Page 149 of Ravenrose

I nod without bothering to look at Theo. My eyes stay fixed on the female fae across the village square instead.

I’d stuck Rowan with Wyatt for the day. I need space to think, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind a little space from me too.

Their task is to keep the children occupied while the rest of us work on clearing the village of the remaining bodies and debris.

“How do you reckon she got around it?” Theo asks, moving to stand beside me as I study the Sitari princess.

I shake my head, my jaw tightening. “I’m not convinced she did.”

“How so?”

“The rune is still intact. I checked it myself. That rune… It’s old magic—impenetrable.”

“Then how do you explain this?” Theo waves a hand over my ribs.

I glance down at the scar hidden beneath my shirt before gripping the shovel in my hands tighter.

“I can’t. But I know I felt it.” I flex my fingers, remembering the strange warmth that had spread through me. “Whatever she did, it healed me. There’s no other explanation.”

Theo is quiet for a moment, and his gaze drifts across the square to the princess. “Did you ask her?”

“We didn’t talk about it.” I stab the shovel into the dirt again, continuing the grave we’ve been digging.

“Ayer,” Theo chastises.

I ignore him, shoveling more dirt out from the hole. Stab, scoop, dump. Stab, scoop, dump.

Theo sighs so heavily I’m surprised the trees don’t bend with it. “You realize conversations require actual words?”

“I’m aware.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

I let the silence stretch between us.

“Wow, I can’t believe I was right,” he muses openly.

“Right about what?” I grumble, working to focus on my task.

“You and her.”

That catches my attention and my gaze lifts, eyes narrowing. “You’re going to have to be a little more specific.”

He just stares down at me, that impish smile of his widening the longer I glare at him.

“There’s nothing going on between us.”

“I never said there was.” Theo smiles victoriously back at me.

My frown deepens. “You ordered me to keep her alive.”

“And you are doing a fine job,” Theo says, his blue eyes lighting up. “It’s funny though,” he continues when I stay silent. “I don’t remember you ever taking an order quite so seriously.”

I bristle at his words but keep my mouth shut, refusing to take the bait.

“We could interrogate it out of her—how she saved you...” Theo floats, revisiting our earlier topic of conversation.

“No.” I drive the shovel into the dirt hard enough to make Theo raise a brow. His eyes sparkle with satisfaction, and I clench my jaw harder.