“It does, but I’m magical enough.”
“Truly? So is that how you’ve been traveling throughout the realm, bymistphasing?”
“You seem to be on a roll here.”
Even though it hit me that the stoic warrior had just made a joke, I couldn’t stop my curious questions from continuing. “But how do you patrol the Wood by mistphasing? How does that allow you to do your job?”
“I walk when needed, mistphase other times. I travel light and prefer it that way. My superiors know that and have given me free rein.”
“But if you can mistphase that easily, why are you here at all? Why not go back to your home to sleep in a comfortable bed tonight?”
“And leave you alone with larpanoons prowling the Wood?” His disapproving look told me exactly what he thought of that.
“I would be fine.”
He made a noise in his throat. “I’m not leaving you, Prim.Besides, my orders are to stay on patrol, which means I need to stay here, day and night.”
I lowered myself, no longer propped up on my elbow, and began to play with a lock of my hair.
If Kole could truly mistphase as easily as he claimed, it also explained how dillemsills had been dispatched so quickly in Inisville. Kole had likely mistphased back to his headquarters to tell his superiors about the creature that was lurking around the small village and then had mistphased back to the Wood to find it. Meanwhile, the Imperial Council had likely sent out the dillemsills to warn the local fae.
Stars, moons, and all the galaxies.
I undid my braid and threaded my fingers through my hair, combing through the thick locks. My long hair splayed out around me, and I stared up at the rocky ceiling as shadows danced across it in the firelight.
I mulled through it all, and another fact hit me.
Angling my head, I eyed him again and was startled to find that he’d been watching me.
He quickly looked away, and I licked my lips, not wanting to say what I was about to, but it was selfish of me to monopolize his time. Perhaps, despite my reassurances to him that my magic would keep me safe, he felt obligated to stay and protect me. And as much as that fact made my heart soar, I needed to let him know it wasn’t necessary. The truth was, despite how much I was coming to enjoy this quiet, serious warrior, he didn’t owe me anything.
“You know,” I said hesitantly. “I could have justboughtyour carpet from you this morning. I could even buy it from you right now. There’s no need for you to travel with me and have me impede your work, especially if this isn’t how you normally travel. You could sell it to me. You don’t need to keep accompanying me.”
His silence filled the enclosure, only the crackling fire making any sound.
A moment passed.
And then another.
“Is that what you would prefer?” he finally asked quietly.
No.The thought came to me unbidden but immediate. It was the truth. I didn’t prefer to travel alone, and I was enjoying his company, even if he was still mostly an enigma to me.
For whatever reason, I liked Kole, or what I’d seen of him at least. I liked his subtle humor, his stoic and hard-to-read demeanor, and his behavior that could be interpreted as grumpy by some, but I had learned it was simply his guarded nature. And I’d seen enough to know that he felt a need to protect those around him. He was brave. Strong. Kind too, even if six males had died at his hand today.
So while I didn’t know him well, Ididknow that I admired what I’d seen so far, and I welcomed his company and wanted to get to know him further.
“That’s not what I meant,” I said the words sheepishly, not wanting to dwell on the fact that my stomach was flipping again. “I just don’t want to be a nuisance to you.”
“You’re not.” His reply was immediate. Firm.
I bit back a smile, and another moment of silence filled the space. My heart thumped to the beat of every quiet second.
Since it didn’t seem like Kole was going to speak again, I changed the subject and said in a teasing tone, “I’m still reeling that you mistphased home to take a bath. Is that why you always smell so good? Because you can bathe regularly?”
“You think I smell good?”
You didnotjust say that out loud, Primelle.But considering the subtle flare of male satisfaction that tingled in his aura, I apparently had.
