feather-soft kiss on his chest.
A pressure built inside him, squeezing at his heart.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
He met her gaze. “You’re welcome.”
She turned and started toward the door.
“Where are you going…Skye?”
“To the woods.” She glanced back at him with pensive eyes. “I need the woods.” A sanctuary and the protection he couldn’t provide.
As she disappeared around the corner, he stared at the empty doorway for a long, long time. A hundred dire problems pressed on his mind, yet all he could think about was her. Skye.
Without a doubt he’d been enchanted. The question was, by magic?
Or by the woman herself?
Hours later, Skye finally left the forest to return to the caverns, another doe by her side and a plump woodchuck in her arms. Though it was a day away from another midnight, she felt the need for their company. As she descended the cavern stairs, a pair of crows circled her head. Two more squirrels scampered around her feet.
She set the woodchuck down and slipped into the kitchen to fetch her Feral some food. She knew he had to be hungry though he hadn’t asked for anything. Besides, she felt this soft need to bring him something. A gift in return for his kindness.Not the gift he wanted, of course. She couldn’t free him. But food she could manage.
She wrapped several thick strips of roast venison in two pieces of cheesecloth and slipped one wrapped package into each of the deep pockets in the seams of her dress.
With the woodchuck once more in her arms, she led her little troupe down the stone stairs that ran throughout the cavern. Spying Birik deep in discussion with two of the sorcerers and the Feral, Vhyper, her heart lurched. The doe, feeling her distress, pressed her head against her hip.
As always, she tried to pass without drawing his attention, but Birik’s hand snagged her arm roughly, dislodging the woodchuck. The creature fell to the rock at her feet with a squeal and waddled behind her as Birik’s flat eyes pinned her fast.
“It worked,” he said coldly.
Skye nodded, holding the man’s gaze for only a moment, before looking away. She fought not to tremble.
Vhyper laughed darkly. “I told you it would. Paenther’s too much of a knight not to come to the aid of a damsel in distress.” His gaze flicked to her hip. “I smell food. Taking him lunch? A treat for a performance well done?”
“Yes.” She glanced at him briefly, seeing the same coldness in his eyes she saw in everyone’s these days. Everyone except Paenther’s. She liked that she knew his name, now. In Paenther’s eyes she only ever saw heat. The heat of fury. Or passion.
Vhyper nodded, that cold humor lifting his mouth. He was a big man, taller than Birik by a good six inches. “You’ll have him eating out of your hand.” He turned that gaze back on Birik. “As I knew she would.”
Birik pulled her closer, his hand tightening painfully around her upper arm. “It wasn’t enough, enchantress.”
She started, her gaze jerking up to his as understanding rushed over her. The power she’d raised with the Feral…wasn’t enough? The orbs had been spitting with more power than she’d ever seen. How could it not be enough?
“I’ll try again.” Instead of dismaying her, the thought released a rush of heat low in her body.
“No. Leave him alone. I have something else in mind.” He released her with a flick of his hand. “Go. Feed your pet. Then return to me.”
Skye blinked, bewildered and not a little worried.
As Birik turned his back on her, she hurried away, her pulse too fast. He was planning something. What?
Her heart sank to her toes. Surely he wouldn’t kill him. Surely not that. But she knew all too well Birik was more than capable of such savageness.
Her Feral couldn’t die.
Yes, he was a rare and beautiful creature. And, no, she never wanted any of her creatures to die, but this was different.
He was different. Strong, powerful. A knight, Vhyper called
A pressure built inside him, squeezing at his heart.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
He met her gaze. “You’re welcome.”
She turned and started toward the door.
“Where are you going…Skye?”
“To the woods.” She glanced back at him with pensive eyes. “I need the woods.” A sanctuary and the protection he couldn’t provide.
As she disappeared around the corner, he stared at the empty doorway for a long, long time. A hundred dire problems pressed on his mind, yet all he could think about was her. Skye.
Without a doubt he’d been enchanted. The question was, by magic?
Or by the woman herself?
Hours later, Skye finally left the forest to return to the caverns, another doe by her side and a plump woodchuck in her arms. Though it was a day away from another midnight, she felt the need for their company. As she descended the cavern stairs, a pair of crows circled her head. Two more squirrels scampered around her feet.
She set the woodchuck down and slipped into the kitchen to fetch her Feral some food. She knew he had to be hungry though he hadn’t asked for anything. Besides, she felt this soft need to bring him something. A gift in return for his kindness.Not the gift he wanted, of course. She couldn’t free him. But food she could manage.
She wrapped several thick strips of roast venison in two pieces of cheesecloth and slipped one wrapped package into each of the deep pockets in the seams of her dress.
With the woodchuck once more in her arms, she led her little troupe down the stone stairs that ran throughout the cavern. Spying Birik deep in discussion with two of the sorcerers and the Feral, Vhyper, her heart lurched. The doe, feeling her distress, pressed her head against her hip.
As always, she tried to pass without drawing his attention, but Birik’s hand snagged her arm roughly, dislodging the woodchuck. The creature fell to the rock at her feet with a squeal and waddled behind her as Birik’s flat eyes pinned her fast.
“It worked,” he said coldly.
Skye nodded, holding the man’s gaze for only a moment, before looking away. She fought not to tremble.
Vhyper laughed darkly. “I told you it would. Paenther’s too much of a knight not to come to the aid of a damsel in distress.” His gaze flicked to her hip. “I smell food. Taking him lunch? A treat for a performance well done?”
“Yes.” She glanced at him briefly, seeing the same coldness in his eyes she saw in everyone’s these days. Everyone except Paenther’s. She liked that she knew his name, now. In Paenther’s eyes she only ever saw heat. The heat of fury. Or passion.
Vhyper nodded, that cold humor lifting his mouth. He was a big man, taller than Birik by a good six inches. “You’ll have him eating out of your hand.” He turned that gaze back on Birik. “As I knew she would.”
Birik pulled her closer, his hand tightening painfully around her upper arm. “It wasn’t enough, enchantress.”
She started, her gaze jerking up to his as understanding rushed over her. The power she’d raised with the Feral…wasn’t enough? The orbs had been spitting with more power than she’d ever seen. How could it not be enough?
“I’ll try again.” Instead of dismaying her, the thought released a rush of heat low in her body.
“No. Leave him alone. I have something else in mind.” He released her with a flick of his hand. “Go. Feed your pet. Then return to me.”
Skye blinked, bewildered and not a little worried.
As Birik turned his back on her, she hurried away, her pulse too fast. He was planning something. What?
Her heart sank to her toes. Surely he wouldn’t kill him. Surely not that. But she knew all too well Birik was more than capable of such savageness.
Her Feral couldn’t die.
Yes, he was a rare and beautiful creature. And, no, she never wanted any of her creatures to die, but this was different.
He was different. Strong, powerful. A knight, Vhyper called
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