By the time he and Pip finally meandered their way back to Treehaven House, pausing to kiss a few times along the way, a light shone in the parlor, and only the double doors into the parlor remained unlocked.
Fieran held Pip’s hand as he eased the door open and tiptoed inside.
Mama sat on one of the couches, a book in her lap. She glanced up as they entered before her gaze returned to her book. The slightest curve to her mouth betrayed that she knew exactly what he and Pip had been doing.
Fieran cleared his throat, his ears burning. It wasn’t like they’d crossed any lines they shouldn’t have. And they hadn’tonlybeen kissing. There had been a lot of talking too.
He resisted the urge to glance at Pip. Her face was likely red as his was. “Goodnight, Mama.”
“Goodnight.” Mama flipped a page in her book. “Pip, I’ll be up for a while yet, if you need anything.”
Beside Fieran, Pip bobbed her head and mumbled an unintelligible assent.
Fieran hurried from the room with Pip in his wake. He didn’t halt again until he reached the base of the stairs, where he turned to Pip.
For a moment, the two of them met each other’s gazes.
And then Fieran smothered a snort of laughter. Pip, too, pressed a hand over her mouth as her shoulders shook with silent laughter.
It took several moments for the two of them to get their mirth under control. Once they did, Fieran gave Pip one last kiss before he climbed the stairs to his room and she retreated down the hall toward hers.
Chapter
Ten
When Pip strode from the guest room the next morning, she nearly tripped over the small figure sitting cross-legged right outside her door. Only the fact that she made a habit of looking for those few who were shorter than herself saved her from falling.
“Tryndar?” Pip blinked down at Fieran’s little brother. The boy hadn’t said two words to her all yesterday. “What are you doing here?”
“Sitting.” Tryndar gazed up at her with large green eyes. “Because I am not supposed to go into someone’s room while they are sleeping. It is not nice.”
“I…see.” She was glad he hadn’t invaded her privacy that much.
Tryndar kept staring up at her. “Are you going to marry my brother?”
How was she supposed to answer that? She and Fieran had just started courting. Sure, that was where Pip believed this was headed. But nothing was certain just yet.
“I don’t know yet. Maybe. We’re courting.” Pip held Tryndar’s gaze rather than look away. She wasn’t sure how much sincerity the little boy could read in her gaze, but she would be as open as she could.
Tryndar gave a nod. He paused for a moment, his hands gripped on his knees. “Do you want to see my toy soldiers?”
This seemed like a make or break moment for winning over Fieran’s little brother.
Pip smiled and nodded. “Of course. I’d love to.”
Tryndar popped to his feet, grabbed her hand, and tugged her down the hall. “Come on.”
Pip found herself led upstairs and into the first room down the hall. There the bed tucked beneath the window was made rather neatly for a young boy. The chest of toys and the items on the bookshelf were set with a rather meticulous order, down to the rows of soldiers on the lower shelves.
Tryndar darted around his room, pointing out various items and telling her about them. She hadn’t known the half-elf boy could string so many words together. He held up one elf figurine. “This one is Dacha. And this one is Uncle Weylind. And this is Uncle Rharreth.” He paused, frowning at the line of figurines. “I do not have one of Fieran.”
He sounded so despondent that Pip had to smother a laugh. Then she whirled, heading for the door. “Wait there. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Pip hurried from the door and nearly ran into Ellie, who was walking down the hallway while holding a book before her face. How she was reading and walking at the same time, Pip didn’t know.
Dodging around her, Pip dashed down the stairs, down the hall, and into her room. She dug through her bag until she found the section of metal she’d tucked into her bag when she’d leftFort Defense. She’d never unpacked it at the AMPC, and it had made its way here.
She hadn’t been sure what to do with the piece of shrapnel, all that was left of Fieran’s aeroplane. It had been a sweet—if a bit macabre—gesture on Fieran’s part. But Pip didn’t really want to keep a piece of metal that had impaled him.
