Araneae Nation: The Complete Collection by Hailey Edwards

Author:Hailey Edwards [Edwards, Hailey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-06-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Smells greeted us in the kitchen that made Lleu groan lustily next to my ear. He directed me to a narrow table set with dishes intended to be the breakfast spread for the maven and paladin, I bet. From those plates, Lleu picked a slice of fruit here, a thigh of lepus there, until Cook noticed and swatted the back of his hand with her wooden spoon. He made her no apologies, just winked.

She jabbed his chest with the handle. “Hands. Off. The. Food.”

“You can’t mean this tender rump roast?” He goosed her bottom, and she squealed.

“You keep your hand to yourself.” She fanned her reddened face. “It’s not proper.”

He traced the ample cleavage spilling over her thin blouse’s immodest neckline. “What is propriety but a song and dance for the highborn? Who has time for that? Not me. I prefer to grab what I want.” He slapped her arse, and she jumped. “And what I want is on the plate behind you.”

“You’re a tease, you are.” She pouted. “It’s been days since I saw you outside the kitchen.”

He hooked his thumb toward a shady pantry. “What needs doing can be done here.”

Worrying her lip with her teeth, she nodded. “I do need help reaching a tin on the top shelf.”

Lleu stretched, his fingertips brushing the bottom of a rustic chandelier. His light touch set it rocking. Hot wax dripped from the candles onto Adeline’s plumped breasts. Her shriek sounded less offended than mine would have been. Lleu bent his head and blew cool air to ease the sting.

He removed the wax flakes with his teeth, spitting them on the tile. “Tops are my specialty.”

“I bet they are.” I rolled my eyes.

Adeline narrowed her eyes at me while trilling at Lleu, “Where did you just come from?”

I answered truthfully, “His room.”

Scarlet swept over her until all her exposed skin flushed as red as her wax burns. “Is that so?”

His hands shot up to block the first swing of her spoon. “It’s not what you think.”

“It never is with you.” Shaking with anger, she turned on me, rapping my knuckles hard as I leapt out of her reach. “That’ll teach you. Keep your greedy, male-thieving hands to yourself.”

The knife from her cutting board was in my hand and held at her throat before it registered I had lifted it. “The next time you dish out a petty punishment, make very certain you can take it.”

Adeline whimpered.

“Give me that.” Lleu plucked the knife from my hand. “Cook meant you no harm.”

“Trust me when I say that as a female, I know exactly what she meant to do.” Stake a claim on Lleu, as if I would argue against their illicit forays to the pantry. “Adeline won’t try it again.”

At her name, the cook trembled. “W-who are you?”

“Kaidi,” I said, daring Lleu to complete Murdoch’s usual introduction.

“Best stay out of her way.” He reached for Cook, who shied from him. “She’ll leave soon.”

Less than a week and I would be home. Shivers coasted down my arms at the thought.

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