I stepped up to him, and he put his arms around me, his chest solidly pressed against mine. “Yes, please.”
I took one more look around as he spun us into the ether and to the upper bridge. The waterfall up here was much thinner and the spray less intense. I leaned on the railing and looked out. The river that was fed by the waterfall wound its way south. I had to squint, but I could just make out a small town, rooftops barely visible, like pebbles in the distance. And spread out before us, as far as I could see, were all of those glorious fall colors. Griff stood so close to me, Icould feel the heat radiating off of him. I fought the desire to lean into that warmth.
“Afraid I’m going to fall off the cliff?” I commented.
He exhaled heavily through his nose. “It is a long way down.”
“So tell me, Champion, do you hover like this over everyone? Or is it just me who gets the special treatment?”
“Just you, Princess.”
“I thought Finn said you had some magical way to always find me. Shouldn’t that make you less, I don’t know, hovery?”
“Is hovery even a word?” he countered. “Besides, it’s my job to be hovery.”
I sighed heavily. “So that’s what today is? Duty?”
Something flashed in his eyes before he looked away. “It’s complicated.”
I rolled my eyes. Fine, I’d give up. For now.
We stood in silence for a while, just gazing out over the scenery, before I turned to face him as he leaned against the railing next to me. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” I covered his hand with mine. “Thank you for bringing me.”
He flipped his hand over and threaded his fingers with mine, giving a quick squeeze. “You’re welcome.”
We stood there, hand in hand, and watched for a while longer before he straightened. I turned and looked at him expectedly.
“Do you see that town?” He stood behind me, close but not touching, his arm raised over my shoulder as he pointed downriver. “With the walls?” I followed the direction of his finger, trying to ignore the warm, male presence at my back, focusing instead on the faint towers in the distance. “It’s called Terraleth. Deirdre lives on the far side, but we have some time left before we have to meet her. You said you wanted to see more of Serentyn.”
“I do,” I said eagerly. “Yes, please.”
He wrapped his arms around me again and transported us to the outskirts of the walled village, stone towers appearing every hundred feet or so, built for defense. But the gates were thrown wideopen, people strolling through, carrying all manner of things—flowers, fruits, vegetables, baskets overflowing with meats and cheeses.
Through the gates were half-timber houses, haphazardly placed next to each other, each leaning against its neighbor as though they were drunk, mutually keeping each other upright. The stone path was uneven and rough, even under my thick-soled boots, but it stretched ahead to a center market square, where tables were piled high with anything you could wish to buy. In the precise middle of the square was a massive stone fountain about double a man’s height, carved with features of animals. The fountain sprayed up out of a fish’s open mouth, splashing down into the pools below.
“Is it market day?” I asked as we stood to the side, watching.
“They have a market several times a week. It’s one thing Terraleth is known for.”
Still wary of crowds, I double-checked my shields were locked down tight. No stray thoughts would leak through and ruin this.
As we wandered toward the market, Griff let me set the pace, looking at whatever caught my fancy.
This first part of the market consisted of fruits and vegetables, displayed in boxes in front of the booths. Everywhere I looked, everyday people were going about their everyday business. Mothers hurried along the streets, children held by one hand, supplies for the day’s meals in the other. Stall keepers were hawking their wares, calling out to attract attention. Over in one corner, a lone artist sat painting the scene. It was such a change from what I had known these past few weeks, and my soul rejoiced to see it. While the scale of this was greater than my hometown, I knew this scene. I knew these people.
We walked closer to the fountain in the center, the spray chilly this time of year.
“There’s a tradition here,” Griff started as he fished in a pocket. Pulling out two coins, he held one to me. “Make a wish, throw it over your left shoulder into the water, and if you’re lucky, it will come true.”
I took the still warm coin from his grasp. I had so much to wish for. In the end, I picked the thing that mattered most. That I would be enough. I stood next to him, our backs to the water, and as one we threw our coins in.
“What did you wish for?” I asked him.
His mouth tilted in a half-smile. “I’ll tell you if it comes true.”
I returned his smile before continuing my perusal of the market. I had moved on to looking at the flowers when Griff touched my shoulder to get my attention. That familiar jolt of energy startled me more than it should have. He jerked his head toward a stall, then headed that way, allowing me to follow him leisurely, distracted by the diverse wares we passed. Before I could join him at the stall, though, he came back holding two bags that smelled delicious. Scents of warm, baked bread with cinnamon and hints of lemon wafted from the bag. I eagerly took the one he offered me, our hands brushing. It was a flaky pastry, baked a rich golden color, drizzled with fruit syrup and dusted in powdered sugar. I bit in and let out a moan of delight as the sugary apple and caramel flavors burst onto my tongue. Griff choked on his own bite before coughing and ushering us onward.
We headed through the gate on the far side of the town, the rolling hills I’d viewed from the waterfall spread out before us. I took this opportunity to ask him a question I’d been wondering for a while now. “How far can you teleport?”
