me from elven schedules, I thought as I spooned up into the curve of Trent’s body behind me. A smile quirked my lips as my eyes shut. He might not have been awake, but he was up.
Feeling me move, Trent pulled me closer. He smelled really good, of cinnamon and wine, and a hint of leather from his horses. But my wish to fall back asleep for a few more hours was crushed when I heard Zack talking to someone in the outer room, his voice low and melodious. The scent of brewing coffee became obvious and Trent’s breathing quickened. He was waking up.
My shoulders itched, and my fingers touched the curse that Hodin had given me. Old magic. And as I idly traced the path from my back to my front, a sensation of connection spilled into me.
Trent stirred. Wondering if he felt it, too, I pulled my hand away, my fingers curling under my palm. “What time is it?” he whispered, his voice soft with sleep.
“Just after sunup.” I sighed, knowing he’d leave me. Zack and Jenks were talking, and the faint drone of the TV was becoming obvious.
Sure enough, he groaned, his arm tightening around me. “I don’t hear the girls. You don’t think Ellasbeth ignored Quen and stayed in the safe room, do you? It’s been over twelve hours.”
More like fifteen. I spun in his grip to see him, liking how soft he looked with sleep dulling his usual sharp expression. “That’s your first thought?” I teased, my fingernails raking his stubble to make his eyes open. But inside, I cringed. Ellasbeth was coming back into his life. Not only because of the girls, but to keep his head above the political waters. It was the right thing to do, but it still left me aching.
Trent’s smile became more certain as my nails found his throat. His legs shifted, imprisoning mine. “My first thought was how nice it was to be able to sleep. My second was how right it felt to wake up beside you. Ellasbeth was about fifth on the list.”
I played with his hair, wishing we didn’t have to get up. “What was between them?”
Trent pulled me close, his fingers drifting low down my back to send a tremble-worthy sensation spilling through me. “You,” he said. “Both third and fourth.”
His head tilted, and he found my lips. Desire rose from nowhere, and my mouth moved against his, my legs twining tighter.
“Maybe fifth, too,” he added as our lips parted, and I tucked my head under his chin.
“You want to try merging our circles?” I said, reluctant to move. My fingers brushed over his smooth skin, and I smiled as I pulled goose bumps into existence. It had been forever since I’d felt this complete. Maybe this was what it would be like if I never went back to my boat.
“Yes, and yes, it would,” Trent whispered, and I leaned back to look at him.
“How do you do that?” I said, a feeling of contentment rising at the love in his eyes.
“I told you before.” His voice rumbled through me. “Every thought crosses your face.”
“Mmmm. What am I thinking now?” I said as I played with his ears, and he smiled wickedly.
“Something that doesn’t involve circles.”
But Zack’s voice from the other room was getting louder, and the coming pressures of the day slowly pushed out the feeling that we could just lie here together and let everything pass. I reluctantly sat up against the headboard. “Should we scribe one, or make it free-floating?”
“Free-floating,” Trent said with a yawn. “That’s what you said they caught it in.”
I loved how he looked there among the pillows, still soft with sleep as he sat up and tucked an arm behind me to tug me closer.
My internal energy balance made a little jump as he tapped a line. But that wasn’t unexpected, seeing as most of our length was touching. I did the same . . . and then my eyes went to his at the unusual linked sensation. Frowning, Trent sat up even more.
“Curious,” he said, clearly feeling it as well. “The ley line tastes different.”
I took his hand and the feeling strengthened. “It’s darker, like moss on a moonlit night.”
He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I was going to say it was electric and dusty, like a demon.” He turned my hand over in his and traced a pattern on my palm to make me shiver. “You want to make a