“That was your doing!” I said. My cheeks were growing unbearably hot.
“Up to no good, aren’t you?” Kewyn said, poking Rio with her foot.
“Not necessarily. I’d share a room with you any time,” he said, smirking up at the blonde.
“Oh, you couldn’t handle me, Mortimer,” Kewyn said.
I found myself bursting into giggles, followed closely by Kewyn. Suddenly, Rio was off of the floor and had his face inches away from Kewyn’s. She stopped laughing and just stared back. As we watched, the half-blood slowly tipped over and collapsed on the floor again. He let out a large snore.
“I’m afraid he has the right idea,” Kewyn said after a moment. Carefully, she pushed herself off of the couch and climbed over the half-blood. “If you’d like you can sleep in my room.”
I smiled. “Sure.” I stepped over Rio and followed the blonde up the stairs.
Kewyn’s room was just as cluttered as the rest of the house, but there did seem to be an order to it. I cautiously walked the border of the room as she placed a spare mattress on the floor for me. Her shelves had a number of carved wooden horses and small portraits. I examined one that must have been of a young Kewyn and her mother, but I decided against discussing it. The one next to it, however, was of a young Delfaethan man in military uniform.
“Who’s this?” I asked. The conversation downstairs still haunted me, and I felt like interrogating Kewyn about her choice in men this time.
Kewyn looked up the pillow she was fluffing and followed my pointed finger to the frame.
“That’s Deryn,” she said.
“And who is he?” I asked with a smirk.
“He was my husband,” she said, not rising to my teasing. I felt my heart spiral rapidly into my stomach as she spoke. “He passed two years ago.”
“Oh, spirits, I’m sorry,” I said. Unconsciously I backed away from the portrait.
“It’s alright,” she said. “I kind of... have needed to talk about him. It does sort of involve you guys.”
My ears twitched and I cocked an eyebrow. “In what way?”
“Well,” Kewyn said, sitting on her bed. “Neither my dad nor I have really