It was only after my fire had burned it completely and all that remained was a pile of ash that began to scatter on the wind, that I allowed my fire to extinguish. Once done, only a charred patch of soil remained on the Wood’s floor. It was as if the creature had never existed at all.
Kole nodded his head in approval. “Time to go.”
I’d thought that maybe his rage had calmed since he’d grown so quiet, but one look at his mouth that remained tightened in a thin line and one peek at his blazing blue irises, and I realized his rage hadn’t cooled at all. No, it’d beensimmering, and I wondered if I was about to be on the receiving end of it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The warrior stalked ahead of me through the Wood, his strides strong and purposeful. I waited for him to berate me, yell at me, accuse me. Waited for all the things that I thought might be coming, but he remained silent.
But I knew better than to think his anger was cooling. Tension radiated along every line of Kole’s body, and even though he walked ahead of me, he kept close tabs on my location. Anytime I fell even slightly behind him, he waited until I caught up.
He hadn’t spoken with me, though. Not once. And that made his simmering anger all the more anxiety-provoking.
It was only when we emerged back into the village, and my toes were numb from the cold, and my teeth were near chattering, that he slowed enough for me to walk at his side.
Surprisingly, he didn’t seem affected by the frigid temperature, even though he still wore the same casual clothes as hehad at the salopas. And even though the wind had to bite through his top, he never shivered.
The street was thankfully empty. Music from the salopas still carried on the wind, and I hoped that Nym, Jessip, and Felix were still enjoying themselves, because if they’d run into what Kole had just killed in the Wood, I knew I would never see my new Faewood friends again.
As the inn neared, Kole placed his hand on my lower back, much as he’d done at the salopas, and guided me toward the main door.
“Not a word to anyone about what you saw. Understood?”
“Okay, but Kole,” I said under my breath. “Whatwasthat?”
His jaw tightened, his usual steely mask absent. “Something we’re trying to stop. That’s all you need to know.”
So hewashere for Imperial Council business that had nothing to do with the Stone.
When we reached the inn, he opened the door for me, and if I’d been in a lighter mood, I probably would have teased him about his chivalrous behavior, but as it was, I could barely breathe, let alone make a cheeky comment.
When we both crossed the threshold, Nivinity straightened, and a relieved sigh escaped her. “Prim, you’re back! Thank the stars. A dillemsill arrived while you were gone, telling me that everyone should stay indoors for the night. It was by order of the kingsfae.”
I gave her a small smile and nodded, but Kole kept his hand on my lower back and guided me right by her.
The next thing I knew, I was climbing the stairs, then Kole was marching me down the hall on the second floor. When we reached my door, he held out his hand. “Key.”
His demand snapped my head back, and my brain began firing again. Magic swirled in me, firing and igniting. “You’re quite bossy.”
“Key,” he growled, and something in his tone had me complying.
I handed it over, and he opened my door, then ushered me inside.
I expected him to either leave now that he’d safely seen me to my chambers, or explode on me, but instead, he closed the door behind him and locked it. “I need to wash myself and thoroughly clean my sword.”
Without further explanation, he strode across my room toward the bathing chambers and disappeared inside it. The sound of running water came next, along with the scent of his magic activating—self-cleansing magic from the fragrance of it—and I realized the warrior was taking his washing quite seriously if he was using both traditional bathing and magical cleansing.
Minutes passed before he finally reappeared.
My eyes widened. Like his sword, which now gleamed and sparkled, the warrior was spotless. Blood splatter that had beenon his clothes was gone, and the lingering scent of thatthinghad vanished too.
“You need to wash as well, just in case.” He nodded toward the bathing chambers.
I cocked my head. “But...it didn’t come near me. I never touched it, and none of its blood got on me.”
“You need to wash,” he repeated.
Once again, that steely tone entered his voice, and while it was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to take a trip to the underworld, the rational side of me knew that he had a better understanding of that creature than I did. Maybe Ididneed to wash just to stay on the safe side.
