Page 76 of The Gathering

“—I told you to be careful of—”

“Sister, please—”

“—you took him back to bed?!—”

“Will you—”

“—What happened? Did he lure you with his stupid jokes?”

“Oh, what did you think was going to happen?” Nyssa spat.

Dorian clapped his hand over his mouth, and he swore a flicker of a smile lifted Draven’s lips.

“You tell me I can’t have something, I’m obviously going to go after it!” Nyssa continued.

“Something tells me she didn’t have to do much ‘going after’,” came Dorian’s amused mutter.

“Shut up, Dorian,” Aydra and Nyssa said at the same time, both glaring in his direction.

A laugh sounded under Aydra’s breath when she turned back around. “That’s the first time you’ve truly stood up to me,” she mused.

“I’m learning,” Nyssa managed in a heavy breath.

Aydra grinned. “Yeah? How did it feel?” she asked.

Nyssa’s chest began to heave, gaze darting between Aydra and Draven standing behind her. “Terrifying,” she admitted, “but a good terrifying?” She shook out her hands, nerves possessing her. “If that makes sense. I—”

“It does make sense,” Aydra said, and Dorian thought his heart might burst for the pride in Aydra’s face—pride that Nyssa fought so hard to see. Aydra wrapped her arms around Nyssa and hugged her tight a few moments before parting, her mouth pulling into a full grin as she held Nyssa’s face in her hands and said—

“I’m going to kill him.”

“You’re not,” Draven said, sinking his arm around Aydra’s shoulders as she dropped her hands from Nyssa. “If I remember correctly, your sister can decide the right sort of man for herself,” he added with a wink at Nyssa. “Besides, Nadir would somehow charm his way back into your good graces before you got the drop on him.”

Aydra sighed—huffed—at Draven’s words, sinking her head onto his shoulder and muttering, “Fine,” as Dorian came up on her other side.

It was so nice seeing his dear sister as flustered as she was.

He could see the marks on her throat more clearly then, and he started to reach for her chin, but Nyssa slapped his hands away.

“Ass,” Nyssa muttered, though he could tell by the look on her face that she was itching to talk about it.

Dorian chuckled under his breath and wrapped his arm over her shoulders. “Come on, let’s go get you that food for you to take back to bed.”

As the pair started off down the hall, Dorian leaned closer to her ear.

“You could have had the decency to wash his cum off you, sis,” he uttered. “You positively reek with sex.”

Nyssa shoved him off. “Oh, and you don’t?” she asked, to which Dorian laughed.

“If I recall correctly, you had two strangers yesterday,” Dorian mocked.

Nyssa was silent a beat before hiding her face with her hair. “Yes, and?”

Dorian grinned. “Just proud of you is all,” he sighed, opening the door to the kitchen for her. “Tell me. What breakfasts does your Commander like?” And his gaze caught on the servant he’d been admiring earlier, giving her a sly grin and once over.

Nyssa hesitated, and Dorian had to do a double-take at her. “What?”

“He… He said…” She pushed her hair behind her ear. “Bread and fruit, I suppose?”