I would have allowed him to touch me. Maybe more. But I was glad we hadn’t gone there. He was right. Because of his past distrust, I needed more time.
After washing my hair twice and scouring every bit of my skin I could reach, I finally shut off the water and reached for a towel. At some point, Ronan must have returned, because what looked like one of his shirts was folded on the counter.
As soon as I pulled the garment over my head, I knew I was right. A shirt of this size could only belong to the warrior brother. I was swimming in it, and I didn’t even care.
I stepped out of the bathroom, and the moment I caught sight of Killian, I ran straight into his arms. He was here. He was whole.
He chuckled softly into my hair as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me. “Nice to see you too.”
“Hey, what about me?”
At the sound of Flynn’s voice, I turned my head to find him grinning at me. I attempted to extricate myself from Killian to go to him, but Killian tightened his arms and said to his brother, “Wait your turn.”
Flynn sauntered toward us. “You know waiting isn’t really my style.” Then, he pressed his front to my back, encircling me despite his brother’s strong hold.
Sandwiched between them, I should have felt suffocated or overwhelmed. But, instead, all of my lingering tension drained away as their warmth seeped into me. After what I’d seen, their presence alone was enough to fill me with gratitude.
“I’m so relieved you’re both okay.”
Killian kissed my forehead and released me to stand next to Ronan. “Me too. Today could have gone differently.”
Flynn kept an arm around my waist as he shifted to my side. “Not that I’m not enjoying the sight of you in Ronan’s shirt, but did something happen?”
My throat closing up, I nodded.
He brushed a hand over my shoulder and down my arm. “What is it? You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“No, nothing like that.” I leaned into his side, soaking up his strength to bolster my own. “I’m sorry to tell you that I saw one of the Riddle-Makers kill Anlon.”
Killian’s eyes widened, and Ronan shifted his stance. Flynn moved his arm to my shoulder and tucked my head into his chest. “I’m so sorry you had to see that, Genny.”
Tears threatened. “I know there was no love lost between the three of you and your cousin, but no one should have to die such a horrific death.”
“I agree,” Ronan said. “We’ve always heard that the King’s Tournament was vicious, but even I wasn’t prepared for what happened out there today.”
“And the worst part is that you have to go out there tomorrow and face something that’s potentially even deadlier.” I shuddered. “I hate this.”
“Maybe you should stay here tomorrow,” Killian suggested. “There’s no reason you have to be there.”
“No. No way. I would go crazy cooped up in here while you were out there, risking your lives.”
Ronan crossed his arms over his chest and shot me one of his imposing looks. It didn’t fully work—not anymore—but I wouldn’t tell him that. No need to bruise his ego. “You have to stay behind if there’s a threat like the Riddle-Makers again. The last thing we need is you in danger too.”
“Okay,” I agreed easily. Today had been traumatic enough.
“I hate to be insensitive,” Flynn said, “but Anlon’s death could be good news. If he was, in fact, the one behind Killian’s attacks, it’s all over. Finally.”
There was a slight but noticeable easing of the lines on Killian’s face. “I know. I hate to even think it, much less say it, but I’m relieved.”
Ronan shook his head. “Well, I’m not. I won’t be relieved until this godsforsaken tournament is over with and Killian is king.”
I seconded that.
Because, whether the princes wanted to admit it or not, this whole tournament was going to get worse before it got better. I could feel it.
Imogen
The entire castle seemed to be in a reflective and chastened state. I ventured from Ronan’s room once with the princes. They had to appear in the dining hall to, “let the other bastards know we survived,” according to Ronan.
I went invisible. I just didn’t have the energy to become whatever character they glamoured me into.
Competitors huddled together. There was none of the camaraderie—however false it might have been—from yesterday. Now Folk were decidedly tribal. Folk from Emain Ablach sat with other Folk from Emain Ablach. The