Chapter 35

Brendan returns late that night.

So late, in fact, that Alcina is practically falling asleep from where she’s curled up in the armchair, waiting. Her head is propped against her hand, facing the door and not at all concentrating on the book in her lap, when the door opens and a cloaked figure steps through.

It’s strange to feel welcome excitement at such a foreboding figure - that faceless, hooded, ominous figure.

“You are still awake?” is what Brendan dares to say after having wordlessly disappeared for an entire day.

Alcina frowns, and it deepens when Brendan seems to find it amusing.

“Well, I couldn’t very well go to sleep before knowing that you hadn’t been- been attacked by mercenaries, wherever you’d gone,” Alcina sniffs. With a miffed scowl, she looks away pointedly.

Brendan tries (and fails) not to smile. “My apologies,” is all he says before pulling his cloak off.

Alcina scowls. Is the lord not going to tell her where he’d been?

Alcina doesn’t want to demand that her question