I’d seen Hartly, she’d never responded to my apology. She’d only ever smiled at me, as if all were forgiven, no reparation necessary. A concept that baffled my mind. Today, she arched a brow, cast a pointed glance at Ashleigh and wiggled her brows. Then she surprised me further, hiking her thumb to the right.
I followed the direction with my gaze, curious about what I’d find—I had to do a double take. Warick. He was here. Tall, powerfully built, with horns, tusks, and a wealth of scars. He strode to Hartly’s side and slung an arm around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, radiating contentment, as if to tell me I could finally forgive myself.
I don’t know how the spirits had bound the troll’s essence to the forest, but I would be forever grateful that they had.
Hartly mouthed something that might have been, The time nears. Soon the coffin will crack, Farrah’s true love returning. Or maybe she’d said “Truly” instead of “true love.” Farrah and Truly had loved each other dearly. If Truly was returning, then the coffin would indeed crack. I would get to see my friend again.
“Why are you trusting me with all this information, Saxon?” Ashleigh asked softly.
“Many reasons.” I doubted she’d believe more than a handful of them.
“I know you consider me two different people now, and that’s wonderful, I think, maybe, but Leonora is still inside me, still listening. If she were to do something...to tell someone...”
She feared I would blame them both? “Whatever happens, we’ll handle it.” We’d have to. “You’re going to be returning to this stable often, and I don’t want you surprised by anything you find. Now you know what should be here and what shouldn’t.” I nodded a goodbye to the others, then led the princess out of the room, grabbed a blanket and the bag with our supplies, and strode outside.
As we placed the food on the blanket, the dragons flew circles in the sky above, Ophelia’s spell keeping them hidden from prying eyes, even up there. I’d paid good gold to ensure no avian could spot the area from the air.
“Among the avian, there’s a custom,” I said as I smeared strawberry jam on a piece of crusty bread. “When a couple is alone, one feeds the other by hand.”
She perked up with interest. “What does this custom signify?”
“That the two bear deep affection for one another.” I offered the bread to her, hoping she would understand. That she wanted what I wanted.
She looked at the bread, then me. The bread. Me. Understanding warred with nervousness before my cunning princess leaned over to bite into the bread while I held it.
Satisfaction rumbled inside me, a storm soon to break. She’d understood, and she’d accepted.
When Ashleigh offered me a grape in return, I accepted the fruit with my mouth. As I chewed and swallowed, she smiled down at her lap, beaming with pleasure. Pleasure I had given her with a simple act of affection.
The rumble of satisfaction I’d felt a moment ago? The one that signaled the approach of a storm? The storm hit, contentment raining through me. Winds of peace came rushing in, spinning all around me, walling me in a center of calm. This girl...
She was the rain, and she was the wind.
I basked in the moment...until the dragons landed at the edge of the blanket. Pagan dropped the rat she’d killed, and Pyre roasted it with a thin stream of fire.
I smothered a sound, half groan, half laugh.
While Pyre jumped up and down with eagerness, Pagan picked up the charred body with her teeth and offered it to Ashleigh.
“Oh, sweet goodness,” she muttered, flattening a hand on her belly. “That’s, um, such a good job, babies. Your hunting and cooking expertise is, um, commendable. But a mother never takes food from her children. She always gives. So, I gift these remains back to you. Please, my darlings, eat up.”
Pagan seemed to shrug before jerking back her head to toss the rat into the air and catching it with her mouth.
Ashleigh looked horrified as she clapped, and I fought a grin. I clasped her hands and kissed one of her palms, then the other.
Her breath caught. She peered at me, and I peered at her. Amusement was supplanted by heat. We stared at each other, breathing each other in.
A dragon bumped into her, the moment shattering.
I looked away. “Let’s get to work,” I suggested.
“Y-yes. Let’s.”
As we cleaned the stable one stall at a