I squeeze Kyran’s hand. “It’s very thoughtful of you though.”
He relaxes with a loud exhale. “Oh, good. I was worried it wasn’t to your taste. You humans can be pretty lax when it comes to revenge sometimes.”
I wrap my arms around his waist as the first wagon drives away. “Do we have time for one more stop? To celebrate the move?”
Kyran raises those perfect black eyebrows. “What do you have in mind?”
I pull him down for a kiss. “I know just the place.”
There’s such familiarity in sitting in the booth at the very back of Best Burger Bonanza. This was where I used to go on dates, to make the most of the staff discount, and whereI liked to spend my breaks. And despite working in this place for years, I never stopped enjoying their food which, while trashy by nature, never disappoints.
I might just miss this in the long term, but there’s no time like the present, and as I push a fry into Kyran’s mouth and hear him groan with pleasure, my grandest desires revolve around blowing him in the carriage on the way back home.
It’s not slutty if I do it with my husband.
Kurt still works here, and was so relieved to see me, but when he heard I’d gotten married, he let me know how disappointed he was that I didn’t make him my best man. He only relented when I said we eloped, and let him pet Flap. Kurt is now feeding my pet bat carrot sticks, and they seem like best friends already.
But the crowning jewel of this visit is headed our way.
Sylvan looks pretty fetching in the mint green stripes of BBB.Not. This uniform is flattering on no one. His pointy ears are tucked under the baseball cap, so now he appears deceptively human, even though his face is still freakishly symmetrical, and his eyes glisten like two sapphires.
In the modern clothes he could be mistaken for a teen with a very careful skin care regime, not a banished elven prince.
He’s carrying a tray with our burgers, and I made sure Kurt supervised the cooking process, so Sylvan didn’t spit on them. All the servants who helped us move are already eating theirs in other booths, but they’re sneaking glances at Prince Sylvan Goldweed, who is now servingthem, and I’m sure he’s aware of it.
He’s been banished for a period of fifty years for the crime of not disclosing a plot to murder Kyran. Because yes, the Goldweeds have been behind it, as the castle guards found out thanks to Elodie’s hidden diary. Heads would have rolled if all of Sylvan’s siblings weren’t already dead. His father fled the court and has not been seen since. His mother publicly renounced both her husband’s and progeny’s actions in order to stay, but I don’t suppose her relations with them featured much familial warmth anyway.
And Sylvan? He was spared an execution as a reward for saving Tristan’s life, though I suspect Kyran sees a bit of himself in the Goldweed princeling. Two underdogs from different branches of the same noble bloodline. Scorned, belittled, and yet stubborn enough to fight for the crown.
Still, not brave enough to fight off Heartbreak, and it must pain him that we all know it. Maybe that shame is even part of hispunishment.
I get a glimpse of the silver collar around Sylvan’s neck, and I can’t help my satisfaction. The smug bastard was happy to see it on Kyran. Now he is getting a taste of his own medicine. It blocks his access to shadowcraft and will teach him all about humility.
“Anything else, my lord?” he says through gritted teeth as he puts the tray on our table a little too abruptly.
He’s lucky that we found him a job here and he’s not forced to figure it all out on his own. Though he does have to live with my mom, so that’s punishment I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I suppose Kyran couldn’t stop himself from subjecting his cousin to a bit of everyday torture.
“Thank you, cousin. That is all.”
“You two look nothing alike,” Kurt says, rubbing Flap between the long ears and making them tilt to the sides like two antennae. “The Prince of Darkness,” he says and points at Kyran before moving his gaze to Sylvan. “A dolled-up version of an ice prince.”
Sylvan squints at him as I snort. I can only hope he’s not giving Kurt a hard time, but Kurt knows how to befriend anyone, so I doubt he’s struggling.
“Dolled-up?” Sylvan asks coolly, but I can sense he’s seething.
Kurt shrugs. “I mean it as a compliment. You’ve got that…” he gestures around Sylvan’s face. “That whole pretty boy thing going on.”
“How dare you disrespect me!” Sylvan grabs a handful of ketchup packets and throws them at Kurt, but they just bounce off him as he laughs.
“Not in front of the baby!” Kurt yells back, shielding Flap with his body.
I smile at Kyran as they bicker. “I told you it’s the perfect punishment.”
He smirks and pulls me close, settling both his warm hands around my waist as I curl against him, drunk on the sense of safety his love offers. “You have many good ideas, my love. What was the one you mentioned before we embarked? The one you wanted toshowrather than tell me?”
“So I was thinking… We could get matching tattoos? They don’t have to be the same thing. Just something connected to each other. I want to get a shadowy eel on my chest. I didconquera shadow wielder after all.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him and feed him another fry. “Would you like to do that with me?”
Kyran nods, but his gaze drifts off as he plays with my fingers, contemplating the idea. “You definitely deserve an eel over the heart for tamingsomeone like myself. As for me… I think what makes us most similar is our fight for freedom. Remember when you told me about the key you stole to escape your school? Maybe I should get that?”
