he had to come over here since the lesson was over, but his approach didn’t panic her. He walked over and stood beside Linc and looked at her for a moment. It wasn’t the predatory appraisal of earlier. This was softer. It almost seemed as if he was trying to discover what she was thinking and feeling just by watching her.
“The lesson tonight has relieved a few of my worries, and in spite of the fact that I really didn’t want to do it, I needed this.” She looked from one to the other expecting one of them to say good night or goodbye.
“That’s good. You’ve been worrying too much.” Colm brushed his fingers along her jaw. “I’d kiss you, but it would probably send you running. I will do it soon, though. I want you to think about that and try to see past whatever fears are holding you back from what you want, because we know what we want.”
Cami stared at him wide-eyed. Her skin seemed hypersensitive. That simple touch radiated over her body. Such a light touch shouldn’t have that effect. She licked her lips, unsure of what to say or how to respond. The man was too confident and she felt lost.
“Good night, Cami. We’ll see you in the morning.” Linc’s fingers touched her hand again and then he turned and went to the door.
Colm’s eyes ran over her face for a long moment before he followed. She trailed after him and locked the door. She needed to rest, but with everything they’d said tonight, she was fairly sure she wouldn’t get much sleep.
Chapter Seven
Cami looked around the square outside of the gatehouse on Katori, the homeworld of Tobai Thent. The village here was bigger than she’d actually expected. It was all more than she’d imagined. Santir warriors guarded the gatehouse. Cream-colored buildings trimmed with dark-brown wood surrounded the cobbled area. As far as she could tell, the cobbled streets continued throughout the town.
A stall selling fruits offered their wares beside another stand selling bread. The heady scent of the fresh bread combined with the luscious sweet smell of fruit made her hungry even though she’d recently eaten. She knew from a few comments that this wasn’t the main market. The booths here offered the wares of a few enterprising people in an effort to take advantage of the hunger of those who came to the gatehouse, but didn’t wander far from it.
The young, brown-haired woman behind the fruit stall smiled suddenly and ran out from behind it. She sprinted across the square and dashed through the group of Santir. Cami turned in time to see her jump into the arms of one of Linc and Colm’s men. She thought his name was Anton, but she wasn’t sure.
The woman kissed him soundly and her arms tightened in a fierce hug. One of his large arms banded around her waist, holding her to him, and his free hand cupped the back of her head. Cami looked away, feeling as if she was intruding.
She moved to the side and stayed out of the way as the men led the mican and michkal from the travel-gate house. She was relieved to have some time relatively alone, although she knew there were those who kept a discreet eye on her.
Her prediction last night had proved true. She hadn’t gotten much sleep.
The feeling of being hunted and trapped had kept her on edge. She didn’t have a plan to deal with their pursuit. Until Laed and Kynar had been stopped, she couldn’t leave, although she wanted to run. Cami saw the young woman return to her stall, holding hands with the warrior. She smiled at the gesture. From the way the warrior looked down at her, Cami knew the woman was more than just a willing bed partner.
Cami would like to wander around the village a little and explore. She was restless and would have liked to stretch her legs after riding to the gate, but Colm and Linc had told her to stay in the square. She wasn’t happy about it, but it wasn’t something she was going to defy them over. Especially not since she was still a little unsure of them. That made her feel a little bit cowardly.
The thought shot through her. She straightened. She wasn’t a coward. She’d been hurt, but that shouldn’t take away who she was. They weren’t her Ardin. She was here by her own choice. If she wanted to explore, then she’d