Page 13 of Ensnaring the Dove
Silence swelled between them before she asked, “What do we do now?”
Aedan glanced her way, his eyes glinting. “Now we dry off.”
VI. I SHALL NOT FORGET IT
THE CRACKLING OF burning driftwood filled the small glade.
Moving close, Aedan fed the fire another stick or two. He’d deliberated a little before deciding it was safe to light one. Maccus and his friends wouldn’t be hunting them tonight, and thanks to the river, they were a considerable distance south now.
The outlaws wouldn’t chase them indefinitely, especially since they needed to cart away the spoils of their attack. Nonetheless, Maccuswasvengeful enough to hunt him afterward.
The reminder made Aedan’s gut tighten. He’d seen the outlaw leader’s wrath firsthand many times—including when he’d dealt with insubordination amongst his men.
It was best their paths never crossed again.
Sitting back on his haunches, he glanced over at the woman he’d saved.
Colombia had stripped off her stola and hung the garment up to dry on a nearby tree. She sat in a light-blue tunic that clung damply to her slender body. The garment reached her ankles and was girded under her breasts with a thin, jeweled belt. Her hair, which had initially been pinned up in a half-bun, had come loose and fell in messy dark-flaxen waves around her face.
Just one look at her—the woman’s pale skin, soft hands, and the expensive cloth of her dress—and it was obvious she was ofnoble blood. Of course, the carpentum she’d been traveling in also indicated her status, and she spoke a crisp, refined Latin.
The firelight bathed her like honey, emphasizing her pretty features and soft mouth.
Colombia Juventus was far from home. She didn’t belong here in these damp, wild woods of northern Britannia.
Even though it was just after the harvest, and there were still a few moons until the weather turned bitter, the evening air was cool—and this summer, like many, had been grey and damp. Aedan’s former master, Justin Aquila, had told him about Italia—of its wide blue skies, long hot summers, and rolling hills terraced in grape vines and olive groves.
Aedan wagered Colombia was new to these shores—for she’d made her innocence regarding the politics of this land painfully clear—but that hadn’t prevented the haughty tilt of her chin earlier. Her superiority galled him.
Just like the rest of the Caesars, she was entitled.
She thought she commanded the very earth she walked upon.
A low growl filled the glade. However, it wasn’t the noise of a woodland creature, but of his companion’s belly.
Aedan’s own stomach rumbled then, reminding him he’d eaten little save some hard bread and cheese at noon. His mouth lifted at the edges. “I’m hungry too,” he admitted. “I will see about catching us something to eat tomorrow.”
He’d been so intent on distancing themselves from their pursuers that there had been no time for him to fish for a trout or hunt a grouse for their supper.
They’d have to sleep with empty bellies.
Colombia nodded before picking up a leaf and smoothing it against her thigh. “I’m just grateful we got away.” She paused then, glancing up, her gaze spearing him. He was relieved to see no fear in their pewter depths, just a lingering wariness. “I don’t think I’ve thanked you yet.”
Aedan didn’t reply. She hadn’t.
She cleared her throat. “Well, I must remedy that … you were brave to take on those warriors as you did … to escort me to safety while making enemies of your own people. I shall not forget it.”
Their gazes held for a moment, a sudden tension rippling through the glade.
Eventually, Aedan looked away, focusing his attention on the dancing flames in the small fire he’d built. Aye, she was haughty, yet something about this woman threw him off-balance, and he didn’t like it. He glanced back at his companion, and when he finally answered her, his tone was terse. “No offense, Colombia, but this is no land for a sheltered, pampered woman … why did your father send for you?”
Her small, full mouth pursed, heat flaring in her eyes, before she replied, “He didn’t.”
Aedan arched his eyebrows. “You traveled here without his knowledge?”
She nodded before dropping her gaze to where she was still smoothing the leaf against her thigh. “It’s notpaterI’m journeying to see … but my betrothed.”
Betrothed?