“Another time then.” He winked, completely unfazed, and sauntered away to become someone else’s problem.
Aelia started brushing the worst of the mess he’d made off the tablecloth. Shiva had been obnoxious even as a child, but when his second form turned out to be an apex predator, he became outright insufferable.
Sure, he might want to get into Aelia’s pants, but she knew it was only because she’d be a particularly challenging notch to add to his already heavily chipped belt. She’d never slept with anyone in the village, and nor did she intend to. She didn’t need anything long-term, and it was far too small a place for things to get awkward if feelings got in the way of anything casual, so she had whatever fun she could with visitors passing through.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and her eyes shot up to see the man with the fire standing across the clearing, staring right at her. He was no less imposing in the daylight; the aura of the man screamed danger at anyone brave or stupid enough to look his way. The trouble was, once she’d looked, she found it nearly impossible to stop.
She had no idea how long they both stood there, neither of them moving, but it was far longer than it was socially acceptable to stare at a stranger. Yet she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Every cell in her body was trained on him, taking in the way his inky black hair tumbled over his ears, the way his brows pressed together in a frown. His dark, devouring eyes burned into her with an intensity that had every nerve in her body screaming at her to get away—and yet she didn’t, she couldn’t.
Whatever it was making her brain glitch shattered as a crash behind her made her jump out of her skin.
“Look what you did?” Shiva was yelling. His clothes were covered in food, brown chunks dripping down him onto the floor. Mirra stood open-mouthed and horrified in front of him, a tray hanging empty in her hands.
“I’m so sorry,” she muttered, leaning to help him wipe it off. He recoiled.
“Don’t touch me.” He spat. Mirra withered under his look of pure disgust. “As if you haven’t done enough, you filthy freeloader.”
Aelia’s blood boiled. She rushed across the clearing to get to Mirra, fully prepared to tear the contemptuous moron limb from limb. Fortunately, Otis beat her to Mirra’s side.
Even with one arm, he was a force to be reckoned with. He grabbed Shiva’s hand and twisted harshly, slamming him face-first into the table and pinning him there with his arm wrenched painfully behind his back.
“No one in this village uses language like that.” His voice remained calm, but fury flashed in his eyes. “It is vile and beneath us all, even someone like you. If I hear so much as a whisper of such sentiments from you again, I’ll make sure you join me in the one-armed club.” He leant on the arm meaningfully and Shiva hissed through bared teeth.
Aelia bit her cheek to control her smile, moving to stand next to a shocked Mirra.
Point well and truly made, Otis released Shiva. He whirled around, but when he spotted Otis’s hand on the dagger at his hip, he froze. Shiva looked around at everyone watching and curled his lip in a snarl, before slinking away to lick his wounded ego.
“You alright, Mirra?” Otis said gruffly.
She nodded, smiling shyly, aware of the scene they’d caused and the many eyes on them. Aelia gave her a quick hug, and neither of them spoke another word about it. As usual.
When Aelia glanced back to where the man with the fire had been standing, he was gone. She clenched her jaw against the rush of disappointment. Shehadto get a grip.
The hustle and bustle picked up around them as the people drawn by the incident got back to work, and Aelia tried her best to forget about the whole thing, menacing stranger included.
CHAPTER THREE
The Peregrinians showed the village the wild hours of the night. Their music filled the woods, the heavy drumbeat pulsing through the darkness. Callodosis seemed to come alive around them, as though the musicians had awoken the beating heart of the forest.
Keeran strode through the darkness between the ancient trunks towards the celebrations, the thump of the music growing stronger with every step he took. The shadows swallowed him whole, recognising the darkness that lurked inside him and welcoming a kindred spirit into their embrace. He knew how to use them, knew how to walk unnoticed, and tonight, they didn’t let him down.
When he was sure no one was looking his way, he stepped into the clearing where the village was celebrating side by side with the Peregrinians he had been travelling with. He scanned the crowd, passing over face after face until he found the one he was looking for.
Ruddy, wrinkled, male; an inoffensive face to most, but just the sight of it was enough to make Keeran’s blood boil. He’d needed to make sure the man was who Keeran suspected him to be, and with the villagers distracted by the celebration, it hadbeen all too easy to break into his house and find the paperwork that had confirmed it.
Keeran’s attention drifted from the man, knowing he wasn’t going anywhere Keeran wouldn’t be able to find him. Instead, he watched the dancers from his position at the edge of the clearing, leaning one shoulder against the rough bark of a tree. Or, if he was being honest, he watched one dancer in particular.
Ever since he’d seen her in the crowd yesterday he’d been unable to get her out of his mind. The moment her piercing green eyes had locked with his, he knew something was wrong. Horribly, awfully wrong.
It was like something had rooted itself deep in his chest, tugging him towards her every second of every minute since he’d laid eyes on her. It filled him with a deep, gnawing ache unless he was near her, which, to his chagrin, he hadn’t allowed to be much of a problem.
Something dark slunk in the back of his mind as the woman lifted her brown hair off the back of her neck as she danced, twisting it around her fingers to let the cool air brush against her skin. He ignored it, pushing it back into the shadows of his mind where it belonged, but not before the wall of desire radiating off of it slammed into him.
Keeran clenched his jaw against the power of it, closing his eyes and swallowing hard against the image of her hair wrapped around his hand instead of hers.
His eyes snapped open, unable to look away from her for very long.
Much like he hadn’t been able to last night. Or this morning. Or all afternoon.
