Chapter 4

Morghann stared absently out the window. The rest of the coven was in the room, discussing Aaron and Kalush's upcoming wedding. Shy, sweet Kalush had just formed her own court at Nharkava, and had asked Aaron to be her Consort. He refused.

Kalush spent the next hour breaking every thing in her room, only stopping when Aaron bravely ventured in to clarify that he didn't want to be her Consort, but her husband. Whereupon which the door to the room flew shut with a bang and Kalush and Aaron didn't emerge for a good few hours.

Now the coven was discussing Aaron and the logistics of the ceremony, but Morghann was thinking about a different male altogether.

When did I start having feelings for Khardeen? she wondered. It was as if the feelings had crept up on her, unnoticed. And now, she couldn't stop thinking about him and how he'd been acting with her lately. And the almost kiss the other day. She brought her hand up to her mouth, cheeks burning. What would it be like to kiss Khardeen? To feel his lips moving against hers, his arms around her?

"Morghann!" Karla's impatient voice alerted Morghann to the fact that this wasn't the first time Karla had called her. "What are you doing?" she asked her curiously. Her eyes narrowed. "You're blushing."

Her hands moved to her cheeks, which were growing hotter. "No, I'm not!" she protested. "It's just hot in here."

The rest of them looked at her strangely, and Karla opened her mouth to say something, but Jaenelle shot her a look and she kept quiet.

"I was just saying, Morghann," Kalush began, "that I won't be wearing white for the wedding. Instead, I'm going to wear blue." She blushed, and added quietly, "It's Aaron's favourite colour."

"It's not traditional," Morghann mused, then she grinned mishieviously. "But then, we've never been the traditional type, have we?"

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At the other end of the hall, Aaron and Khardeen were discussing the same thing. With one notable difference. "How did you do it, Aaron?" Khary asked seriously. "She was breaking everything in the room, and she wasn't using her hands. All Morghann has to do is is look at me when she's angry, and I feel like a worm."

"Because I know she's worth it," Aaron said quietly. "But I learned one thing today. I hurt her badly, Khary. Although I didn't mean to, in that moment, I hurt her more than I ever thought possible. I never want to see that look in her eyes again."

"Aren't you afraid she'll hurt you?" Khary asked.

"Of course I am. But she's worth all the pain in the world. Don't you feel the same way about Morghann?"

"I do," Khary said, looking away. "I just wish she realised it," he muttered.

"If you want her to realise it, my friend, you'll have to tell her."

"Why is everyone talking about relationships?" Lucivar complained, walking into the room. "The women just accosted me with fabric samples for your wedding." He glared balefully at Aaron. "Do I look like I care?" he glared at Aaron and Khardeen.

They both wisely said nothing. Lucivar continued ranting, eventually winding down when he saw both men trying and failing not to grin.

He was quiet for a while, head cocked as if listening to something. Then he smirked. "I actually came in here to ask either of you if you wanted to train this afternoon. But," his smirk widened, "I think you're both about to be very busy." With that he left the room in a hurry. Khary and Aaron looked at each other. "What did he mean?" Khary asked, worriedly.

Before Aaron could answer, the unmistakable sound and scent of Queens entered the room. "Just the men we were looking for," Jaenelle said happily, brandishing a folder at them. "We need your opinions on these. Now," she said, sitting down between both the men (the rest of the women ranged themselves in front of the men, making it impossible to escape) and opening the folder to reveal fabric samples, "what do you think of these?"

*Enjoy yourselves, gentlemen* the physic signature was Lucivar's, Khary could have sworn it. Who else would sound so smug?

Both men heaved heavy sighs, and turned their attention to the folder in Jaenelle's hands.