“Your ring,” I croaked. “The emerald of love.”
His body shook with a quiet laugh. “Whether I’m gone for two hours or five days, I’ll be counting the seconds until I have you back in my arms.”
“You better not be gone for five days,” I mumbled. “I’ll hunt you down.”
“Is this before or after you become one with nature and build your grass hut in the forest?”
I laughed. “Asshole.”
“I placed extra protection charms in your satchel.” Briar pushed his glasses up his nose. “Just in case you need them during patrols. You can never be too careful.”
Maddox cracked a smile and reached for Briar with his other hand, pulling him toward us. He nuzzled Briar’s hair before doing the same to mine. “I’ll pass them on to my men. My ring more than keeps me safe. It keeps me sane as well, reminding me of the two men who own my heart.”
“I… well, I’m glad to hear it.” Briar cleared his throat.
“Is that a blush, physician?”
“No.” Briar scoffed and motioned to the stone hearth in the corner of the dining room. “I’m merely standing too close to the fire. My skin is warm.”
“Mhm.” Humor lit our captain’s eyes.
As he finished getting ready, I returned to the kitchen to sort the bundles of muffins and sandwiches for my boys to take with them. A scraping sound from outside drew my attention.
Callum sat on the back porch, sharpening his sword with a whetstone.
The center of my chest prickled at the sight of him. He hadn’t said a word to me over breakfast, but I’d caught him looking at me several times. Hating the weirdness between us, I grabbed my cloak and stepped outside. Woodsmoke lingered in the morning air, as did the smell of damp earth and pine trees.
“Looks sharp,” I said, sitting beside him on the steps.
“Very.” Callum put the stone away and rested his sword against the railing. “You aren’t allowed anywhere near it.”
I made a face, and a ghost of a smile touched his mouth. Not fully formed, as though something kept it at bay. A breeze swept through the surrounding trees. I caught his scent on that breeze. One I’d started getting used to.
And one I’d miss the moment he left.
“The sun’s coming up.” I stared at a lighter section of sky.
“Aye. And with it, the world will wake.” He released the softest of breaths. “Mornings are nice, but sunset is my favorite time of day.”
“Why?”
“I find it beautiful,” he said. “How the setting sun casts the world in a dark golden hue. With its final breath, it still tries to shine on everything around it.”
His words struck something inside me. Dug in deep. I thought of all the smiles and lightheartedness he’d shown over the months, both to me and to the other knights. Even when times were hard. He’d been that way ever since I’d met him; this bright ray of sun that gave others something to hold onto when life threatened to sweep them away.
“Is that how you feel?” I asked. “A sun that’s setting but still trying to give light to everyone around it?”
The saddest gleam touched his brown eyes. “I should ready my horse. We’ll be leaving soon.”
Neither of us moved. A second passed, then another. Weird how everything continued around us, but we sat frozen in a single moment. That moment held so many unspoken things. Things I wanted to tell him but couldn’t find the words.
“Are you worried at all?” I asked. “About… well, everything, I guess. Demons and the uncertainty with Haran.”
“It does cause me some concern.” Callum stared at the wall of trees ahead of us. “I can’t shake the feeling that something big is on the horizon.”
“Like ‘war with Haran’ big?” I wrung my hands together in my lap.
“Perhaps. Or a clash with Lord Onyx.” He grabbed my hand and kissed the top of it. “But never you fear, milord. I will protect you from whatever may come. Always.”
