stop there and at the castle of the Heath on our way back.”
“Very well.” Dearley went to the door while Ransom scratched his head and tried to shake off the torpor. He saw the hole in his pants from the dagger wound, but there was not even a scar on his skin. The pain of his injuries was gone, except for the strange ache in his mind.
He rose from the bed and walked without a limp as Alix brought in the tray. She set it on the floor as she had done the previous evening. Her smile was bright, but she studied him carefully, as if still concerned about his condition. Dearley hid a smile before leaving.
“You look healthy. I don’t see any bruises.”
“There are none,” he answered. The tray featured a variety of dishes, from cooked eggs with flecks of green spinach to sliced fruit and an array of cooked fish.
“This is river trout,” she said, pointing to one of the plates. “This other one is a deep sea fish called tuna. They’re quite large and have to be speared. A wagon came with them during the night. Our food supplies have been restored thanks to our hardworking fishermen.”
Ransom tried all the dishes and found them cooked to perfection. The tuna had an interesting taste, the flesh harder than that of other fish. Most of all, he enjoyed being in Alix’s company. He felt at peace with her, and he listened with interest as she described the life of the fisherfolk in Bayree.
When the meal was done, she gave him an intent look.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I don’t want to say it,” she said. “I don’t want to break the spell.”
He gazed at her in confusion. “What spell? Are you a Wizr?”
She smiled at the statement and shook her head no. “There are none. Not since Myrddin vanished. Do you believe in the old legends, Ransom?”
He looked toward the window, considering her question. “The ones about King Andrew and Leoneyis, the kingdom that was drowned in the sea?”
“Yes. That’s what I meant.”
He looked back at her. “Do you?”
Her eyes showed her sincerity, but she only held his gaze for a few moments before looking down at the tray and the remaining scraps of food. “They aren’t just stories, Ransom. They’re real. I know they are.”
“How do you know for certain?”
“I can’t tell you. Nor can I show you. Not until you become the lord of this castle.” Her eyes met his again, her look pleading. “I cannot speak freely until the curse is broken. There is so much I want to tell you.” She looked away again. “I’m sorry. I’d nearly given up hope that I’d find a partner who could understand me. Someone I could be my true self with.”
He gazed at her and nodded, feeling a deep sense of connection. He did understand her, in a deep way he suspected only another Fountain-blessed person could. “I must go today.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I knew you might need to leave. I shouldn’t try to hold you here.”
“I want to stay,” he said seriously. It had crept up on him, the desire to stay, but there was no denying it was strong.
Her smile was full of hope. “Do you? Since you came, I’ve had dreams about us every night. Isn’t that strange?”
He felt his eyes widen in surprise. “So have I.”
“Truly?” she asked with a smile of pleasure.
“I have. I think it’s the Fountain’s way of telling us we are supposed to be together.”
“I feel the same way,” she said with conviction. “I didn’t want to frighten you.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” he said.
She reached over and pushed the tray aside. “I think you are,” she said, giving him a welcoming smile. An invitation.
Ransom had never kissed a woman before. He’d never practiced on the lasses at Averanche like Sir James had. He felt wholly ignorant and shy but knew what he wanted to do, even as he knew what it would mean. If he kissed her, it was akin to deciding this was the life he wanted, that he was leaving his old ambition, his old love, behind. Edging closer, he felt the heat coming from her. She swallowed, and he saw the motion in her throat. He was the world’s biggest fool, but the feeling swelling inside of him couldn’t be denied. So he leaned forward and kissed her mouth. It was a gentle kiss, not like the one in his dream.
She tasted of the honeyed melon that