Ire Taverness's Arc

Chapter 6 of 19

Kael carried Ire up the narrow stairs and shouldered the bedroom door open. The room was dim. He set her down on the edge of the bed and knelt in front of her so their eyes were level. Her tail slid off his wrist and lay across her thigh. "Look at me," he said. She looked. Her eyes were still wet. "You did this," he said. "Not me. Not the new cook. You." "You built the cellar." "You told me where to dig." He took her hands. His thumbs pressed into her palms. "You kept the doors open when the road was empty. You hired the boy when you couldn't afford him. You're ahead because you didn't quit." She tried to look away. He waited until she looked back. "I'm proud of you," he said. "Say you heard me." "I heard you." "Again." "I heard you, Kael." He stood and pulled off her apron. He folded it once and set it on the chair like it mattered. He unlaced her boots and pulled them off her feet. He rubbed the arch of one foot with both thumbs until she made a small sound and let her shoulders drop. "Lie back," he said. She lay back. He climbed onto the bed beside her and gathered her against his chest. His hand found the base of her tail again and stayed there. His other hand smoothed her hair off her forehead, over and over, the way you soothe an animal that has been running too long. "You don't have to hold it up tonight," he said. "I've got it." "The ledger's still open." "Let it be open." "Someone could come to the door." "I bolted it." She was quiet. He kissed the top of her head. He kissed her temple. He kissed the corner of her mouth. He did not rush any of it. Her tail curled up and wrapped his forearm and held on. "You saved us," he said against her hair. "We saved us." "Fine. We saved us. And you're going to sleep now." "I can't sleep. My head won't stop." "Then don't sleep. Stay here and let me hold you." She closed her eyes. He kept his hand moving on her hair. Her breathing slowed. The muscle along her jaw let go. After a while her hand went slack against his chest and her tail loosened around his arm. Kael chucked and whispered to her ear, “I’ve got you baby. Sleep”