Chapter 120 Swathing’s Wrong with a

284 Vouch

Chapter 120: Something’s wrong with Her

Rowan

The castle was abuzz with its usual day-to-day activities. Servants and maids passed me in the hallway carrying baskets of laundry and trays of tea. I could hear the clattering of cookware as I left my office and walked toward the grand staircase off the foyer, seeing the door to the servants’ hallway that led to the kitchen slightly ajar.

It was nearing lunch, and I was definitely hungry. I stopped to let a maid pass by with a tray full of sandwiches and coffee, heading toward the library.

“For Miss Kacidra,” she said, bobbing her head as she noticed my gaze.

I nodded back, tucking my hands in my pockets as I followed the maid down the hallway toward the library.

Kacidra was seated at the long library table in the center of the room. She was peering down at a large textbook, her brow knitted in concentration. She looked up with a smile as the maid approached with the lunch tray, but she arched her brow as I entered behind the maid.

“Don’t distract me, Rowan,” she said with a laugh before giving the maid her thanks. Kacidra leaned back in her chair and bit into a sandwich.

I pulled one of the chairs out from the table and sat down, taking a deep, restorative breath before grabbing a sandwich

288 Vouchers

for myself.

“Want some coffee? You look like you could use it!” she asked.

“I didn’t get too much sleep last night,” I sighed, accepting the steaming cup of coffee from Kacidra. Kacidra snorted with mirth, bringing the coffee to her lips and sipping cautiously.

“Ouch, that’s hot-”

“Don’t you have class today?” I asked, motioning toward the mountain of books she had strewn across the table. She bit into her sandwich, flipping through the pages of her textbook for a moment before she met my eyes again, shrugging.

“I had class this morning. I have lab this afternoon, though. A test, so it’s a short class. I’ll be home before dinner.”

Kacidra was in her first year of medical school at the University of Mirage. She was studying to be a physician with the intent of going home to Red Lakes and setting up a practice there, something she said was desperately needed. Kacidra was sharp as a tack, and she seemed to be enjoying her studies. And Pete, well, I had never met anyone so devoted to their mate.

Her studies meant Kacidra and Pete would be living in Mirage for several years, and I had offered them residence at the castle.

Pete’s mother, a spirited older woman named Debby, was also living at the castle, but had insisted on being given a job while she remained under our roof. Debby had been given the task of tending to the hundreds of plants in the atrium, many of the plants native to the Isles where she was from, and all and

all, the family seemed content.

a huge

now. Hanna could use all of

doing?” Kacidra asked, her voice

couldn’t bring myself to answer that question, so I

it. Kacidra gave me a knowing look, her eyes gazing into mine in search of the overwhelming anxiety I felt regarding everything that was

another sip of my coffee.

and Troy will probably be down here in the next couple of minutes, I expect. They all seem tired after such a long ride

table. I had no idea they’d ridden the train into town. Shows how much attention I’d been paying to

have taken the car, but Maeve wanted to take the boys on

All little boys

months old, and until they’d arrived a few days ago, I hadn’t seen them since Maeve and Troy left

down with my parents and their son George,

opened and more of our family members poured in, as if they were fully aware of the thoughts I’d just

hadn’t been in this room yet since she

as she held Oli in her arms. Charlie

over at them. Will toddled over to me, and I reached down to scoop him up. I began to bounce Will on my knee.

were very hard to tell apart. They were identical, but Charlie

a totally different personality. Will was loud and demanding, while Charlie

Maeve looked around the library, he sprinted away from her on all fours toward the ladder at the far

like her; copper blond hair and a lean build. He

like Maeve’s and my own. And the other was a dark, steel gray. He was an interesting looking creature, and by the looks of it,

Troy walked through the library doors, and a chorus of excited “Dada!” rang out through the air as the boys made their way to their father like they hadn’t seen him in months when it had really just

and he immediately took off on his hands and knees, crawling across the floor at a rate of speed I

was running, damn near

my entire life. He shouldn’t have survived, and likely wouldn’t have had divine intervention not saved his life. Despite it all, he

I had a sneaking suspicion he was going to be a force

be reckoned with.

three boys into his arms as he walked over to the set of couches near the hearth. He casually dumped the boys on the

as he fielded the advances of the boys, who were tugging on

replied

alone, Troy,” Maeve was scanning a

novel. She pulled it from the shelf, glancing at me out

in the hallway, and suddenly, Gemma and Ernest appeared, George toddling ahead of them into the library

over to toss her arms around Maeve while Ernest came over to the couches, clapping Troy on

hadn’t seen much of him since they’d gotten here. But he stilled, then pulled away, searching my

I looked over toward the doorway. Mom was standing there, and I saw her face fall as she realized Hanna was not

the library, Dad coming along with her, his hand wrapped around Mom’s “We don’t want to pry. But we’ve noticed that something

reason for coming.

“Maeve is right, Rowan. We need to know what’s happening with you and Hanna, or else we’ll

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255