Ryen was still going on about sharing food like he'd invented the concept of generosity, Nora was quietly making sure everyone had their fair share, and Keira was sipping her drink while pretending not to be amused by the chaos.
Normal. Peaceful.
On the surface.
I leaned back against the bench, letting the sun filter through the roses above. From the corner of my eye, I caught the giant and the girl again. The ice cream was gone now, and they'd moved on to a ring toss booth.
The little one was fiercely competitive, jumping up and down each time she missed, while the big guy tossed every ring onto the exact same peg.
"Hey, you're not even trying!" she yelled, stomping her foot.
"The point of a duel," the giant replied solemnly, "is consistency."
"Consistency doesn't win you prizes!"
I pressed a hand against my mouth, stifling a laugh. To anyone else, the two of them looked like a mismatched comedy duo, bickering their way through a festival date.
But I knew better.
