Hyacinth (Tamlin's Healing Arc)

Chapter Twenty Five

"Ready?" Tamlin asked, approaching her and picking up his satchel, which he slung across his body.

He tugged on the strap of her satchel twice as he got closer.

"Should we head to the clearing again?" she asked, frowning and shooing his hand away from her satchel. Cin gave him a disapproving look as he tugged again, then took the strap from around her head and placed both satchels over his own shoulder. He was carrying both of them now.

"Yeah, it's just outside Orchis, not too far," he replied, raising an eyebrow as they walked down the street, daring her to try and take her satchel back from him.

Cin playfully elbowed Tamlin in the ribs, trying to suppress her laughter as he skillfully dodged her. He seemed to be in a better mood than earlier that morning. The sneers and glares that had greeted him in Orchis had transformed into something...less than gratitude but more than mere appreciation.

Their reception and the attitude of the townspeople had a direct impact on Tamlin's moods, and Cin couldn't fault him for it. She continued to reach out to grab him while he teasingly stayed just out of her reach.

"So, now that you've made a few acquaintances, you think you can steal my bag?" Cin managed to grab hold of the strap of her satchel as they crossed the boundary that separated Orchis from the Woods. She had a suspicion that Tamlin had let her catch it.

He chuckled, his laughter breaking through. "They're tolerating me, Cin. They're not my friends. I did most, if not all, of the heavy lifting. Lucien was my friend."

"Is that the criterion for being your friend? The ability to lift heavy objects? I assume Lord Lucien possesses the strength of a High Lord for such tasks," Cin panted, breathless from their playful chase.

Lily was still waiting in the clearing. Tamlin had concealed her with a glamour, but Cin could see through it. He claimed it was because Cin knew she was there.

"Surprisingly, yes," Tamlin shrugged, adding, "but his fire magic would have been useful with the building materials. It would have been a significant advantage now."

And his Air Manipulation...the blades of grass whispered around them. Air Manipulation? Why would he have air magic? Cin wondered. Autumn Court fae had fire magic and anything related to fire magic.

"So, what do you fancy? We've got skewered fish or the sandwiches you packed," Tamlin asked, rummaging through the sacks they had left with Lily.

"Definitely the sandwiches," Cin replied, taking a seat on the log he had pulled from the trees and placed in front of the fire. "Unlike you, I actually have to go back after lunch. Someone is waiting for me."

"Now who's the one who made friends and changed?" he teased, rolling his eyes while a smile played at his lips.

"I made a friend. She's actually from the Autumn Court, like Lord Lucien," Cin said, taking the sandwiches he held out to her. They were filled with cucumber and fish. "It's interesting how many Autumn Court faeries find themselves in our court."

"Summer, too," he noted, biting into his sandwich. "My court, despite being led by a warrior High Lord, has always been peaceful. I have no contenders for my title, so there have never been any internal court politics or distant relatives fighting for power. All I needed to do was protect my borders."

Cin could never imagine leaving the Spring Court. Well, perhaps now, given the current state of things, but before its fall, the Spring Court was a marvel to live in. "It probably helped that you never turned anyone away."

"My mother would have been disappointed in me if I had," he said, pursing his lips. Then he turned to her and said, "Did you know that I even had a few of them in my Manor? One of Feyre's Lady's Maids was a Summer Court fae. I asked her to live in the Manor with her nephews, two little boys. Bron might remember them. They were one of the few joys in my Manor."