Shae’s head slumps lower on Arthur’s chest. “I don’t want to,” he says, even more quietly. Like it’s a secret. “But I have to. I need to check on the grave, I need to see...”
He half falls out of Arthur’s lap, then drags himself to his feet. He’s unsteady from sleep or exhaustion or both. Arthur jumps to his feet too, his whole body stiff from sitting in place so long, and grabs Shae’s wrist before he can go any farther.
“The dead woman can wait. We need to talk first.”
Shae glares daggers at him, and it’s crazy how relieved Arthur is to see that glare. All the cold fragility has melted from Shae’s face, and he’s flushed with anger or embarrassment. He looks alive again. “Unless you fixed her coffin while I was out, I need to do that now. It’s disrespectful to leave her like this.”
He’s right, and arguing will him will be more trouble than it’s worth. Arthur sighs. “Fine. Let’s look for a shovel.”
Splitting up to search would make more sense, but neither of them suggests that. Shae just trails along at Arthur’s heels like a ghost himself, quiet and constant, as Arthur checks for store rooms or closets. They find a singed tool shed outside the vegetable garden, and sure enough there are a few shovels. Arthur grabs the least-splintered looking one. They can’t find a hammer or nails, so Arthur ends up using the shovel as an axe to break some wooden boards from the door.
He wedges the boards over the lid of the coffin to cover the hole, then climbs back out. “Do you need to say anything?”
Shae shakes his head silently and sits down at the foot of the grave, arms around his knees. He still hasn’t put his coat back on, and Arthur vividly remembers how his cold, narrow body felt tucked against his.
Arthur yanks his mind away from that distraction. He touches his heart and lifts his head to say, “May Vara’s Radiance light your way.” Then he picks up the shovel and starts covering the coffin.
The work is hard, but the steady movement is a relief. A chance to do something practical, something physical. The sun sinks lower as he works, and he’s aching and sweating by the time he’s done. He sets down the shovel and drops next to Shae, who still isn’t looking at him.
Arthur leans back on his hands and looks out at the peaceful, swaying woods around them, the orchard trees heavy with fruit. “Tell me what happened.”
“The vaidkos had eaten the ghost. I had to pull her out before you killed it, or she would have vanished. That’s why I told you to wait.” Shae grimaces. “That thing was probably the reason she woke up in the first place. There shouldn’t be vaidkos this far south of the border.”
That bothers Arthur too, but he’s still fixated on a different problem. “I meant, why did you collapse? Do you always do that?” When Shae doesn’t answer immediately, Arthur grabs his chin and forces him to face him. “You scared the shit out of me, okay? You were completely frozen. I told you before, I’m not doing this job unless I know what to expect.”
Shae’s eyes go wide, and Arthur feels him swallowing under his fingers. His pulse quickens. “Fine.” He jerks away. “I don’t always collapse, but it’s gotten worse over the years. When I use my powers, it drains me.”
Arthur can still feel the smooth texture of Shae’s skin, an echo of touch against his fingers. “What should I do if I find you like that again?”
Forget Shae’s smile. The way he blushes, delicate pink, is going to haunt Arthur’s dreams for the next fortnight. “The same thing you did this time,” he says eventually. “Human contact is the only thing that helps.”
Puzzle pieces click into place. The way Shae followed close to him, even when he was pissed off about something. The way he panicked that morning in the Blue Wyvern when Arthur left to get breakfast without him. The single lie he told under Arthur’s truth spell:It’s all right if we separate briefly. As long as I know where you are, I’ll be fine.
“It’s not just when you use your magic, is it,” Arthur says slowly.
“No.” Shae sounds very tired. “But most of the time, just being near people is enough. You especially—I think it’s a paladin thing? You have this aura.”
“So, that’s why you hired me.” Arthur grins. “You wanted a portable fireplace.”
That startles a laugh from Shae. “Yeah, something like that.”
They sit together a while, as the sun sinks lower towards the horizon. Eventually, Arthur creaks to his feet. He’s going to be sore tomorrow. The fight was nothing, but shoveling isn’t a movement he’s used to. He reaches his hand down to Shae. “Let’s have dinner. I’m starving.”
Shae takes his hand and lets Arthur pull him up.
?
CHAPTER NINE
Shae
Arthur doesn’t ask any more questions as they prepare and eat dinner, and Shae is tremendously grateful for that. He still feels raw and vulnerable after saying so much at the graveside.
Maybe it’s stupid to try to keep his weaknesses a secret. Arthur has a point—how can he expect Arthur to do what’s needed if he doesn’t know what that is? But he’s never hired someone as trustworthy as Arthur before. As gods-damned nice as Arthur.
You scared the shit out of me, okay?
Nobody’s cared about him that much since his parents, and they’re ten years gone.
