for while, as though trying to see something that’s not there. “I’m sure,” he says eventually. “There’s nothing.”
“Maybe it was just some labyrinth trick,” I suggest.
“Maybe,” he says, but there’s doubt in his voice.
I take both his hands in mine, lacing my fingers between his. “So,” I say. “You’re a halfling.” And it’s possible your mother has a major grudge against my deceased parents.
“Uh, yeah. I guess I am.” He pulls his hands free of mine and climbs off the bed. “So this is your home, huh?” Okay. Clearly he’s not ready to talk about the halfling thing yet. Well, I can wait.
“Yeah,” I say, twisting my hands together as I watch him examine my room. For some reason, it makes me feel as vulnerable as though I’m standing naked in front of him.
He turns in a slow circle. “It’s round.”
I arch an eyebrow. “I see your observational skills are still intact.”
“Why is there a mirror lying flat on your desk?” he asks. “Do you do some kind of magic on it?”
“Yes, actually. I use it to talk to other people. I see them in my mirror, and they see me in theirs.”
He looks at me. “Like the faerie version of Skype?”
“Um . . . sure.” It’s possible I’ve heard the word before, but I have no idea what it is.
He picks up two objects, each roughly the size and shape of a silver coin. I open my mouth to explain what they are, but he says, “Wait, let me guess. These . . . magically expand into dumbbells?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Way off. They’re sound drops. You stick one on each temple, send a little magic into them, and they play music in your ears.”
“No way.”
“Yes way,” I assure him. “I like to train to music. It blocks out all the gossip going on around me.”
Nate leaves the sound drops on my desk. He wanders past the shelf of old poetry books that belonged to my mother and crosses to the other side of my bedroom. I jump off the bed and join him at the doorway to the bathing room. He peers in at what looks like a slice of nature. Grass grows naturally, and a pool fills the centre of the room. Scattered amongst the blades of grass are hundreds of tiny blue and yellow flowers. Trees with tangled branches conceal the walls, and water tumbles down a pile of rocks and into the other side of the pool.
“You are kidding me,” says Nate. “You have a pool in your bathroom?”
“The bath idea never really took off,” I say. “Self-cleaning pools have been in for centuries. And the mini-waterfall provides an excellent shower.” Nate simply stares, his mouth hanging open. “If you’d like to,” I add, “you can use it sometime.”
He closes his mouth and looks at me. Several heartbeats of silence pass between us before he says, “So you’ve decided not to leave me then?”
I look down at the bare skin revealed by the hole in his T-shirt. “I have no reason to anymore,” I say quietly. “You’re a halfling, Nate, not a human, which means I’m not breaking any Law by being with you.” He stiffens at the word halfling. I touch his arm. “I know it’s a lot to take in, everything that’s happened tonight, but I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk about it. I’m not going anywhere.”
I look up and find him staring at me. His gaze makes me feel hot all over. I lift my hand and run my finger over the almost invisible scar on his chest. He shivers at my touch. Gently, he reaches out and cups my face in his hand, brushing his thumb over my cheekbone. I lean forward to meet his kiss. My hands slide down over his jacket and slip beneath the hem of his T-shirt. His skin is warm, smooth. I skim my fingers across his back, feeling the ridges of his spine and—a raised pattern of hot skin?
I open my eyes and step back. “Nate,” I say. “Your back.”
“What?” He’s as breathless as I am. I turn him around and lift the bottom of his T-shirt. My next breath catches in my throat, and I clamp a hand
“Maybe it was just some labyrinth trick,” I suggest.
“Maybe,” he says, but there’s doubt in his voice.
I take both his hands in mine, lacing my fingers between his. “So,” I say. “You’re a halfling.” And it’s possible your mother has a major grudge against my deceased parents.
“Uh, yeah. I guess I am.” He pulls his hands free of mine and climbs off the bed. “So this is your home, huh?” Okay. Clearly he’s not ready to talk about the halfling thing yet. Well, I can wait.
“Yeah,” I say, twisting my hands together as I watch him examine my room. For some reason, it makes me feel as vulnerable as though I’m standing naked in front of him.
He turns in a slow circle. “It’s round.”
I arch an eyebrow. “I see your observational skills are still intact.”
“Why is there a mirror lying flat on your desk?” he asks. “Do you do some kind of magic on it?”
“Yes, actually. I use it to talk to other people. I see them in my mirror, and they see me in theirs.”
He looks at me. “Like the faerie version of Skype?”
“Um . . . sure.” It’s possible I’ve heard the word before, but I have no idea what it is.
He picks up two objects, each roughly the size and shape of a silver coin. I open my mouth to explain what they are, but he says, “Wait, let me guess. These . . . magically expand into dumbbells?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Way off. They’re sound drops. You stick one on each temple, send a little magic into them, and they play music in your ears.”
“No way.”
“Yes way,” I assure him. “I like to train to music. It blocks out all the gossip going on around me.”
Nate leaves the sound drops on my desk. He wanders past the shelf of old poetry books that belonged to my mother and crosses to the other side of my bedroom. I jump off the bed and join him at the doorway to the bathing room. He peers in at what looks like a slice of nature. Grass grows naturally, and a pool fills the centre of the room. Scattered amongst the blades of grass are hundreds of tiny blue and yellow flowers. Trees with tangled branches conceal the walls, and water tumbles down a pile of rocks and into the other side of the pool.
“You are kidding me,” says Nate. “You have a pool in your bathroom?”
“The bath idea never really took off,” I say. “Self-cleaning pools have been in for centuries. And the mini-waterfall provides an excellent shower.” Nate simply stares, his mouth hanging open. “If you’d like to,” I add, “you can use it sometime.”
He closes his mouth and looks at me. Several heartbeats of silence pass between us before he says, “So you’ve decided not to leave me then?”
I look down at the bare skin revealed by the hole in his T-shirt. “I have no reason to anymore,” I say quietly. “You’re a halfling, Nate, not a human, which means I’m not breaking any Law by being with you.” He stiffens at the word halfling. I touch his arm. “I know it’s a lot to take in, everything that’s happened tonight, but I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk about it. I’m not going anywhere.”
I look up and find him staring at me. His gaze makes me feel hot all over. I lift my hand and run my finger over the almost invisible scar on his chest. He shivers at my touch. Gently, he reaches out and cups my face in his hand, brushing his thumb over my cheekbone. I lean forward to meet his kiss. My hands slide down over his jacket and slip beneath the hem of his T-shirt. His skin is warm, smooth. I skim my fingers across his back, feeling the ridges of his spine and—a raised pattern of hot skin?
I open my eyes and step back. “Nate,” I say. “Your back.”
“What?” He’s as breathless as I am. I turn him around and lift the bottom of his T-shirt. My next breath catches in my throat, and I clamp a hand
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