“No. Why would I? I already told you, your secrets are safe with me.”
The woman stared at the boy, her gaze so intent the wind felt it slicing through it, penetrating the boy, trying to read his intentions.
The wind sniffed. It could tell her, if she cared to ask. The boy liked her citrus and pearl dust scent. He liked her sea-wave voice. He liked her, even when she was a giant rude man threatening to chop off his head.
“Did you mean to call a tsunami?” she finally asked.
The boy’s cheeks flushed strawberry pink. “No.” Then he asked, “Did you mean to kiss me during the last game?”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Yes.”
He grinned.
She scowled. “What do you want, Jacob? Why are you following me?”
The boy shrugged. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Yeah. I’ll bet. Well, now you’ve seen me. Clearly, I’m okay.” She gestured for him to move on. Go away. “Kindly forget you ever saw me.”
The wind sighed. The boy most definitely would not forget.
He shook his head. “Can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because Wards don’t forget anything.”
“I could make you forget.”
The boy snorted.
“I could.”
He laughed.
“What?” she was offended. “Do you want an alliance? Is that what this is?”
“I want my favor.”
The woman held as still as a drop of sunlight hitting a blade of grass. “You what?”
The boy nodded. “My favor. I want it. I’m collecting.”
Aha! The citrus and pearl dust scented woman owed the boy a favor from when he’d given the trickster, hale and hearty, back to her after he stumbled into a Ward cage.
“Your favor?” she asked, frowning.
He smiled, his cheeks staining bright red. The wind trailed over his burning skin. The boy always blushed around the woman.
“Yes.” He bit his bottom lip.
The woman’s eyes narrowed on the boy’s mouth. “Right now?” Her voice was hard, her eyes burning.
“Well . . . yes.”
The woman watched as the boy ran his tongue nervously over his lips, then he ran his hand through his hair, brushing it back from his forehead. His pulse fluttered in his throat, responding to the intent way the woman was watching him.
“You want your favor.” When the boy only looked at her, the woman scowled. Then she gestured to herself, pointing at the rude man’s features. “When I look like this?”
