He shakes his head, sniffling a little and dragging his sleeve under his nose.
“Let’s try it again. This time, we’re going for five, yeah?”
Kyff gives me a hopeful smile. “I think I can go for five.”
“I know you can.”
Seven seconds.Kyffin can hold a flame for seven whole seconds.
His bark of laughter echoes around the room when I tackle him to the mattress and tickle him until he begs me to stop. Kyff still can’t conjure a flame on his own, but I have faith that he’ll have it mastered in no time at all.
We fall onto our backs, both of us gasping for air. When my throat starts to tickle, I cough into my fist to clear it. Gods, I hope I’m not coming down with a fucking cold. Then again, if I’m sick, I can stay in bed all day and avoid Leeri.
My heavy eyelids drift closed, and my mind begins to empty, leaving room for memories ofherto flood in.
I remember her sleeping, the thickness of her lashes resting on her cheeks, the soft air of her deep, even breaths against my neck. The weight of her tucked against my body as if we were one. The feeling of her luxurious waves the color of the sky.
I loved her. Gods, I loved her.
Love a ghost, become a ghost yourself.
If only there were some sort of potion that would make me forget the way it felt to love and be loved.
“Senan?” Kyff whispers. “Can I stay with you tonight?”
“At your own risk. I snore louder than Boris.”
He shifts and lifts the quilt so he can slip beneath the covers. “I don’t mind. At least I’ll know I’m not alone.”
He was only three when our mother passed, and five when he lost Father. Since then, Boris has been too busy ruling the kingdom, and Aeron has been busy training with the army. I’ve been too busy?—
My throat tightens.
I’ve been too busy losing myself.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Kyff whispers. “But you have to promise not to make fun of me.”
“As your older brother, it’s my sworn duty to make fun of you. However, I will concede this time and promise to make fun of you only twice.”
His teeth scrape his lower lip as he peers at me through wide eyes. “I’m scared of the dark.”
I remember being scared of the dark. Some nights, I would sleep beside my balcony doors so I could see the stars. Of course,that was before I knew how vindictive those celestial beings could be.
“How can you be scared with so many nightlights just there.” I point to the quilt of winking stars hanging outside my room.
Kyff snuggles closer. “You’re like a nightlight sometimes.”
Well, if that isn’t a punch to the bollocks, I didn’t know what is. “Sometimes,” I say with a sigh, my stomach sinking as I roll onto my side to face him.
“Boris says you’re an addict.”
I’d love to know why the king thinks it’s appropriate to chat about my habit with a child. “Boris is a knob.”
Sniggering, Kyff flops an arm across my stomach, hugging me tight. “I don’t want you to leave.”
I don’t want to leave either. But I gave Boris my word and won’t go back now. Not that he’d let me even if I wanted to. “Here is a thought. After I get settled, maybe you can come and visit. We can duel to the death in Nimbiss. I bet they have a lot of rugs for us to smother in jam.”
“Do you think Boris will let me?” He sounds so hopeful.