Page 66 of A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly

Lessia took her hand, pulling Amalise up the stairs. “I know. But please, let’s talk about something else. I will be busy the next few days, and I just need…” She swallowed as her voice broke, thickness clogging her throat.

She waited for tears, almost hoped for them to relieve some of the pressure in her chest. But they never came. Instead, the lump in her throat faded until only emptiness remained.

She hadn’t cried since she was twelve.

Not since that awful day…

Swallowing again to drown the thoughts, she met Amalise’s eyes, grateful for the understanding shining in them.

Offering her a smile that didn’t meet her eyes, Amalise led the way into the kitchen upstairs, and Lessia quietly followed her, slumping down on one of the wooden chairs.

When Amalise began rummaging through the surprisingly empty cupboards, Lessia frowned. “Where is Ardow?”

Amalise turned around with some dried meat in her hands and placed it on the table between them as she sat down on the chair opposite her.

A real smile lit her face when she met Lessia’s eyes again. “I think he’s met someone.”

A grin spread across her own face. “Really?”

While Ardow’s bed rarely went cold, he’d never been serious about a man or a woman before—not for as long as Lessia had known him, and according to himself, it hadn’t happened in the years prior to them becoming friends either.

A wave of happiness washed through her.

Ardow deserved to meet someone. He was the mostgenuine, kind, and good-hearted person she’d ever met. It was the sole reason she allowed him in her bedroom once in a while—she trusted him completely and without reservation.

He was also the one of them whom she’d worried most about.

Lessia didn’t seek love, didn’t see the purpose, and Amalise had made it very clear she’d already met the love of her life and there was no one who could replace him.

But Ardow…

He loathed being alone, thrived on feeling needed, and was always seeking something else.

Something new.

Lessia grinned at her best friend. “How do you know?”

Popping a piece of meat into her mouth, Amalise winked. “He’s been more upbeat lately, and he keeps sneaking away day and night and refuses to tell me where he’s going. But every time he comes back, he has this energy about him, Lia. I’ve never seen him like this.”

Nibbling on her own piece of dried meat, Lessia smiled again. “I’m guessing he isn’t here tonight, then?”

Amalise shook her head. “He’s been gone since yesterday. But he’s on top of all the orders, and the taverns are doing well, so you don’t need to worry.”

Lessia rolled her eyes. “I trust you both with my life. You know that, Amalise. But how are the children doing? Anything I should be aware of?”

Leaning back in her chair, Lessia listened to the latest updates.

The warmth inside her spread when Amalise informed her everyone was doing well—that Ledger had joined the last trip to the forest and that he and Harver were now inseparable.

When her eyelids started fluttering, Amalise suggested they go to bed.

Nodding, she followed Amalise into her room, her smile remaining as Amalise slipped into the bed with her.

When she fell asleep, the sense of warmth, happiness, and safety followed her into her dreams.

Chapter

Thirty-One

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