Page 21 of Finding Her (Lore of the Fields #1)

“Let me check outside first.” I stood at the door with my head ducked and my hand on the smoothly engraved knob.

“I thought you said it was safe,” Faeryn teased, with the slightest hint of apprehension caught in her throat.

I was certain she would enjoy what was ahead of us, but felt myself swallowing a lump of guilt.

In all my eagerness, I hadn’t given her much of a choice coming here, nor did I tell her anything about what to expect.

I’d bet all my coins that the inhabitants of this island wouldn’t be a deal breaker for her, but I couldn’t bring myself to take that risk. There wasn’t any room for objection.

This trip would establish trust. I would show her a better side of myself than what she would inevitably witness on the mainland.

Pursuing Faeryn’s affections was off the table, but I needed to maintain a healthy dynamic between us.

To keep her safe, she needed to trust me.

If she knew the truth, she might run. Seeing me as the bad guy would be detrimental to her safety.

I fought the urge to spill my guts throughout the carriage ride.

She may hate me, but at least it would offer my conscience some relief to kneel at her altar and pray for forgiveness.

But I didn’t deserve the mercy of confession.

Being in my own personal heaven with her felt like an undeserved blessing and only compounded my shame.

But Mykie was right, I needed this if I was going to succeed in caring for Faeryn.

Being in Eitrea would buy me a few desperately needed days to think through my next steps.

Everything happened so quickly. I barely had time to process, much less plan effectively.

I was so sleep deprived from forcing myself to stay awake and aware every night, I wasn’t making any progress in figuring out where to go from here.

My ideas were becoming more delusional by the day.

A little rest in a safe, faraway location was critical.

I couldn’t think of a better place to do so.

Swinging the sealed door open, I stepped out into the familiar fresh air.

The anxiety clenching my gut subsided, replaced by nostalgia and hope.

This would be special for Faeryn. I turned to look over my shoulder, smiling.

She got the message and rose to her feet, her emerald eyes trying to peek past me to see where I had taken us.

I stepped out of the way, into the soft, rosy sand below, so that she could follow.

Her mouth gaped as she took in the view from the threshold of the carriage.

Trees speckled with pinks and greens bordered the beach, forming a sparsely wooded perimeter to the enchanting forest. Kelly green leaves tipped the branches, accompanied by creamy fuchsia flowers.

I wondered if she recognized the blooms from the rug in my carriage, as they had been the primary motivation in selecting it.

Strong vines ascended the expansive trunks, with white and green speckled moss adorning the base and surrounding roots.

On the ground in between the trees, a feathery grass waved submissively as a warm breeze swept over the land.

Puffy white clouds floated in the otherwise clear sky.

It was the perfect day to introduce her to paradise.

She hopped down and turned to look where we had just risen from the sea.

Along the edge of the water were rock formations of whites and silvers, they sparkled like crystals and reflected the daytime starlight to dance across the outer trees of the woods.

The smell of a sweet salt filled my nostrils and warmed my lungs as I inhaled.

Faeryn bent over to pick up a pale purple shell and grinned. “It’s shaped like a dolphin.”

My eyes batted blankly—she was full of so many references that meant nothing to me.

She rotated the crescent shell with two curved edges branching from its center, and her mouth stretched into a pleasant smile.

Of all the majesty around us, she found the most joy in this damaged piece of rock.

Precious. When she set it back into the sand, I waited for her to turn around before I picked it up and tucked it into our bag.

Maybe one day she would want a souvenir from this visit.

“So where to?” She spun back to face me, the layers of her dress picking up the wind and flowing around her ankles.

“Take your shoes off,” I suggested, noting she hadn’t followed my lead. I wanted her to experience a deep connection with the planet, even if she didn’t yet have an appreciation for it. She handed her boots to me and I hooked them to the bag. We wouldn’t need them for most of the day.

“We couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful time to visit.” I turned my face to the sky and closed my eyes, allowing the daytime starlight to kiss my skin. “The last day of spring is always the most dazzling.”

“The last day of spring?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” I allowed myself a grin. Back in town, her questions caused me constant anxiety.

It would be so easy to ask me something I couldn’t answer.

Here, we could direct that curiosity to many innocent wonders.

“Tomorrow, when we wake, it'll be autumn here and winter back home. Everything will change in a mere moment overnight.”

Her hair danced around her eyes with another gust of salty ocean breeze. I missed the blonde, but this mousy gray suited her soft features quite well. Besides, knowing she was adorned by the ash of my flames pleased me.

“What if we stay awake and watch the seasons change?” Still digesting the scenery, she was distracted from my increasingly affectionate stare.

It was one thing to hide frustration and confusion from showing on my face, it was entirely another to hide my adoration for her. She was utterly captivating.

Stay awake together to watch the leaves fall?

Faeryn was already planning activities for us to share.

An ill-advised joy bloomed inside of me.

Thank you, Mykie, for this idea . “I’d love to, but that’s impossible.

Nobody has ever stayed awake for the change.

We all succumb to sleep whether we plan to or not. ”

Her brows furrowed in disbelief.

“Consider it magic, my dear.” It was what native Trebites did with our lack of education and answers.

Besides, I’d prefer that explanation to her labeling it as “ coma ” evidence.

Or even worse, inquiring about the science of it all.

I couldn’t suppress my disdain for the topic, especially as it was broached by her lips.

She had no clue how bad the situation was.

“Everything here is.”

I untied my Silvates to let them wander. They had been here with me many times and knew the terrain well. “Just wait until we get further from the shore. I have quite the tour to take you on.”

“Where will we be sleeping?”

“Wherever we want.” I had some suggestions, but if she were to be particularly enamored with a specific region, I wouldn’t deny her the choice. If she wanted to sleep on the rocky cliffs, I would find a way to make them comfortable for her.

“Did you bring a tent?”

“No tent needed. Trust me, you won’t want to miss a moment.”

I picked up the leather sack and slung it over each arm, adjusting to the weight. I quickly scanned the area and set our path toward the silky grass, soft enough for her uncalloused feet.

The inland air smelled of honeysuckle—I loved it.

It smelled like her. Having her in the house provided delightful hints of this island whenever she was near enough to scent.

She had been dangerously near in the carriage, her head so close to my lap that my heart raced.

I knew she wasn’t aware of her actions, and I wouldn’t twist her innocence into my own fantasies.

But then… those sweet notes of honeysuckle turned into something more .

Her delicious pheromones and breath tickling my stomach had made my cock pulse, and I’d fled.

“It smells lovely,” she remarked, picking up a flower that had just fallen from a tree branch above us. She tucked it behind her ear.

“I love the smell, too.” It smells like you.

“So where are we going, Graysen?” The shadows of the branches danced around her head, playing a game of hide and seek with her luscious fern eyes.

Their color always reminded me of the springtime here.

Between that and her scent, no wonder I’d been a slave since the moment I met her.

She was my heart’s home incarnate. I was royally fucked.

A rustle and breathy snort sounded behind us.

I came to a halt, gently grasping her tiny wrist. Time to test how adventurous her curiosity was.

I trusted that she would take this introduction in stride, as she had so many other discoveries, but I needed to keep her safe.

A healthy dose of caution would do her some good on my planet.

“Turn slowly and be brave, my dear,” I instructed calmly.

I could feel her pulse quicken under my fingers; the poor female’s nerves had been fried since I found her.

Her survival instincts constantly sounded the alarm, yet she continued exploring.

I liked to think that my presence was part of that confidence, but I was painfully aware that some of my behaviors had been…

less than comforting. It would take time to convince her of my intentions, and even then, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop a dark history from coming between us.

I would need to find contentment in whatever connection we could manage.

It was better if I didn’t think about it too much, but it was hard not to.

When she didn’t pivot on her own after a moment, my other hand pressed into her lower back and turned us both around. I was eager to introduce her to this part of the world, show her there was no reason for her to stand in fear of the unknown. I would take care of her.