Beauty and the Blade (The Talented Book 1) by S. C. Grayson & Mystic Owl

Author:S. C. Grayson & Mystic Owl [Grayson, S. C. & Owl, Mystic]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781648983221
Publisher: City Owl Press: Mystic Owl
Published: 2023-01-25T13:00:00+00:00

Contessa picked her way through the tunnel behind Nate, squinting to make out any obstacles in the flickering light from the lantern he held.

“Watch yourself. There is a little step up here,” he shot over his shoulder, not breaking his stride. Despite the jagged floor, he never lost his footing, clearly having traversed these tunnels so often he could have managed in complete darkness. It was probably easier to navigate without having to constantly lift your skirts out of the way.

As Contessa picked her way across the uneven floor, she chose her words carefully. “You seem to be a favorite of the children.”

A gruff sigh came from the tunnel in front of her.

“I think the children idealize me a bit too much, just because I organize the gang that broke them free.”

“That, and you seem to have a way with them you know.”

There was a long pause broken only by the scraping of their feet, and Contessa wished she could see Nate’s face.

“I wish I could spend more time with them,” came Nate’s eventual reply. “I guess I wish I could give them more of an actual family. I remember being their age, and well… We do the best we can for them, but I know it isn’t enough.”

“Anybody who has seen them with you and Rhosyn would know they see you as family.”

Nate’s head dipped as he walked in front of her, and she thought he was probably pleased that his face was hidden.

“Is—is a family something you want?”

While Contessa managed by sheer luck not to trip, she knew she didn’t school her face into neutrality fast enough to hide her red cheeks had Nate been facing her.

“I hadn’t given it much thought,” she hedged.

Nate gave a noncommittal grunt but didn’t reply. As they walked a little bit farther in silence, something about the flickering lamp made the scene oddly intimate. She thought of Nate holding his hand out to Olivia, and she opened her mouth.

“I guess at one point, when I thought… Well, when I thought my future was going to go differently, I assumed there would be children. I guess I was always so focused on what my father wanted from me—to be quick-witted and well-read. A girl who thought about finding a husband and having a family all the time didn’t really fit in that picture.”

Nate exhaled in a way that might have been amused. “Funny, I always thought a quick-witted woman would make the best sort of mother.”

Contessa ducked her head as they came to the end of the passage, and Nate cracked the trapdoor above them that would lead into his office. He turned back to Contessa to help her up, but she paused. The dim light made it easy to be brave, and she wasn’t quite ready to leave it yet.

“Are children something you want?” she asked.

The light from above only shone on the scarred half of Nate’s face, making it difficult to read his reaction.

“If I could make a child feel safe, then…yes, I think I would like children,” Nate snorted, but there was no mirth behind it.

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