Page 82 of The Chaosweaver's Daughter
“You’ve shown me the biggest thing you can create. What about the most complex?” Kas asked. “Or was the mountain one in the same?”
Nes scoffed. “The mountain wasn’t complicated. Hmm . . . let’s see . . .”
With apop, a miniature instrument, no wider than his hand, burst onto the landing between them.
Kas studied it with great interest. “How did you craft such a perfect little pianoforte?”
She stifled a laugh. “Technically it’s a harpsichord, because of the plectrums.”
He nodded, digging in his memories for anything on the differences between harpsichords and pianofortes. Something about hammers came up, and when she struck up a tinkling sonata on her creation, he recalled the rest of the details. It was a welcomed trait of hers, that brilliant mind, and a huge part of why he liked her so very much.
“I know how to make it because it was one of Papa’s exams when I was his pupil.” The night was growing dark, but he could make out the flash of her smile in the late-evening haze. “Once you’ve had to memorize every key, every curve, the length of each string... You don’t forget that sort of thing.”
“Gods.” He shook his head in bewilderment. “You’re amazing, Nes.” Kas focused on his shoes, positive that if he chanced another glance at her, he’d toss his glass down to the cobbles and pull her in for a kiss.Patience, Kas!
Beside him, Nes’s slippered feet shuffled on the steps.
Thenextdayhetook his hounds out for a well-timed walk that should have, if he’d planned correctly, had him crossing paths with Nesrina and the twins as they returned from their lesson in the glade.
And there she was, emerging from the path flanked by a pair of unruly children. Her caramel hair caught the sun’s afternoon rays as it lit up her face, and when she smiled at him, he felt certain he was in the presence of Appia, the mother of Duhra, goddess of children, the home, and weaving.
Fitting.
Kas had fully intended to up his courting game at Summer Cottage. Alas, plans had changed. After their rather delightful conversation the evening before, he’d revised his mission to be properly winning her over right at home. At least he could put his time to good use while awaiting Hevva’s arrival.
Acting where Kas could not, Vites and Enoth let out excited yelps and bounded past the twins to the approaching tutor, stealing her attention from him. Lellin let out a whine, and Kas glanced down to find her baleful eyes asking why he wasn’t joining the others in romping across the grass. When it became apparent to his old hound that he wasn’t going to race off too, she left him and joined her kin to pester Nes.
Pausing, Nes greeted the dogs in turn, giving each a scratch behind the ears before she tried again to make her way to Kas and the twins. The happy pups weren’t having it, and they pranced around her in circles, butting their noses against her palms as they begged for more attention. Kas understood where they were coming from.
After a few more rounds of pets and scratches, Nes sighed in defeat. Quick as a wink, she shoved her palm out and crafted a trio of leather-looking sticks that lobbed away from her extended hand like... magic—which they were. The sticks rocketed off in different directions, each one followed by a galivanting wolfhound. The twins cheered and clapped at the casual display of their brand of power.
“I love Miss Kiappa!” Della cheered as she tugged on Kas’s hand.
“Me too.” He chuckled softly, giving his niece a squeeze. It took Kas a moment to realize what he’d said, and when he did, he sucked in breath, his pulse skyrocketing.
He loved her.
Of course it was love. How could he have been so stupid? All the signs were there. The way she pulled him out of his routine, bettering the balance in his life. The way she struck his fancy in a manner no human had ever accomplished. The way he could listen to her speak for hours. The way she’d enraptured him for months. No single topic, and certainly no single person, had ever achieved that. She was brilliant, and the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, inside and out. How could henotlove her?
With the dogs finally distracted, Nesrina continued across the lawn. He locked onto her, unable to focus on anything else, not whatever question Ataht threw his way, or to affirm whatever fact Della stated. As if feeling the weight of his gaze, Nes looked up, brows scrunched in question.
I love you, he said with his eyes, or at least, he hoped that’s what his gaze conveyed. The beginnings of a blush crept up her neck before she tore her eyes away and focused on the fat, ancient book in his hand.
It wasn’t exactly the greeting he’d hoped for, but it was a good segue. “This is for you. I don’t need it right now and thought you might like to poke through.” It was meant to be a sort of courting gift, a bit of insight into him and his mind.
She snatched the proffered text and immediately flipped it open. Kas chuckled and placed a steadying hand on her shoulder to guide her around obstacles as their group of humans and hounds headed back to the house.
Love.He smiled to himself, his steps light and free.
thirty
Nesrina learns many new things.
Kashadgivenheran amazing book on the Old Tongue, and since then, every moment of her allotted reading time, which was a fair amount, was consumed by the new text. Nes speed-read it once, then began a re-read, taking her time to try to answer a few specific questions.
That evening, perched on the edge of her chair, she hunched over the table in her sitting area with the book by her left hand and her notebook and pen on her right. She could—should, probably—have moved to the desk, but reading in the sitting area felt less like doing work than sitting in an upright chair. And she wasn’t doing work; she was havingfun.An oddly large amount, considering the dry text she’d immersed herself in.
The book turned out to be half dictionary, half etymology. It was precisely what she hadn’t realized she’d been looking for, and she knew she needed to thank him for it. Tonight, as she sipped a pre-bed whiskey from Aylin, she discovered something she’d missed on her first read through:Kalalitan.
