Page 84 of First Ritual
“If you don’t want me diving into your past,” Corentin said, a smirk on his face, “then we’ll need to figure another way to sort your shit out.”
“Your cousin,” Sven drawled.
My eyes narrowed. “What about her?”
“She has a great ass. Also, I’ve heard she rocks at divination.”
“She’s also off limits per our deal.”
Sven grinned. “That makes me want her more.”
Probably does too. I considered his suggestion. “She’d need to know why.”
“No,” Wild chorused with Sven and Huxley.
Corentin nodded, scratching at the edge of the table. “Yes. She’d sense the deeper purpose in the journey anyway. She won’t get far without the understanding. We’ll need to bring her in.”
Did I want to tell Rooke about my tether and all this crap? The answer was yes. So badly. I hadn’t lied to her, but I’d skirted around things, and that felt almost the same. “She’s trustworthy.”
“No,” Wild repeated.
“Corentin’s strength, not yours,” Huxley muttered
“If that’s the only way forward, man.” Sven shrugged. “The contact from your parents makes this more urgent now. You know that. They only express concern once, and sometimes not at all.”
Wild didn’t answer.
I picked up the research papers they’d given me and stood. “Forgot to mention that Rooke is studying Nordic runes. She may know something about the X.”
Corentin scoffed. “She won’t know anything I don’t.”
“Your humility has no bounds,” I replied.
“I’d like to be present for your divination journey with her,” Wild said suddenly. “And for the conversation leading up to it.”
“No to the first request. Yes to the second. Now I have somewhere to be, so if that’s all?”
Wild rose and briefly touched his ruby pendant. “I’m coming to your divination journey. Somewhere to be with Bedwyr?”
“You’re not. And none of your business.”
He swallowed hard and began to shake.
Ugh. I rubbed my temples. Deep down I did understand that Wild didn’t want to feel the way he was feeling. “No, not with Bedwyr. Just… somewhere.”
Somewhere I’d like to soak away the tension these four brought with them. Without them present.
21
“Look, look, look.” Rooke gripped my arm under the surface. “They’re here and topless.”
I didn’t crack an eyelid, but couldn’t help hearing the wave of gasps and the murmurs of appreciation from in the main hot pool area. “Are they showing nip?”
“Sure are. Do you think the mother has plans for men’s nipples to function one day? Hey, why aren’t you looking at them?”
Because I’d come here to get away from the quad. “Too relaxed.” And I’d picked a small, secluded chamber that branched off the main pool area for our visit to the nearby hot springs buried in the forest behind the knolls. Unless the quad went searching, they’d never find us.
Rooke squeaked. “They’re coming this way!”