Almost instantly, Lilia seemed to relax. She sighed and loosened her shoulders. “Thank you. Your power feels like sitting beside a hearth, which I’ll admit, is all I can think about right now.”
I frowned. “If we haven’t caught up to Ivar by now, I’m not sure we will.”
“He won’t keep going through the night,” she argued. “He’ll have to stop and camp.”
“And so will we.” I pointed at the root that had tried to take her down. “My eyesight helps me see at night, but you’re getting tired, Lilia.”
Her shoulders slumped forward. “You’re right. I’m exhausted. Maybe we should have turned back instead of going after him.”
“Unfortunately, even if we decide to return to Riverwold, we’ll have to camp tonight and start back at first light. We’re hours away from town.”
I expected her to wrinkle her nose at me or put forth an argument, but she merely pointed into the trees. “There’s a small clearing near the edge of the woods. It looks like the perfect spot for a fire.”
* * *
Lilia unspooled the bedroll she’d been clever enough to pack while I imbued a cluster of sticks with my power. As soon as they caught fire, I shoved that power down, relieved for the respite from it. I would have kept it at the surface to prevent Lilia from freezing all night, but it would have nearly driven me mad.
She tugged her bedroll a bit closer to the fire and sat cross-legged on one end, leaving room for me. As soon as I settled onto the ground beside her, she dug around in her pack and pulled out a heel of bread. She tore it in half.
“Here,” she said, handing me a chunk. “It’s nothing compared to the ‘finest’ ale pie and mash, but it’s what we’ve got.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry I didn’t bring any supplies myself. I didn’t expect we’d be gone longer than a day.”
“You brought the fire. I’d say that’s help enough.”
“Where do you think your dragon is, anyway? I haven’t seen him around since that day in the woods.”
She smiled. “Knowing him, he’s out soaring over the mountains now that the storm has passed. He’ll show back up when he wants some more treats, like apple pie.”
I chuckled. “He really does sound more like a hound than a ferocious dragon.”
Lilia sat up a little straighter, pride shining in her silver eyes. “He’s a good boy.”
I bit into the bread, savoring the buttery glaze. The fire crackled and smoked, and the flames danced in the light breeze. With the trees standing sentry around us, the worst of the wind was kept at bay. For a while, Lilia and I mostly sat in silence, just enjoying the fire and the food in our belly, though I would have given up every last remaining coin for that ale pie we’d abandoned.
Eventually, Lilia laughed softly.
I shifted toward her, noting the way her skin glowed from the light of the fire. “What’s so amusing?”
“This.” She motioned at me, then herself, and then the flames. “If you’d told me a few days ago that we’d be sharing a fire on the road again, I probably would have dumped a barrel’s worth of ale on your head.”
I chuckled. “Good thing I didn’t, then, eh? Would have been a waste of good ale.”
“Well, I could have used that bitter dross you brewed. It would have saved someone from drinking it.” She pressed her lips together, shyly looking up at me with those luminous, dancing eyes.
“Hmm. Keep talking like that, and I’ll make some more just for you, using those barrels you asked the carpenter to make.”
“You and your brewing skills need to stay far, far away from my barrels.”
“Oh yeah?” Smirking, I leaned closer. “And what are you going to do about it?”
Lilia’s eyes darted to my lips. She wet her own, her tongue swiping across them. I found it difficult to breathe. Or think. Or feel anything but a tugging, insistentwant. She was so fates-damned beautiful. In any other situation, I’d tug her into my lap and explore those curves for the rest of the night.
But I wasn’t convinced she’d want that. And so I kept my damn hands to myself.
“Ragnar?” she murmured. I nearly groaned at the sound of my name on her lips, so softly spoken, it was like a beckon from the bedroom.
“Yes?” I asked, my voice coming out closer to a growl than I’d intended.
