“Food coloring.”
“What are we making?” I partly whined. I loved surprises, but also grew impatient to open them. I hopped up on the counter, my jean-covered legs swinging back and forth beneath me, next to where Bastien was leaning. The bird on my shoulder fluttered from me to Bastien, and back again, asking what we were doing inside, when we’d been out all day in the Town Square with most of the province.
“You’ll see, and you’ll smile,” she assured me.
Reyn’s eyes tracked Lane wherever she meandered in the kitchen. She’d requested the space be left unstaffed for us that evening, and hadn’t clued even Reyn in as to what her plans were. “I still don’t understand what we’re doing here.”
“We’re waiting for Draper and Urien. Then we’re having some fun.”
“Don’t you all have court to hold tonight?” Reyn asked.
“We do, and we will. But we need some normalcy.” She waved Draper and Urien into the kitchen when they appeared in the doorway. “Just in time.” She raised her hands to Bastien, Reyn, Urien, Draper, Judah and me, and spoke loud enough for her voice to be the center. “Tonight, we’re having some family time. This is a little something Ro, Judah and I used to do when we lived in Common. Once a week was family night. The rules of family night are as follows: No fighting. That’s a hard and fast rule. Next is that we have to try something new. Cook a new recipe, go to a new place, meet new people – anything, but it has to be new. The final rule is that no one is too cool to get dirty and be goofy on family night. There are no adults, and no babies. We’re all in, so respect the tradition.”
I grinned as Judah started bopping his head to a beat I totally knew. This was part of Lane’s magic that managed to carry over even into our life in Common. She could bring out the best in people – a skill not many possess.
Lane’s eyes tinted with emotion as she pressed her hand to her heart. “When Rosie and I leave after Avalon’s squared away, most of you are coming with us. When you do, this will be a little bit of what you can expect. Rosie didn’t get a period of being gently broken in here. No one sat her down and explained all that was expected of her in Avalon, and it wasn’t fair to her. If you come to Common with us, this is what we’ll be doing. I hope you all come with us, and that we have decades of family nights together.”
I beelined to Lane and wrapped my arms around her; I couldn’t stop myself. This was the Lane I loved. No matter how many horrible things had happened, she still knew who she was, and I adored that about her. “I stinking love you.”
“I love you, too, babe.” She turned me around to face the room. “This is our new family. What do you think?”
“I think they need some breaking in.” I remained attached to her, loving how strong we felt when we stood together. “What do you have in mind?”
“Thought I’d start out with something simple.” She pointed to Bastien. “That one looks like he scares easily. How about making a little snack?” she suggested innocently.
The corner of Bastien’s mouth lifted. “Hey, now. I already told you that I’m in this. I’m not so far removed from reality that I can’t make a snack with you in the kitchen.”
I returned his smile, relishing the breaking in Lane was about to do to all of them. “I think a treat sounds lovely, Lane.”
Though Urien had told us all that he wasn’t coming to Common with us, he and I hadn’t put together enough memories yet. I was excited to make a few new ones with him and the rest of the crew.
Let me tell you a little story about making saltwater taffy: it’s a full-body contact sport. It’s not so much the measuring and boiling of the simple ingredients; it’s the pulling of the taffy that got everything going. In no time at all, Draper, Judah and I were covered in butter and beet juice. It was the first time Draper actually laughed since news of Damond’s death had muted his smile.
We were barefoot and slid all over the kitchen, giggling as we collided and fell, making every part of our bodies a slip-and-slide. Urien was more kingly in his neatness, only getting his hands greasy as he pulled taffy with Lane. The two couldn’t stop laughing at the wrestling match Bastien, Reyn and I had fallen into, while Judah and Draper tried with all their concentration to pull the warm taffy without yanking each other around in a tug-of-war on the slick floor, which was now coated in a sheen of butter.
It had been a long time since I’d heard Reyn laugh, and the sound did all of us a world of good. He tripped over me and fell on Bastien, accidentally knocking the remainder of the beet juice from the counter, and dumping it on his own head. Red dye oozed all over Reyn and Bastien, who looked as though they were in a bloody deathmatch that had somehow devolved into boyish giggles. I tried to pull Reyn up, but slipped and collapsed with a squeak. I tried to stand, but I was so slippery, I only fell on him again, forcing out an “oof!” from us both.
After much finagling that looked a little like mild humping, Reyn managed to slither off of Bastien, who was still howling on the floor, holding his stomach as he fought with his levity for breath. I slumped over my boyfriend, holding him through our quaking chests and unbreakable grins. “Your hair looks amazing. I always wondered what you’d look like as a redhead.”
“Oh, yeah? You think that’s funny?” He reached down, slapping his hand in the puddle of beet juice. Securing my hips to his with an arm coiled around my waist, Bastien ran his red hand through my hair, leaving streaks of magenta and pink throughout. “Oh, that’s a great color on you. Now we match.”
I grinned down at him, basking in the glow of the familial feel of it all. With the invocation of family night, Bastien was officially mine, and I was very much his. “You’re my boyfriend,” I stated simply, gazing down at him with much unfettered affection.
Bastien looked at me, incredulous. “Is that just now dawning on you? I swear, woman. You drive me crazy.”
“I mean, like, this is real now. You’re part of our family.”
Bastien’s eyes met mine, and something serious passed between us while the kitchen was in full-on shenanigans mode around us. “This is what I want: the danger, the laughter – all of it. Whatever you’ve got, that’s what I want in on.”
There wasn’t a thought in my head that contradicted the glow I felt for Bastien in that moment, and probably a thousand moments before this haphazard one. We were smeared with grease and dye, lying atop each other in the middle of the kitchen floor, but somehow, it was perfect. “I’m so in love with you, Bastien. This is all I want.” My chest heaved with the aftershocks of laughter. I saw in him all the beautiful things that had led us to this haphazard slice of happiness. “Marry me,” I blurted suddenly.
It was as if Lane’s ears were attuned to my every breath, hearing me clear through the chaos. “What?” she shrieked, stopping mid-pull to gawk at me.
Bastien looked just as taken aback as Lane, but I didn’t care. I wanted Bastien for a hundred thousand years, exactly like this – imperfect and completely precious. Passion and devotion blazed in his eyes as his arm tightened around my hips. His fingers traced my cheek, leaving streaks of butter down my face. “I’d marry you in any world, Daisy. Just say when, and I’m there. For the rest of my life, I’m there. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
30
Coming Clean with Kerdik
The hugs and congratulations that descended upon us were slick with sticky, greasy taffy, but nothing could have been sweeter. I had my family together, I was engaged, and they were happy for me.
The only way to cut through the slime that coated us from head to toe was a sponge bath of straight vinegar in the secluded back courtyard. It was well after the sun had set that Lane sent Judah to bed, with most of us grinning from ear to ear.
Except for me.
My smile fell when Bastien insisted that I tell Kerdik about our engagement. “You have to tell him tonight.”
I shivered when the air hit my skin as I dressed behind the partition with Lane in the backyard. “Why does it have to be tonig
ht?”
Lane fielded this one, throwing Bastien a bone. “Because Kerdik’s your friend, and getting engaged is good news. Why wouldn’t you want to share that with your friend?”
I cast her a dubious look laced with probably too much attitude. “You know why.”
Lane whispered so Bastien couldn’t hear. “I don’t look forward to Kerdik’s temper when he finds out, but if this is what you want, then it’s coming, whether you like it or not. Rip off the band-aid so the wound has time to heal. Kerdik’s in love with you; no matter how long you wait, it’s not going to be pretty.”
My shoulders slumped as I threw my tank top over my head and pulled it down over my torso. Lane’s movements were jerky and quick as she dressed, hiding her curvy and lithe body from the night, as if the darkness might sneak up on her from behind. I hated to see her glancing warily over her shoulder at nothing, and guarding her body when it was just us. As soon as she was dressed, I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed some comfort into her bones. “I love you,” I stated simply. It was true; there was no girl I loved more than Lane.
She pulled back, tearing up at the mess her psyche had devolved into. Donning a brave smile that told me she was summoning as much grace as anyone could be expected to muster, she wiped her eyes and rolled her shoulders back. “I love you, too, baby.”
“Are you alright?” Reyn called from the other side of the divide.
Lane grinned and rolled her eyes dramatically. “We’re fine. Just braiding each other’s hair.” She grimaced. “Crap. Now we have to actually do that.” She turned me around and started working on assembling two French braids down the sides of my head, her fingers working on muscle memory as twilight gave way to the night. When I turned around after she finished, she looked at me with a mix of confusion and pride. “You’re engaged. My little girl’s getting married. Are you sure about this? About him?”
“I can hear you, you know,” Bastien harrumphed.
I nodded through my giggle and turned her around so I could braid her hair in the same fashion. “I am.” Then I added to my volume so he could for sure hear me. “Bastien’s too sexy for his shirt. So sexy, it hurts.”
“That’s more like it,” he said, slightly mollified.
I snickered, and then lowered my voice. “Bastien’s the guy for me, and I’m finally calmed down enough to where I feel like I can make that kind of decision.”
“What about Kerdik?”
My shrug wasn’t sincere. What about Kerdik? I hadn’t figured out the enigma, nor what to do about our lingering connection. “Kerdik knows we can’t be together.”
“Knowing and accepting are two different things.”
“I think this should be more of a silent trip to the salon tonight.” I twisted her hair, tugging the two ends of the braids tight across the nape of her neck, and looping them up into the other side, so they made a sort of crown.
“Whatever you decide, I want your father with you when you tell Kerdik about your engagement. He won’t overreact if Urien’s there to keep him calm.”
“You act like Kerdik’s a child. He can handle a little rocky news.”
Lane turned around and gripped my shoulders. “Honey, I hope that’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told yourself. Kerdik’s got a toddler’s temper. Acting like he doesn’t is dangerous. Let him down gently.”
I closed my eyes, wondering how many stupid choices I’d made to land myself here. “Tell me it’ll all be okay. Tell me I’m not going to break the heart he just grew from scratch.”
Lane didn’t respond, but simply kissed my cheek and hugged me until I understood that it wouldn’t be okay, but it was necessary. When she pulled back, it was with a determined gaze marring her smile. “Okay, then. Rip off the band-aid.”
We were the last ones to be cleaned and dressed, and when we came out from behind the partition, Reyn heaved a gust of relief before he wrapped Lane in a tight hug. I wanted to tell him to ease up, but just like Lane, he’d been through enough to be able to act a little unhinged. If obsessive hovering was the worst he got, I couldn’t fault the guy. Judging by the way she melted into his arms and drew a full breath, Lane didn’t mind the extra affection.
Bastien was more controlled, his draw toward me understated for the viewers as he sifted his fingers through mine. Draper and Judah were whapping each other with towels, laughing as my dad chided them not to let Lane or me get snapped with an errant end. Judah responded by throwing two damp towels in Urien’s face. My dad’s look of shock was the best thing I’d seen in the last ten minutes, and made everyone laugh at the scandal. It had been a great evening, and I was a little sad that it was coming to an end.
“Alright, kids,” Dad chided us. “To bed with Judah. Lane, Draper and Rosie, be ready to hold court with me in half an hour.”
Judah stuck out his lower lip at being singled out. “Whatever. Rosie sleeps, too.”
“So does Bastien now. Rosie will only sit with us for an hour before she goes to bed. I insist she continue her education on how to handle the problems of the people.”
Judah stared at me as we walked up the stone steps that led to our bedrooms. “You have like, this normal family now. You have a mom and a dad. You even have a brother.” There was a tinge of amazement, mingled with a note of jealousy. We’d always had just the two single moms in our corner.
I reached out and squeezed his hand. “So do you. That’s what tonight was about. Lane and Urien belong to you every bit as much as they belong to me. Draper’s your brother now. Plus, you’re about to get a brother-in-law.”
Bastien’s chest puffed with pride. “We’re getting married soon,” he warned both Judah and me. I had a feeling that once our engagement went public, he wouldn’t want to wait around to set a date. “Any brother of Rosie’s is a brother of mine,” he assured Judah with a firm nod.
“I’m super in love with you when you say things like that.”
Bastien shot me a smirk. “I know.”
I wasn’t expecting Kerdik to be waiting for me in my bedroom, but there he was, wearing a proud smile at all he’d accomplished that day.
My lightness fell when I realized the heavy talk that was about to weigh us both down. Bastien shot me furtive glances as he helped Judah select a few things to borrow from his own wardrobe to take to the bedroom Judah had been given down the hall. Bastien wasn’t totally keen on the two of us sharing a bed with Judah. I couldn’t blame him, but it was a bummer nonetheless – a reminder that I was a grownup now, and sharing a bed with my bestie was probably weird at this age.
“How was your day?” I asked, starting out light as my hand fell out of Bastien’s grip.
Kerdik beamed at me. “You should’ve seen the people working together. After Judah and I made the troughs, you all went into the castle while I moved them. The people came out and insisted on helping, even though I could’ve done it all myself. Someone even offered me a crust of bread when they took a break. One of the men, Pascal, shook my hand after we decided to call it quits for the night.”
My heart tugged at the very normal things that Kerdik had perhaps never been part of. He was used to working autonomously, and being feared by simply existing. “Being part of a team can be amazing. I’m so glad you had a great day, man.”
“I did. We’re about a quarter of the way done with the whole system’s setup. I feel like that’s pretty good.”
“Pretty good? It’s incredible.”
“And how was your day?” He leaned in and sniffed my hair. “You stink like vinegar.”
“Family night, per Lane’s request. There’s plenty of freshly pulled taffy downstairs. None of us wanted to eat it after we spent all evening making it. The cleanup wasn’t all that fun, but I don’t think the kitchen staff will off-with-my head in the morning.”
“I should certainly hope not.” He frowned and rubbed his chest, looking down at his shirt with concern.
“What’s wrong?” Judah asked. I don’t know why it surprised me w
hen anyone was considerate to Kerdik. That Judah made an effort put things in a better light.
“Nothing, I think. Or something. I can’t tell. I used a lot of magic today, so maybe that’s it. I feel like something’s off, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Well, that sounds ominous.” My eyebrows pushed together as I frowned.
When my dad knocked on my door, I knew D-day had come. He cast me a let’s-do-this look as he moved to sit in the chair in the corner of the room. “Bastien, why don’t you show Judah to his new bedroom.”
“Yes, your majesty.” I often forgot that my dad was a big deal until his title was thrown around. Bastien touched my fingers before he left, though I wished he’d stayed (or that I’d left, and didn’t have to deal with this mess).
Kerdik filled my dad in on everything that had happened during his day, talking animatedly with his hands, and smiling with pride at all he’d done for the province, while I took my sweet time changing into a loose gown for court. It was emerald, as most of my dresses here were, with rose-hued trim gusseting the low neck and the hemline. The capped sleeves were pink lace, and while the dress was pretty, I felt like it was missing a giant scarlet letter A across the swell of my breasts. When I came out with my stays undone, Kerdik made to tie them for me. He was always filling in the gaps where my knowledge or ability fell short, taking care of me without being asked. My heart ached at the thoughtfulness I knew I would soon be living without.
I stepped back from him with a tortured expression, my hand raised between us before he could fix my dress. “I… I have to tell you something.” I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, but stared at my feet instead as I toed on my gold sandals.
“Go on.” Kerdik’s smile fell when he saw my cagey glances toward my dad. “We’ll be out in a minute, Urien.”
Untouchable Girl_A Fantasy Adventure Page 17
