“Ah, yes,” Vesper muttered. “The tether. How noble.”
I ignored them.
“Are you sure?” Quinn asked softly, her uncertainty lacing every word. “I would not want to impose?—”
“I’m sure,” I said, cutting her off.
The decision was made. We gathered what we could salvage from her felled horse—blankets, saddle bags, a crushed bit of dried fruit—and redistributed them between the remaining mounts. Thistle loaded Branrir’s steed, then gave me a pointed look as she passed.
When I turned, Quinn was waiting beside my horse, chewing her lip. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her cloak like she was trying to quiet her own thoughts.
“Front or back?” I asked.
She hesitated, then softly, “…Front.”
That single syllable nearly stopped my heart. I stepped closer, offering my hand. She took it. Her palm was warm and clammy, but her grip was steady as I helped her up. She settled into thesaddle with only the smallest wince. I swung up behind her—and the rest of the world dissolved.
She was everywhere.
The faint scent of lavender clung to her hair. Her warmth soaked through my chest, radiating outward in steady waves. Every breath drew her spine against me. My knees bracketed hers. When she shifted slightly—when her shoulder leaned into me, whether by accident or not—I nearly forgot how to exist.
She shivered. Goosebumps rose along her arms. I saw them. She didn’t pull away.
I tightened the reins in my hands. “You all right?”
“A little dizzy,” she admitted. “Would you mind if I…leaned back?”
I was fairly certain my voice cracked. “Yes. Of course. Absolutely.”
She eased against me, cautious at first, then rested her head beneath my collarbone. I closed my eyes for a beat, steadying my breath.
This wasn’t fair.
How could something feel so simple and so damn complicated at the same time?
Every inhale drew me to her. Every word I didn’t speak balanced on the edge of confession.
And Saints save me, I wanted more.
The path narrowed as we rode on. The storm hadn’t broken yet, but it pressed against the canopy, brooding with thick, gray clouds. I sensed it in the drop of pressure, in the static clinging to the air.
Quinn hadn’t moved much since we set off again.
I cleared my throat. “What you did back there—your magic…”
She tensed. “What about it?”
“It was beautiful.”
A pause.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” I added.
She exhaled slowly. “Most people have not.”
“Still. It was…” I searched for the right word. “Gentle, but strong.”
Quinn gave a soft, dry laugh. “It is not very useful,” she said. “Or, I suppose it could be more useful for darker purposes, but I would never employ it for such measures. The best thing I can offer is a sort of temporary peace.”
