Interesting. Almost pining, wouldn’t you say?
Lunara cleared her throat. “I once saw a painting of water nymphs with similar hair coloring.” Grabbing Fern’s hand, she turned it so the light of the stones could skate over deep bronze skin, shimmering across the surface as if she’d been dipped in gold dust. “But, if I’m not mistaken, I believe this feature is most often associated with the pixies of the Fall Domain. Unfortunately, her size and wings belie that.”
Brand nodded, leaning closer to inspect the verdant appendages. “Their shape is all wrong for a pixie. And the color is more typical of the dryads in the Summer Domain. Although, dryads don’t have wings.”
Ooh, did you see that? Hear that? The strange note in his voice… Distracted. Probably noticing how gorgeous she is, and thinking he made a mistake with you. Sure you didn’t mess with her mind on purpose?
Swallowing down a rise of bile, she laid Fern’s arm down, resting her hands together over her abdomen again—and shamefully unable to ignore herself. “What… what are you thinking?”
He shook himself. “That I’m too bloody tired to be recalling Fae features. Vann will knowwhatshe is, even if he doesn’t know preciselywho.”
Well, what else would he say? He’s sorry but he’s fallen for a comatose female?
“Fair enough.” She summoned one of her blankets from the ether, the moonlight strands humming beneath her fingers. Hopefully, it would help energize Fern. “I can stay with her while you find him.”
Brand stalked around the slab, pausing a hair’s breadth away. His eyes were like white-hot irons, boring into her. “I would very much like to hold you. May I pick you up?”
No, he wouldn’t. He thinks you’re weak. Useless. Helpless.
She scoffed at him, finding it harder and harder to ignore the doubts. “I don’t need you to carry me through the corridors while we chase your brother down.”
He tilted her chin up, dragging his thumb over her lower lip. “You misunderstand me.” His markings flashed, eyes growing darker. “I’m not speaking to another damned person until I have a bath and something to eat—and neither are you, whether you walk or not.”
“I’m not hungry.”
She wasn’t. Not anymore. Something was… not right.
His grip tightened. “I can feel you, remember?” The tips of his horns curled ever so slightly, and power pulsed out from him in gentle waves. “Not nearly as completely as I want to, but enough to know your mind has wandered somewhere it shouldn’t. I’m not finished taking care of you, so may Ipleasepick you up?”
When she didn’t respond,Brand paced away, raking a hand through his hair.
For fuck’s sake, the two of them were a pair.
The last they’d spoken out loud with any real awareness was after his episode in the great hall—nearly aweekago. All of their communication since had been far more abstract.
Mind-to-mind. Heart-to-heart. Words replaced with a physical give and take that had nothing to do with sexual gratification and everything to do with two souls finally meeting.
Standing by, watching her suffer willingly, had been a grueling misery at times. More than once, he’d been tempted to get on his knees and beg her to stop—to accept Fern was a lost cause and save herself instead—but he’d made her a promise.
In the end, he’d never felt so connected with another creature in his life.
Her breaking body had voiced all she’d been unable to say with words, and his had heard. Had listened and adjusted to herneeds as if it knew just what to do. They’d been so in tune, he would have sworn to the Sisters the bond had completed itself.
Now…
A whisper, low and grating, had made its way to his ears. He hadn’t been able to figure out what he was hearing at first—not until he’d watched her eyes flash wide at the exact moment he’d sensed its insidious echo again.
Luna had said weeks ago that she understood the cruel voice inside, but he’d never thought to experiencehers.Brand could actually feel it lying to her, even if he couldn’t make out the words.
Part of him had the fleeting worry it might always be this way—back and forth between the weakest parts of themselves, never having the chance to be more because their fragile minds wouldn’t allow it.
The other part—the bigger, louder, meaner part—fucking refused to let that happen.
“Was it just me?” He turned away from the window and the setting sunstar to face her again. “Tell me I’m not the only one who felt it, that melding between us.”
Luna’s head snapped up, brows punching upwards. “I…” Her eyes darted towards Fern on her slab, wholly unaware of her surroundings. “Not here.” She practically ran out of the room, disappearing into her own through the opening Baldrir had made between them.
Brand grunted a curse and stalked after, finding her unraveling the plait he’d put in her hair while she paced in front of the fireplace. He watched from the archway, transfixed as she bungled her way back and forth, not so much as a flinch when she rammed her hip into a chair arm, or bumped one of her knees on the low table.
