Ihadkept her up last night. Good. She’d kept me up as well.
All I did was raise my eyebrows.
She threw the book at me.
I caught the thing, flipping until I located chapter twenty. When I handed it back, her cheeks turned red as a beet. “This one’s my personal favorite,” I said, tapping the page where the heroic knight abandons his helmet to explore his fair maiden’s secrets with his tongue.
Keelynn slammed the book closed, nearly catching my finger. Teasing her was quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do. Her reactions never disappointed.
She yawned again. “Not a word.”
“If you’re that tired, you should go to sleep.” Because I planned on keeping her up all night. Again.
“And have you watch me? No, thank you.”
“It didn’t bother you last night.”
She looked mortified. “You jest.”
“It was only fair. You’ve been staring at me all week.”
“I haven’t been—” The words died on her strained lips, and she let out the sweetest curse.
My chuckle earned me another jab. “I can’t blame you. I’d stare at me too.”
Laughing and shaking her head, she settled herself deeper into the cushions. If anyone had told me a week ago that I’d be sitting here, wanting nothing more than to make this wasp laugh, I’d have called them an eejit.
Keelynn’s lashes fluttered. The moment she gave in, she sighed.
I could’ve stared at her for the day. Every twitch of her lips, flutter of her lashes. Each soft, sleepy smile.
My heart started to ache. I didn’t want to like Keelynn, much less care about her. This had to be about the ring. I’d do what I had to do—betray her if I must. Then leave this carriage, this woman, these curses behind.
I unscrewed the lid on my flask, drinking deep.
Why was it so warm in here? If only these windows opened. The blue walls felt as if they were closing in on me.
Keelynn was all I could smell. Keelynn was all I could see. Keelynn was all I could hear. These feckin’ windows. This feckin’ box. This . . .
I evanesced to the bench at the front of the carriage. The fresh, crisp breeze stole my breath, swirling around, fluttering what remained of the leaves on the trees.
Padraig cursed, nearly losing his grip on the reins. “What’re ye doin’ up here?”
“She’s asleep.”
He side-eyed me, then turned back and gave the reins a flick. The horses’ tack jingled with each clopping step forward. Why did people take these feckin’ carriages? I could walk almost as fast.
“What game are ye playing?” the old man grumbled.
“I could ask you the same thing. You must know she will not succeed. Why did you agree to help her in the first place?”
The wrinkles around his mouth deepened with his frown. He remained quiet for so long, I was sure he’d decided not to answer. Then he sighed and said, “I refused to help Lady Aveen thinkin’ it would keep her safe, and look what happened. Figured with me at milady’s side, she’d be safer than if she tried any of this on her own.”
An admirable plan, to be sure. But also incredibly silly. He’d answered my questions willingly enough, so I felt I owed him an answer as well. “I need the ring.”
His stooped shoulders hunched forward as he steered the box around a fallen tree. He didn’t have anything to say about that. If Padraig wanted me gone, he could’ve offered to put in a good word for me. Did he? Of course not.
“I don’t remember you from Tearmann,” I confessed.