“Do you never learn? Stop it,” she snapped.
Raxx shrugged, holding Faye’s eye contact for a moment longer than was truly necessary whilst he took a large mouthful of bread. He watched her blue eyes flicker from his, down to his teeth. The princess looked away, unconsciously running her tongue over her own incisors, behind closed lips.
An icy wind picked up, rustling through the pines above them. As the fire flickered and dimmed against its onslaught, Faye wrapped her arms around herself. Her body stiffened and her eyes darted into the darkness. Though she had relaxed marginally since his arrival, it was clear Faye was still on edge. Her expression was drawn tight with concern. Did she still not trust him? Raxx watched the princess in his peripheral vision as yet another uncomfortable silence descended upon them. Something was wrong. He had been in the princess’s company long enough to know, contrary to himself, she was a keen conversationalist.
“Is something the matter, princess?”
“Not at all.” She shot him a false smile. When he continued to stare at her, Faye’s pretty face crumpled into a concerned frown. “Okay, yes, but it’s stupid and I don’t want to tell you.”
Raxx sat forward. “If you don’t tell me, I can’t help.”
“You’ll make fun of me.”
“No, I won’t.”
“Yes, you will! You don’t know what I’m going to say yet, so how could you know whether you’d tease me about it or not?” Faye grumbled.
Raxx had no argument against that. He sighed and leant back on his arms. The fire was diminishing steadily, but there wasn’t going to be much point in replenishing it. He glanced across at Faye’s pale, tired face – she would need to sleep soon.
“I don’t suppose you’ve got a lantern in that bag of yours?” Faye asked quietly.
“I’m afraid not. I see better in the dark than I do in the daylight, so really no need for one.” Raxx cocked a brow. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” Faye muttered under her breath. “You don’t sleep, so you’ll be able to keep the fire going, right?”
“Idosleep when I’m tired and it’s not safe to leave a fire unattended when—”
The faerie made a frustrated growling noise at the back of her throat.
“Are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Raxx asked.
Faye was silent and she kept her eyes averted from his. What was this strange obsession with lanterns and fires? Unless…
“Are you scared of the dark, Faye?” Raxx asked, his voice deep and gravelly.
He had been interested in getting to know the princess better, but this was surprising. It alarmed him how eagerly he awaited her answer.
“No! Don’t be ridiculous,” Faye scoffed, still refusing to meet his gaze. She was lying.
Being frightened of the dark was as foreign and confusing to Raxx as if the princess had just admitted to breathing underwater. In the pitch dark was when he was at his most relaxed and most powerful. It was where he felt invigorated and alive. To be petrified of it… He couldn’t even imagine it.
“Do you trust me?” Raxx asked.
There was a moment’s hesitation until Faye’s eyes eventually flickered to meet his. She cast her gaze over him. “I suppose.”
That would have to do for now.
“Then you don’t need to be frightened of the dark,” Raxx murmured gently. “Because Iamthe dark.”
He reached out a palm and, in one smooth motion, closed his fist. The fire extinguished itself and the forest was plunged into darkness.
It didn’t last long. Faye shut her eyes tightly and, with a panicked screech, hurled a ball of bright light at the smouldering fireplace. Gaia cried out with distress and Raxx hissed, closing his own eyes against the onslaught of light. When he eventually opened them, the fire had roared to life once more.
Faye’s chest was heaving and sweat sparkled on her forehead. She shot Raxx a venomous glare before getting her to her feet and storming away across the clearing.
“Ssh, girl, steady now,” she murmured to Gaia. The horse stamped and shook her head, eyes wide with fear, but allowed Faye to smooth a gloved palm down her neck.
No one spoke. Raxx felt his brows knitting into a deep scowl as he stared into the bright flames. That had been a step too far and, typically, he hadn’t realised that before it was too late. As he berated himself for being so socially inept, Raxx opened his mouth to apologise, but Faye spoke before he had a chance to.
