Bonded to the Rakian Berserker (Rakian Warrior Mates #3) - Elin Wyn Page 0,45

not to tell anyone.”

Both boys nodded, eyes wide.

“But that song,” she said, bending down over them, letting her smile warm the whole stable. “It sounded just like one my grandmother used to sing to me. Can you whistle it again?”

The boys glanced at each other and then the dark-haired one saw Declan standing just outside the stable.

He elbowed his friend sharply and Gavin could see both boys were torn.

Answer the pretty lady, or obey their master who had probably given them strict orders to keep themselves to themselves.

Gavin thought about the sharp kick Esme had given him under the table when he’d missed a conversational queue.

Maybe there was a way to do that with Declan.

But it proved to be unnecessary.

“Answer the lady boys,” Declan urged. He forced a smile. “Of course, it’s only natural that on her first night in such a big city, she’d be excited to hear something that reminds her of home.”

Slightly reassured the blonde one nodded, blew a thin puff of air, licked his lips and tried again.

After a few bars Esme joined in the melody.

“Such a pretty song,” she laughed when they were done. “Would you tell me where you learned it? I thought only my grandmother and her sisters knew that tune, so I’d love to know if perhaps I had relations visiting town.”

The boy bit his lip, stared wildly at his friend. “No miss, seems like I just heard it somewhere.”

“You’re always hearing things somewhere, Artin,” the dark-haired boy sighed melodramatically. “He’s a regular music box missing, you don’t mind me saying so. Hears a bit of a song in one place and that’s all he whistles for days until he hears something else, it never stops with him.”

The boy, who must be Spence, threw up his hands in disgust.

“So that means you must’ve heard this song pretty recently,” Gavin said.

If the boys had been nervous about Gavin when they first arrived in the stable yard, the strange interlude seemed to have rubbed the uneasiness away.

“Probably?” Artin answered.

“Definitely,” Spence confirmed. “Before that it was the other one that went up and down the same four notes over and over until I thought you were going to drive me mad.” He bumped his shoulder into his friend. “You started up on this one and I nearly made an offering to the Lady in thanks for the change.”

“Well then,” Esme said, “it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out where you heard it then, right?”

In theory, that should have been the case.

But apparently the boys had a very busy few days, running errands for Mistress Beaton all over the city, getting the house ready for the master to return, sending messages to Declan’s trading partners, and more.

“And well, I think that was all,” Spence finished at the end of the list.

“You’ve been hard at it,” Esme still smiled, but the worry was back in her eyes.

Esme shot a despairing glance towards Gavin, but it was Declan who spoke first. “You have been busy. And I appreciate it. Go tell Mistress Beaton I said you can have an extra sweet with your dinner.”

Both boys excitedly tumbled over each other on their way to the back door.

“Shall we continue our walk?” Declan said.

Gavin offered his arm to Esme who took it absently.

“So many places to look,” she murmured. “They must’ve crossed and recrossed all over the city.”

“It’ll give Jormoi a list of targets to search,” Gavin tried to reassure her. “This is a good thing, don’t give up now.”

Though night had fallen, rows of tall lanterns lined the streets, a warm yellow glow gilding the houses and passerby’s beneath.

“Let’s just get a sense of things here,” Gavin continued.

“It is lovely,” Esme admitted. “A little, overly arranged for my tastes, perhaps,” she said. “But lovely all the same.”

Declan snorted. “Most people like things to be arranged beautifully” he said. “People work their entire lives to be able to afford to live here.”

He waved a hand as they passed a tall building, lights glowing from every window, the sound of laughter spilling out from within.

A small garden enclosed the building, the riot of colors bright to Gavin in the darkness, their heady scent filling the air.

“If people work for their entire lives to make it here,” Esme mused, “how did you get here? You’re not that old yet.”

“No,” Declan shook his head. “But I started with what my father had in place already.”

“I never met your father,” Gavin commented. “But I’ve heard plenty about him. If his business could’ve