“Aye, ye can say that again.”
Izzy turned to Aiden and put a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you for your help. You did great.”
Aiden blushed to his hairline. “I...um...I better get this last one back inside.” He scurried off, leaving Izzy alone with Magnus.
It was the first time she’d been alone with him since yesterday. Since she’d panicked, ran off, and needed to be rescued. Since she’d seen him beat up that blacksmith. An awkward silence fell. Then they both spoke at once.
“Listen, Magnus—”
“Isabelle, I’m—”
They fell silent, neither looking at the other. “You first,” Izzy said.
“Right. I...um...” Magnus kicked at some pebbles. “I was just going to ask if ye are feeling better. After yesterday.”
“After I freaked out, you mean? Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better. Thank you for bringing me here.”
Magnus glanced at her. “It was the least I could do after...after...” He looked away, staring off into the distance. “After frightening ye and causing ye to run off in the first place. I...I didnae want ye to see that.”
Once again, her mind’s eye was filled with images of the terrified blacksmith’s face as Magnus held the hot poker above his eye. Such easy violence. Such ruthlessness. Yes, it had scared her. And she’d done what she always did when she was scared. She ran. Sometimes she felt like she’d been running all her life.
She blew out her cheeks and a moment of silence passed between them before Izzy spoke again.
“Yes, you scared me,” she said softly.
A spasm of pain crossed his handsome face. “Isabelle...”
The way he said her name made her heart thud loudly in her chest. It was spoken so softly, so gently, it was as if he were afraid she might break at the mere utterance of it. He paused, his gaze shifting away from hers and staring into the distance.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed. “For yesterday. For avoiding ye at Terce this morning. For...for everything.”
She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, trying to lighten the mood. “Oh, so you admit youwereavoiding me in the chapel?”
“Aye,” he insisted, his voice gaining strength. “I couldnae face ye. It wasnae right for ye to see that part of me. I...I dinna wish to be that man ye saw at the forge yesterday.”
She looked at him, studying his profile. The strong jaw, the thick hair. His eyes were downcast, avoiding her gaze.
“Magnus,” she said softly. “Don’t you realize that you don’t need to apologize to me? Without you...” Jeez, she couldn’t bear to think about what would have happened to her without him. “What I saw yesterday, yes, it scared me. But that’s not who you are, is it?”
“Isabelle—”
“Let me finish. What I mean is, it’s notallyou are?”
He didn’t answer for a long time. “I...I dinna know,” he said at last.
“But I do.” She took a step closer and laid a hand on his arm. His skin was warm and smooth and she could feel the innate strength in his arm, strong and sinewy like tree roots. “So I’m sorry too. For running away and forcing you to find me like that. It must have been...difficult.”
He cocked his head and a tiny smile curled his lips. “Actually. I quite enjoyed carrying ye here.”
He put his hand over hers and Izzy’s heartbeat ramped up a notch. She suddenly had the wildest urge to reach up and touch his face, to run her thumb over those full lips of his. Flustered, she stepped back.
“Did you...um...did you get the information you needed? From that blacksmith, I mean?”
He nodded slowly, still watching her. “I did.”
“Great!” she said, a little too brightly. “Then we can get going, can’t we?”
“Aye, as soon as I’ve been to Hodwell to gather some supplies. Stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He glanced atthe dog napping in the sun. “And try to keep Snaffles out of trouble while I’m gone, aye?”
