Color. Proper color.”
“Is that right?” I smiled, happy to know Torin’s aura was shiny again.
“It’s true.” She tilted her head toward me. “You think I didn’t notice how his voice sounded when he spoke to you tonight? How devastated he was?”