Page 29

“Why is that?” Kai asks, his normally blazing red eyes a soft garnet as he watches me, so engrossed in our conversation.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t glamour myself around humans. I can only hold one for a short period of time, which made it difficult to go to school when I was younger because I couldn’t conceal my ears or my markings. I guess I’m just lucky that my features present as more human and people just assume my markings are tattoos.”

Kai watches me, and I can feel his tail lazily twitching against my bare leg under the table.

“So, your parents were your teachers?”

“And Sage and Tobias. Tobias is really,reallyold so he knows a lot of stuff. He was my history and language teacher.”

“You speak other languages?”

I blush at his continued interest in me and am given a moment of reprieve as Becca returns with our tea and lemons. Kai removes his arm from the back of the booth to squeeze the lemon and stir in sugar.

“So, you were about to tell me how many languages you speak,” he probes, once he gets his tea just the way he likes it.

“You are relentless, aren’t you?”

He shrugs and smirks, sipping his tea through the straw, but never shifts his gaze away from me. I sigh and give in to telling him more about myself, the little there is to know. But only after taking a long slow drink of my own tea.

“I am fluent in Italian. Tobias wanted me to speak the language of love. He also taught me Latin and Greek, but I forgot those almost as immediately as he taught them to me. And I also know a little Norwegian. Tobias spent a lot of time there and said I should know a language that isn’t as common. Not that I’ve ever had a reason to use them, other than to converse with Tobias.”

“So, you’ve never travelled outside of Snowberry?”

“Never.”

“Why not?”

At risk of sounding like a broken record and repeating myself and the reasons I was homeschooled, since they’re the same main reasons I don’t travel, I take the easy way out.

“Just haven’t. Don’t really feel the need to.”

“Not even to put that love language to use?” Kai’s voice is filled with mirth and teasing, as is his expression.

“Not yet.”

“I love traveling, I've been to Italy many times. Would you be interested in traveling to Italy someday? Maybe I can be your guide.”

“I haven’t really thought about it but, yeah, I think if given the opportunity I’d like to visit other places. But it’s not high on my to do list. I like staying home, seeing to my gardens and flowers.”

“We’re opposite in that way. I like to always be on the move, travelling. I rarely stay in the same place for more than a few months. I think I’ve lived in almost every country at least once.”

“Why is that?”

Kai falters at my question. I don’t think anyone has ever asked him that before. I don’t think he’s ever considered why himself. His eyes fall to the glass of tea in his hand on the table as he considers his answer.

“I think at first it was to escape my parents, and the restrictions of my family. But after a few years, they didn’t care anymore where I was or what I was doing. Yet I continued to move around. My family isn’t known for being overly affectionate and emotional and I think every time I got too close and comfortable in one place with anyone, it scared me. I don’t know how to handle serious emotions. If you haven’t noticed yet, I use humor and flirting to lighten situations and avoid serious conversations.”

He chuckles and shakes his head, his fire red hair brushing against his cheeks and curling around his charcoal horns. His appearance is all fire and heat with sharp features and strong lines, but inside, he’s just as fragile as I am.

“I avoid conversations altogether,” I admit, which has Kai turning to look at me, the edges of his eyes softening. “I don’t even try to talk to people. Instead, I hide out in my greenhouse and behind my flowers, so I don’t have the opportunity to get involved with anyone.”

“You talked to me.”

The smile that stretches across Kai’s face is beautiful in its authenticity. It’s not flirty or seductive, it’s real and boyish, giving me a glimpse of the unguarded male underneath all the posturing and flirting.

“Well, that’s only because you befriended Delphi. If she hadn’t liked you, I would have strangled you with vines.”

My attempt at humor actually works, his posture and demeanor eases and I feel his smile settle into my soul when he looks at me.