want to give you,” I said. He studied my face for what felt like hours before relenting, dropping his hand to his side and taking a careful step in my direction. Sinking to the ground, I positioned my butt on the soles of my feet, laying my hands palm up against my thighs. “Get behind me.”
Low and dark, a chuckle escaped from the back of his throat. “I think I’ve been waiting all my life for you to say that to me, Leena.”
A blush ravaged my neck. He crouched behind me, the heady scent of cinnamon thick in the air, and his breath tickled a loose strand of hair on my cheek. Shadows pulled from the earth, flooding the space behind me and hiding him in their void. His scent disappeared with the breeze, and I was left alone.
“Here we go.” Lips pressed into a thin line, I willed my power to the surface. Glowing bright to compete with the moon, my skin radiated warmth. An hour ticked by to the steady hum and vibration of energy within me. I could lure the night away on a full tank, but if dawn claimed the sky before the Effreft appeared, it wouldn’t matter.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
A mint-green streak of color dropped from the sky, barreling toward the cornucopia and landing with grace atop the pile of food. Its falcon-like head cocked to the side. Curious eyes rounded on me, pale pink and so endlessly intelligent. The Effreft snapped its beak, and a soft inquisitive chirp filled the air.
She was perfect. I intensified the glow within me, and the pointed ears atop her head twitched. Carefully, she stepped forward. She was built like a small dog with a long and thin feathered tail, and the powerful muscles in her legs contracted as she walked. Talons skewered a piece of meat, and she paused to gobble the morsel.
Wynn had an Effreft.
My mind recoiled at the thought of him. With my body shuddering, the glow radiating from my being dimmed before recovering to full blast. The Effreft stilled, foot frozen in midair.
“Effrefts are flighty creatures. You must be stable.” Wynn had bent low behind me, lips grazing the side of my neck as he placed both hands on my hips. His Effreft had sat before us, light eyes trained on her master.
Before the gods cursed my happiness to hell.
Gooseflesh covered my body, and I speared my bottom lip with my teeth to pull my mind back to the present. Blood pooled in my mouth. It’d been so long since I’d allowed myself to think of those warmer moments with Wynn. I’d buried his existence so far beneath the surface, and yet my conversation with Noc had all my walls crumbling. His strength, his cunning, his quiet prodding that was somehow both infuriating and welcoming…
The Effreft stretched her wings to the sky, testing the wind. My eyes snapped to hers.
No. I needed to tame her. I needed to end this deal and get out. Steadying myself, I bent farther into my crouch, submitting to the creature fully.
She folded her wings and took a step forward, beak inches from my forehead. Light flowed from my being, temporarily blinding her and showering her body in unending waves of warmth. She knelt to the ground and pressed her head firmly against the earth. When she looked up, the first person she met would be her master.
“Now, Calem!”
Shadows shot outward, fleeing from his body and escaping into the night, and he elbowed me to the side. My face smacked into the dirt, and I pulled my knees to my chest, giving him as much room as possible. Before she could raise her head, he reached out and placed a gentle hand along the down-soft feathers of her neck.
She cooed, raising her eyes to him, and the bond was sealed. Awestruck, Calem stared at his beast. Eyes wide. Lips parted, but slightly curled in the beginnings of a smile. His muted-red stare flared bright like a ruby. The Effreft cooed, and she knocked her beak against his nose. Already totally devoted to her master.
I couldn’t help but grin. “Thank the gods.” I rolled to my back, eyeing the heavens. Adrenaline left me in a rush, and a cool shiver danced over me. “She’s all yours.”
Calem moved his fingers down her back, easing the tension between her wings. “I think I’ll call you Effie.” Effie clucked, rubbing her head along his shins.