Page 60 of A Thieving Curse

“All right, Lucas.” Raelyn spun toward him, sweat clinging to her face and arms. She planted her hands on her hips and realized she must look like the head palace cook when she caught Raelyn and Gareth with their arms full of fresh pastries. “Keep it up and I’ll find your bed and put a snake in it.” She honestly had no intention of touching a snake, but he didn’t need to know that.

Lucas shrugged. “You have my bed.”

“I…what?”

“Your room was mine.” Lucas motioned her aside and removed the fish from the pan before they could burn. “Since you’re staying, we’re going to start on a new one for me. I’ve been sleeping on the floor in Jasper’s room.” He scowled. “Jasper snores.”

“I…didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Please,” Meredith said, shooing them both out of the way. “He was thrilled and went on and on about the princess sleeping in his bed.”

Lucas blushed. “So…how would you catch a snake?”

“I don’t actually know.” She pursed her lips, thinking. “Gareth always did the snake-catching.”

Lucas handed his mother a canister of salt as she pointed and snapped her fingers. “Why would a prince catch snakes?”

“Why would anyone catch snakes?” Raelyn countered. “But mostly because Nathaniel hates them, and Gareth likes to chase him around with them.”

“I thought princes were fancy.”

Raelyn laughed as she placed a bowl full of roasted vegetables on the cart. “Nathaniel is fancy. Frederick is a little, too, I suppose, but he’s also a warrior. Gareth would rather run off and slay monsters, but he hasn’t had the chance.” She stilled as Meredith and Lucas looked at her uncertainly. She hadn’t thought about how that would sound until she’d said it, and now she wished she could take it back.

“Would he kill Alex?” Lucas asked, his forehead wrinkling and lips puckering.

“No.” Raelyn repositioned a stack of plates on the cart as an excuse to hide her face. “Alexander isn’t a monster.”

“Took you a while to figure that out, though,” Lucas noted. “Would your brother—”

“I wouldn’t let him!” Raelyn turned away, her hands trembling. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

To her relief, Lucas left the kitchen. She helped Meredith finish loading the cart. Meredith started to push the cart out into the cavern, then paused and peered at Raelyn.

“Would you really stop Gareth from killing Alex if he found us?”

Raelyn rubbed her skirt. “Would you believe that I would at least try?”

Meredith considered. “Yes. I think I would.” She abruptly turned and embraced Raelyn, and Raelyn hissed as Meredith’s arms pressed against her bruises. “Sorry!” Meredith pulled back quickly. “Are they any better? Can I see?”

Raelyn hesitated. She hadn’t wanted to look injured and useless, out of fear they wouldn’t let her help. She wasn’t used to so many unregimented hours. But she pushed up her sleeve, anyway. The blue and purple were fading, but if anything, her skin looked more yellow and green. “They’re healing, I think.”

“Good.” Meredith patted her back. “Well, the others are waiting.”

Raelyn trailed Meredith and the cart into the dining cavern, where the men were all waiting at the table. Alexander groaned as they approached. “Oh, thank goodness. I’m starving.”

“Stop complaining,” Meredith snapped as she started moving food and plates to the table.

Raelyn set a plate in front of Alexander. “Starving, huh?”

“Famished.” He reached for the fish, but Meredith clicked her tongue and he stopped.

“Good thing I didn’t totally burn the fish then,” Raelyn said casually. “Or you would have had to eat me.”

Alexander looked up in alarm, and the others froze. “You…” He relaxed when she grinned. “No, I’m not quite that desperate. I think I’ll save you for a rainy day.”

“Well, that makes me dread rain.”

Confusion creased his face. “So what, you can joke about it, but I can’t?”

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