“Now you go to your room and stay there until morning.”

It’s not what I’m asking, and he knows it. I tilt my head and fold my arms across my chest while I wait for a better answer.

“What I should do is escort you directly back to Ivory Hall, where you can explain yourself to Norah.” He turns to Bram. “And you too. As a Breaker, you should know better than to disappear with a bodyguard’s principal.”

Bram drops his chin, looking thoroughly chastened.

“Please don’t send us back,” I say. “I promise it won’t happen again.” Rasmus lets out a long sigh, and I see some of the frustration leach out of his expression. I touch his forearm. “I’m sorry I frightened you.”

He looks affronted. “I’m a Bone Breaker and a member of the Ivory Guard. I don’t get frightened.”

I let out a soft laugh and then clap my hand over my lips. Mocking him right now is probably not my smartest move. “Well, I do get frightened, and you scared me nearly to death back there. One minute I’m kissing Bram and the next I’m staring at your grumpy face.” I keep my voice light, teasing.

The corner of Rasmus’s mouth twitches. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of my grumpy face if you ever pull a stunt like that again.”

I put my hand over my heart. “I swear never to kiss anyone outside your presence ever again.”

He snorts. “Let’s not go to extremes.”

“So you won’t tattle on us?”

“I’ve tried hard not to interfere in your training or your friendships since we left Kastelia City. But this crossed a line.”

“I know, I—”

He holds up a hand to stop me and I press my lips together. “You get one free pass. One. If anything like this happens ever again, I won’t have any choice but to report you to the Grand Council.” His expression softens just a fraction. “I’m here to keep you safe, not to restrict your freedom.”

I strain to keep my face from showing that, at the moment, those feel like the same thing. I must succeed, because Rasmus gives a sharp dip of his head and then pulls open the inn door. Bram and I share a look behind his back. Bram’s expression is part relief, and part something else that I can’t name. There’s a question in his eyes I don’t want to answer.

We climb the stairs and at my door, Bram hesitates. “Saskia—”

“Don’t even think about it,” Rasmus says, giving Bram a little shove toward the boys’ room. “I’ll see both of you in the morning.”