“There are always beasts in need of slaying, lands in need of conquering, and enemies in need of a worthy opponent.”
“I see,” Isobel murmured as she took in the information. She was marveling some more at the space—and him, if she were being honest—when his gravelly voice caught her offguard.
“What do you do, Isobel Nott? You are not a warrior.” It was a statement, not a question.
“As in, my profession?” She shook her head. “I have none. Women of my station rarely do. I spend my days reading, attending social events, daydreaming, and drinking tea.” It all sounded so trivial and mundane when she put it like that.
“What is this tea?” he asked.
Her brows raised. “You don’t know what tea is? Tea is …everything,” she breathed. “Tea is both an artform and a soothing draught. It requires boiling water to be poured over specific dried leaves and herbs, creating a warm and oftentimes bold drink. Here in Cinder, we drink it multiple times a day, and it’s very integrated into our meals and social lives. For instance, if you were from Cinder, every time I came to visit, you’d offer me tea. You have no such thing on Runus?”
“No,” he grumbled, “not in my clan. We have many customs, but to be offered a drink requires a deeper trust. We do have certain brews we drink during celebrations, though.”
“Fascinating,” she murmured. “I’ll have to make a cup for you sometime. It is imperative you try it before you leave.” She tried to imagine his hand holding a delicate teacup. If the basket looked tiny in his grasp, a teacup would look nothing short of ridiculous. Shehadto see it.
They stood in growing silence, which she was quickly becoming used to. What she couldn’t quite grow accustomed to, however, was the feeling of Ved staring at her during those pauses. What was it he saw?
Catching a glimpse of the darkening skies, she frowned. “I have to get back home before my brother and niece return.” She wished she had more time to explore his ship and learn about him, but time was against her. It was one thing to lie and another thing entirely to be caught in that lie.
“Wait,” he commanded and, without any further instruction, took off deeper into the ship.
Isobel bounced on the balls of her feet, clutching the fabric of her dress in her hands. Just when she was beginning to think she should have followed him, he was there again.
“Your food box,” he said, holding up the basket she’d brought yesterday. “And your weapon.”
It was the book she’d thrown at his face. She didn’t know how she could have forgotten it. It had become her new favorite story.
“Oh,” she said, taking both from him. “I’m sorry about the—” She mimicked throwing it at him.
He grunted and gestured to the book. “I read this story.”
“Youreadit?” Isobel gasped as cold dread rippled from her head all the way down to her toes. SV wrote her romances with a lot of pining and angst, but there were alsointimatescenes. And though Isobel found them beautifully written and passionate, they were not what any proper woman should be found reading.
“It helped my neurolink better understand your language,” Ved explained.
“Oh,” was all she managed to choke out. She couldn’t even question him as to what aneurolinkwas. Hotness bloomed in her cheeks and knots formed in her stomach. Was that truly how he was able to speak her language better—from reading arisqué romance novel? Did he think it was sinful and shameful? Had he read it knowing she’d read it as well? Had he enjoyed it? What had he thought of the romance and the plot twist steeped in betrayal? There were a thousand questions she couldn’t ask.
“That,” he growled, causing her to startle out of her racing thoughts. He stepped closer and brushed two gloved fingers against her cheek. “What is this reaction? I do not understand it.”
Her lips parted, but it was another moment before she could form a response. “It’s called blushing.”
“Blushing,” he ground out.
She took a step back, away from his touch. “It happens when one is embarrassed.”
“Why are you embarrassed? You have done nothing dishonorable.”
She shook her head. “It’s … it’s nothing.”
“I have insulted you?” he grumbled.
“No, of course not. I really must go, though. It will take me at least twenty minutes to reach the lavender fields,” she blurted out, eager to end the conversation about her red face and the lewd novel they’d both read.
“Lavender?”
She stopped mid-turn. He had answered so many of her questions, but she’d forgotten her world was just as new to him, and he wastrappedhere. Taking a deep breath to tame her racing heart, she turned to face him again. “Runus doesn’t have lavender?”
“Life on my planet is different. There is no lavender.”
