Silently, she helped him pack up the blanket and food he’d brought. Ty seemed lost in his thoughts, and Ena was unsure of what was going through his head. But once everything was gathered into the blanket and they turned to walk back towards the village, Ty took her hand. The firmness of his grip as his large hand enveloped hers steadied her. Ena held on tightly, trying hard to not dwell on how in the world she could possibly say goodbye after everything that had just happened.
They walked quietly downriver, and along the path that led through the clearing. The village was silent as a grave as they walked down the main path towards her house, everyone still sleeping as the sun began to crest the sky. It wasn’t until they reached the garden gate outside Heran’s house that Ty pulled her to a stop.
“Ena, wait,” he said. Turning to face her, he reached out to hold both her hands. “I’ve been thinking, and I know we said we’d probably never see each other again, but what if I come back, next year?”
“Next year for Litha? You think you can?” Ena tried hard to hide her excitement, her desperation at the prospect of seeing him again, of not having to truly say goodbye to the only person who’d ever made her feel this way. But inside, her heart soared.
“I’ll make it so. This can’t be the end.”
Ty leaned down to kiss her, slowly, sweetly. She breathed in his stone and cedar scent, hoping it would fill her and never leave.
“I have to go. The sun is coming up and my uncles will be wondering where I am.” Ty cupped her cheek and pinned her with that intense gaze that seemed to see everything about her.
“Next year? You promise?” Ena asked.
“I promise,” Ty replied.
He let her go, and as she turned to walk into her house, she believed him.
Chapter Ten
Enaslowlyopenedhereyes. Her entire body was stiff from sleeping on the ground and her eyes felt dry and irritated from the campfire smoke. She had rolled over at some point during the night so she was facing the fire, probably seeking its warmth, but she was paying the price this morning.
Pushing herself up into a sitting position with an audible groan, she caught Ty watching her from across a newly stoked fire, an enigmatic expression on his face. She would have said it was hatred, given its intensity, but underneath was something…softer—something almost like longing—but that couldn’t be right.
Not for the first time, she wished she could read his signs better. How was it possible that she hadn’t noticed that her Knowing didn’t work on him all those years ago? She guessed that was just another indicator of how willfully blind she’d been. Blinded by his good looks. Blinded by her naïveté. It was just another reminder of how wrong she’d been about him and everything that had happened between them.
Looking away from her, he stood up. “It’s time to go,” he said. “We’re heading out to a nearby village to get your supplies.”
Slowly lifting herself to stand, she looked down at her dirt-covered dress. Leaves and twigs stuck to the wool, and she was pretty sure the horse smell would never come out. It was a party dress, not suited for everyday wearing, and certainly not backwoods camping, but she guessed she should count her blessings that her breasts hadn’t spilled out of it overnight. She groaned, wondering what the chances were of finding a spare pair of clothes for her at the village too.
After dusting herself off as best as she could, she picked up the waterskin she’d been given last night and took a long, cold drink. From behind her, she heard footsteps crunching through the downed leaves. She turned to find Steig and Turner returning to the campsite from deeper in the woods.
“Trap’s all set,” Turner said, looking at Ty and then at her with a cautious smile. “Should have a rabbit or two ensnared by the time we get back tonight.”
Ena cocked her brow at finally being addressed by one of them other than Ty. Clearly, the moratorium on speaking to her had been lifted after their agreement last night.
“Are you finally planning to feed me something other than these dried bricks of meat?” Ena asked sullenly, ripping off a piece of one of said bricks that she’d saved from last night with her teeth.
“Well, that depends,” Steig said, crossing his arms and keeping his distance as if she were poisonous.
“On?” Ena asked.
“On how many we catch and how many we need to sacrifice for your little spell.”
“Oh,” Ena replied, pleased that they’d already been considering how to get the ingredients she’d need, but annoyedthat they hadn’t included her. “You should have brought me with you. I can sense rabbit burrows with my eyes closed.”
Well, notliterallywith her eyes closed, but pretty damn close, given how often she’d used her Knowing to find them in the past.
“I think we managed just fine on our own. And besides, we don’t need you using your witchy senses any more than you already are,” Steig replied gruffly.
She bristled at his tone. Witches had always been revered by everyone she knew, especially mortals. Their magic was seen as a blessing and an asset. But these men, Steig especially, treated her like a trickster and a pariah.
“Come on,” Ty said, untethering his horse from the tree. “We’ve got to get a move on if we want to make it back before dark.”
Since Ena was cooperating—for now—she walked over to the horse and used the stirrup to lift herself up on its back. In the daylight, she could appreciate what a beautiful brown mare it was. It looked well-cared for and was sufficiently large to carry both her and Ty without much trouble. She read its signs and Knew it was a gentle and well-tempered horse, and she had to stop herself from leaning forward and scratching behind its ears in thanks.
Ty climbed up behind her and reached around to grab the reins. She would never admit it, but she was relieved to be tucked so close to his body heat. It was a chilly fall morning, and, once again, she bemoaned the fact that she had no cloak to keep out the chill. But still, she resisted the urge to lean further back against him. She had far too much pride for that.
