David and Caden talk about Dared

"She wants to parley with your fath-" he stopped short as Caden's anger roared to life, wings not quite breaking the surface, dry heat rolling off of her in waves that broke against David, making him stumble back a step. "...with Dared."

He regained the inches that had been lost between them and reached out to brush her bare arm with the callused pads of his fingers. At the center of the slowly waning heat, Caden's skin was surprisingly cool. Her eyes softened, and the heat lessened another few degrees.

She leaned against him, the magic surrounding her now just pleasantly warm, like toast just from the pan, like a freshly filled mug snug between his palms. He chuckled softly. She reminded him of breakfast.

He enveloped her in his arms, toying with the tight, dark curls that now hung past her shoulderblades until the memory of the smell of her full anger - burning flesh and singed hair - made his stomach clench. His hand left her hair to run broad, firm strokes down her back, calming away her uncontrolled magic, tamping down the inner flames with his sure touch.

She relaxed into his ministrations until, had they not been standing, he would have suspected her of being asleep.

"He is a hard man." she murmured into his shirt.

"We will be just as hard." he whispered into her curls.

"He will not keep his word." Suddenly, she was trembling against him. He thought it was from the loss of heat, and drew her up tighter.

"Aestril will keep hers."

Caden tilted her head back, her black eyes searching his for a long time.

She shifted to stand upright, her full height still small next to David.

"We will need a white hare."