I nodded. “That’s what I thought.”
With one last glare in his direction, I donned a dry cloak and headed out into the night.
CHAPTER 41
Shade
Iwas prepared to spend the night watching her sleep, but I was pleasantly surprised when Ginger slipped out of her cottage a few minutes after her friends.
My sneaky goddess.
The rain had ceased, leaving the air feeling damp and heavy and smelling like living things.
The opposite of the dark realm I’d been trapped in for fates knew how long.
I shivered at the memory, and a twinge of pain twisted in my skull.
Ginger looked around. Always so vigilant, my wife.
She didn’t see me nestled into the trees, cloaked in my shadows.
Where are we going, little faun?
I followed her through the woods. She was graceful—impressively so. Her delicate steps hardly made a sound. She slipped seamlessly into a quick jog that was even more elegant.
It didn’t take long to figure out which direction she was headed.
She was going back to the riverbank.
My stomach twisted in a way that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
Had she forgotten something? Was she curious about the scene of the accident?
Or was she looking for me?
I sped, allowing my shadows to carry me.
If she was searching for me, I would make things easier for her and be right where she left me.
I beat her by a few minutes. It was impressive, really, that she could remember the way. Not many folk were able to navigate the forest, especially with only the light of the dual moons as a guide.
I knew my wife was clever, but the reminders made me proud, nonetheless.
Crickets chirped as they re-emerged to play their nighttime songs, and the river gurgled more calmly now that the storm had subsided.
I stayed safely away from the bank. I wasn’t interested in reenacting my earlier performance.
I wouldn’t swim for the rest of my life, if I had the option.
She stilled a few paces away from the edge of the trees. My shadows shivered at her nearness. They ached to touch her. To caress her.
To merely be near her.
She took a few deep breaths, and then she hesitated.
She shifted her weight back and forth.
Thinking of running, wife?
