Page 102 of The War of Wings
He was crumbling to pieces in front of me. This was…not good. “I can’t tell you what to say, Miles."
“Shit,” he whispered. There seemed to be no trace of Malosym’s power in any of his movements. His nerves must’ve been stronger.
“Do I tell her I love her?” he asked.
“Well, do you love her?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then tell her if you want to.”
Miles took a step toward me, his hands closing over my arms. “Tell me what to say, Cal. I’m falling apart.” His grip was strong, but no stronger than normal. Hell, maybe the cure to Malosym’s power was a strong dose of humility from Cielle. I’d never seen him like this.
“I can’t tell you what to say to her,” I repeated. “Just tell her how you feel.”
He shook his head, resuming his pacing. “Not good enough. I need–”
Footsteps sounded, and Miles and I both whirled to face each other. “She’s early,” he breathed, his eyes flashing between me and the corridor. I took a step to leave, but Miles snagged me by the collar of my tunic. “Where the hell are you going?” he hissed. “If she sees you, she’ll know you’re listening somewhere nearby!”
“Why the hell would she think that?”
“She’s smart!”
The footsteps were growing louder. My head whipped back and forth. I could go through a window. I could jump over the garden wall. I could–
“What the fuck?” I grunted as Miles shoved me backward, straight into a dense, perfectly manicured shrub.
“Stay there,” he hissed, moving his hands up and down his body self-consciously as he sprinted away.He tugged on the hem of his leathers as his steps slowed, folding his hands behind his back and pretending to casually look at…a tree.
And I was in a fucking shrub.
“Miles?” Cielle’s voice sounded suddenly, genuine surprise in her tone. I settled in, because clearly, I wasn’t leaving. This was my seat for the show.
“Cielle,” Miles answered, clearing his throat. “What are you doing here?” My eyes rolled so far into the back of my head I saw my mind looking back at me. Real fucking smooth, Miles.
“I like to read out here in the evenings,” she said. I craned my neck around the leaves obscuring my view, and I could just make out the sight of Cielle raising a book in one hand.
“Oh, really?” Miles asked. “I had no idea.”
“Mhm,” she hummed, and the sound of her footsteps echoed through the courtyard before she lowered herself to a bench.
“Well, I’ll leave you be,” Miles said, quickly making his way toward the corridor.What the fuck, Miles?
“You’re welcome to stay,” she called, and Miles paused,thank the Saints. If he hadn’t, I would’ve been forced to pop outof this bush and strangle my idiot of a brother. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your…tree gazing.”
“My tree gazing?Oh,my tree gazing. Yes, I love my evening tree gazing.”
Fucking Saints. He really was falling apart out there.
From this angle, I could see the smirk on her face. “Oh yeah? Taken up an interest in botany in recent years?”
“Sure have.”
“What kind of tree is that one?” she asked, and my eyes shot wide.
Serve Miles up on a breakfast plate and cover him in jam, because he was toast.
I would’ve paid money to see the look on his face as he took a step toward the tree, out of my view. “That is a green leaf tall tree. Very rare. Only grows here in Nesan.”
