The War Priest (Ars Numina #5) - Ann Aguirre Page 0,10

he silenced the treacherous voice that whispered how sweet it was to be seen, after all these years.

“That’s the end of the tour. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying until…” Well, there was no telling how long she’d be stranded here, and that boded ill for his peace of mind.

Damn Garven anyway. Callum had half a mind to knock him through a wall, but he was trying to live down a bad reputation and he’d done a fair job of it since joining the order. People clearly had long memories, though.

Joss bit her lip, drawing his reluctant gaze to her mouth. Surely such tiny temptations were intentional, but damned if he would let her make a game of him. Resolutely, he looked away from her lips and locked his eyes on hers.

“I appreciate it. You mentioned the shops… will I be able to use my Ash Valley accounts here?”

“Normally, yes, but we’ve suspended all network transactions due to wartime exigency. There have been numerous Gol attempts at wireless incursion,” he explained. “And if they get inside our firewall, they’ll take down the grid.”

“Sorry if I ought to know already, but what exactly is your defensive grid?”

“Mines and lasers mainly.” It was a bit more complex but he saw no reason to get more specific when she was visibly shivering.

He almost gave her his coat. His hands were on the buttons when he rejected that idea with a fierce, bewildered shake of his head. She can warm up inside. She doesn’t need to wear your clothes. More to the point, it would be disastrous if he saw her in them; that would create all sorts of mental images that he didn’t need.

“Come inside. If you have more questions, ask them later.”

Callum hurried inside and up one flight of stairs. He was used to the dim light, but it was quite different from Ash Valley, more cavelike, and he supposed that was appropriate. While Burnt Amber bears didn’t hibernate like their wild counterparts, they could tolerate the cold better than the cats. It took all his self-control not to warm Joss up, to pull her against him and offer the one thing he had in abundance—blazing body heat. Instead, he opened the door and gestured.

She stepped past him into the cozy room with worn furniture. It had been cleaned since the tragedy at Ash Valley. All the soldier’s personal belongings had been cleared away, leaving it ready for the next occupant. Callum tried to imagine how it struck her, but he had no idea. When she turned, she was smiling.

“Thank you. I’ll be comfortable here. My main issue is, I don’t have anything else to wear, and with no way to access my own accounts—.”

“While you’re here, you’re under my protection,” he cut in. “And I’ll take care of all your needs.”

When her eyes widened, Callum realized how that sounded.

3.

Joss refrained from teasing Callum because she knew damn well that he didn’t mean to be suggestive. She stayed quiet while he fumbled to amend his initial statement, bright color blazing on the part of his cheeks visible above his beard.

“That is, you can put anything you need on my account.”

“I appreciate that,” she said gently. “We’ll talk about reimbursement later.”

“The only thing left is to explain our meal customs, I suppose. There are family units with a kitchen, but I didn’t think you’d want to eat in isolation. Most single people prefer the cafeteria, but there’s a restaurant you can patronize as well. It’s a bit more expensive.”

“That would require more resources than I have at present.”

“I’m sure Nayan will throw in a meal as part of your compensation. At any rate, I’ll leave such negotiations up to you. I’ll add you to my account at the cafeteria as well, so you can eat whenever you like.”

“Any set hours for meals?” she asked.

The way Callum hovered at the door, it seemed as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough. She wanted to invite him to sit down because he looked frayed to the point of exhaustion, but he’d resisted all overtures toward friendship so far. He’d probably take simple kindness as some intricate plot aimed at allurement, as he seemed to view her as some inveterate seductress.

“Generally, breakfast is from six to ten in the morning, though if you come later, I’m sure they’ll still fix you a plate. Lunch is served from noon to three. Then dinner runs from five to eight. There’s always a selection of snacks