Page 134 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
I smiled. “What’s this I hear about three foolish males knowing how to play instruments?” I raised my brows at them and splayed a hand on my hip. “Why are y’all holding out on us?”
“Does my lady want to dance?” Brenton bowed.
I curtsied. When he took my hand, I let him spin me three times before I went to Elias and tugged on his hand.
Outside, Donnie lit my firepit. This time, it was George who was sullen, hanging back from the crowd. I swallowed hard and went to him. I felt the way Everly’s attention hardened on me, but I forced myself to hold his gaze.
“I’m sorry,” I told him.
He balked, then shook his head.
“I’ve been unfair to you.”
“Unfair?” Air whooshed from his lungs in one long breath. “You saved my life, Teddy.” He shook his head. “What I did?—”
“I understand why you did it.” For something to do, I played with my fingertips. “This one thing doesn’t define you. It doesn’t make you a bad male. Out of everyone here, Tori calls you her uncle for a reason. She sees all the good in you. I didn’t want to see it before, but I do now. I just—I wanted you to know that. I’m glad you’re alive and here.”
He blinked. “I see why Everly didn’t want to lose your friendship.”
I nudged my elbow against his rock-hard stomach. “You’re not all that awful yourself.”
He chuckled.
Our exchange wasn’t monumental, but it was a start I wanted to build on.
When I looked back at my friends sitting around the roaring firepit, it was Elias’s eyes I met. Elias’s outstretched arms I went to.
His hand circled around my stomach when I sat on his lap, and he pushed my hair to the side to kiss the back of my neck.
“I love you,” he whispered so low I wasn’t sure I heard him right.
Although I did love him, I wasn’t sure I could repeat those words back to him. I loved him so much, it’d made these past few weeks unbearable. I wanted to say it but found the words stuck in my throat.
“You ready, Elias?” Brenton said, but we chose to ignore him.
Suddenly, a snowball hit me on the leg. Brenton smiled wide at me, so I lifted my middle finger back at him. Not to be ignored, Hee-haw brayed and dug his head against me. I shooed him away but he didn’t listen until Everly called for him. He curled on the ground beside her feet.Traitor.
“Get off your mate so we can play,” Brenton said.
My mate.
Elias stiffened. He held himself so still I wasn’t sure he was breathing.
My mate.
I turned around to kiss Elias’s cheek before I pulled myself off him and sat between Everly and Ryenne. With hisattention solely on me, he pulled out a guitar from whatever mystery pocket his magic allowed him to store things in. Brenton and George did the same, with Brenton pulling out bongos and George a harmonica.
Brenton started them off with a song I didn’t recognize. After a few beats, Elias joined him. Rather than play the harmonica, George started to sing. His voice was ethereal. Otherworldly and beautiful. Haunting.
Everly bumped her knee with mine, and I gaped back at her.
“I know.” She smiled.
“Oh honey, you don’t know anything if you’re saying no to that,” Ryenne hissed out.
From the light of the fire, I saw the way Everly’s eyes flashed. Hurt marred her expression for one quiet beat.
I leaned my head on her too-stiff shoulders and, not wanting fae ears to hear me, I pulled out my phone to write a quick message that I handed to Everly.
