She gave him a look that said You have no idea.
That sylph was the one who watched her bathe? A discussion for a later time, Trehan. "Come, Bett, you look like you're almost finished." He traced beside her, examining the piece. "Not a single rivet?"
With an aggrieved air, she said, "I'm not a cobbler, Daciano."
"No, you're not." His lips curled. "No vampire has a more talented Bride than I."
She reached up to straighten her mask, only to realize she wasn't wearing one. "What about your tour?"
"This workshop is the one place in Rune I longed to see. It's impressive. Tell me what I'm looking at."
In a begrudging tone, she said, "That bench is for fabrication, this bench is for assembly. Over there"-she pointed out a third one, topped with a wooden set of antique pocket drawers-"I do detail work: engraving, etching, poison loading."
He reached for one of the drawers. "Your poison collection?"
She shrugged. "I wouldn't touch that without a glove."
"Ah," he said, dropping his hand. "You must be at the detail stage."
"My patroness likes elaborate flourishes. After you leave, I'll etch designs along the top rings."
"I know you want to finish the piece now."
She nibbled her bottom lip. "You could come back in an hour."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Not a chance."
She gazed from him to her project. "There are a lot of things unsaid between us. I have . . . questions."
"I'll answer anything you ask me. But indulge me with this."
Another sideways glance at the weapon.
"So close to completion," he said in a coaxing tone. "It will be all you think of tonight. I'll bet this final etching is your favorite part of the process."
She glanced up in surprise. "Fine. If you'd like to be bored, I'll continue."
Allowing him to see a new facet of her? This concession had to mean something. Maybe she was accepting him more.
She moved the weapon to the third bench, fastening it in a cushioned vise, then opened a small chest.
"Those are?"
"Precision hand tools." The files and chisels were works of art in themselves, each with a polished ivory handle. She confidently plucked out the smallest chisel, one with a tip not much larger than a pen point.
"Do you know what you'll engrave?"
"Scenes from her home realm," she answered absently, clearly ready to get to her task. "Um, you're blocking my light."
"Just so." He traced back, leaning against the nearest wall.
Chapter 34
With one hand, she began wielding the chisel, sure cuts across shining gold. With the other, she smoothed away slivers, brushing her thumb over each groove.
She had total focus on her work-he doubted she registered his presence any longer. When she pulled her glossy hair over her shoulder, narrowing her sparkling gaze, he wasn't even surprised that his heart beat wildly.
Her movements grew faster and faster. Before his eyes, patterns began to emerge over the rings, scenes in relief. On one, she etched a dragon; on another, what looked like a well. She depicted a castle on the third. Before she started the last one, she closed her eyes and ran her fingertips over each image.