Page 129 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood

“I’m sorry, but this stew is really bad,” Ajax finally says, which elicits laughter from everyone.

Piper widens her eyes.

“No, it’s not. You complained last time about it having no flavor, so I added just the right amount.”

Kaia coughs as she speaks. “No, you gave us salt with a side of stew.”

All the others start laughing loudly, finally dropping their spoons in their bowls and shoving the food to the side. Even Iza breaks out a smile.

“Gods, I’m glad somebody said it. I was dying over here. Someone please pass me that jug of water,” Eamon splutters as he finally drops his spoon in his bowl. I find myself fighting a smile. I haven’t spoken much to the prince’s general since arriving and know so little about him. Seeing him like this, relaxed and playful, is a stark contrast to his usual serious demeanor.

Karius laughs as he hands the jug to Eamon, and it’s so odd to see them all just acting so casually. They’re not guardinganything or acting like soldiers in meetings or talking politics; they’re just beinghuman.

“And what about you, Adina? You think it’s nice, right?”

Everyone looks at me, and I look around the table for some help, but the look on everyone’s faces tells me that I’m on my own.

“It’s…well-seasoned.” I shrug, and the entire table bursts into floods of laughter.

“That’s the polite way of saying it sucks, sorry, Piper, you tried, we can all tell, but I think it’s time to take up a new hobby,” Ajax teases.

Ivana nods.

“I mean, technically this is her fifth one,” Karius says.

“It is not.” Piper slaps a hand against her cousin’s arm, and he smiles. It’s genuine too. In fact, he has smiled at everyone at this table tonight except me. He has spoken to everyone except me. It’s like he is still punishing me for running away from him the other day.

“Yeah, there was the knitting,” Kaia says.

“Then the ballroom dancing,” Eamon adds.

“And there was the time you wanted to become a researcher.” Iza’s words are almost a whisper, which only makes it funnier, and I have to suppress my own laughter when everyone else starts laughing.

“Isadora Axton, I thought you were better than the rest,” Piper says playfully, and Iza lifts her hands in the air in surrender as she giggles.

Ivana mimes playing a violin, and Ajax laughs.

“She’s right, you did try learning to play the violin too,” he says.

“Those were some painful nights,” Karius says.

She shoves him again, and he leans forward to laugh.

“You said that you loved my violin playing.”

He shakes his head.

“No, I said that I loved thatyouenjoyed playing the violin.”

She narrows her eyes at him, but you can see her lips quivering like she wants to laugh, really, and something about the exchange reminds me of me and Willow. We were constantly teasing each other, yet it was never truly serious. It was our way of connecting and showing that we loved one another, and I miss it so damn much. I clear my throat and try to hold back the tears that are threatening to spill.

Amid the chatter, Piper’s eyes find mine, and she gives me a look that says,Are you ok?I nod and smile.

“Right, I’m going to get dessert.”

“Oh, gods, there’s more?” Ajax says, and Piper kicks him in the ankle.

“I’ve not reached dessert level yet. I had one of the cooks make it.”