Page 84 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

He glanced over, the smile turning amused. “I don’t know. I guess I’m greeting them in a way.”

“Greeting them?”

“Are they not as alive as we are in their own way?”

“They are but other—” I cut myself off, not wanting to sound insulting. I considered my words carefully. “Many don’t know or believe so.”

“I’m not like others. I think I’ve told you.” A hint of snark crept into his voice.

I rolled my eyes playfully. “Don’t they all say that when—” My hand flew to my mouth. “I didn’t mean?—”

He cut me off. “Say what you were going to say.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he brought up a finger. “No excuses. I want to know what you were going to say.”

“But the river is upon us.” The roar of the river reached my ears before she came into view. I gestured around the curve of the path.

He turned, stopping in the middle, blocking the way forward. “What were you going to say?”

Color rose in my cheeks, but I wouldn’t back down from him. “I was going to say.” I paused for dramatic effect. “Don’t they all say that when they are trying to get a female into bed?” I pressed my lips, willing my face to stay hard.

His face morphed into one of faux shock.”. “The mouth on you, Firefly.”

My jaw went slack. “You can’t call me that!”

“Why not?” He leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper. “It suits you, and you let your Gran do it.”

“Because—She’s—” I swallowed, trying to find an argument. “It’s what I was called as a child. Not quite appropriate when you say it.”

His brows rose. “Appropriate for what?” The amusement in his tone killed me.

“Between—commissioned officers of the First Kingdom,” I mustered with authority.

“Hmmm.” The rumbling sound from his chest sent a shiver down my back. He had a comeback in there someplace. It radiated off him. “I should get to the river so we don’t tire you outbefore the archives.” He continued down the path without another word.

I stood there frozen, not sure if I should continue or stay where I was. I had to warn him about the water creatures, so I hurried after him but stopped in my tracks when I came around the bend to find Jaxus already pulling his shirt over his head. He tossed it into the basket.

“Are you going to join me?”

This male.

Dear Goddess.

He’s not mine.I have to marry a healer for the good of my people.

“No, I wanted to warn you of the river creatures and—” He rolled his shoulders and I lost my train of thought as his muscles flexed. “And—” I closed my eyes, thinking of anything but the shirtless fae in front of me. “They can be quite dangerous.”

“You don’t say.” A hint of a growly laugh crept into his tone. “I’ll take them into consideration.” He hooked his thumbs in his leathers as he smiled with all his teeth, the dragon evident in his eyes. “But I’m not too worried.”

“I’ll leave you to it then. I’m going to walk up to the shallow parts of the stream to gather some plants while I’m here.” I bent to loosen the laces of my boots, warm all over, needing the cool water to ease the burn building under my skin.

“Sure you don’t want to bathe here?” he asked again, jokingly.

“I’ll go to the bathhouse before dinner.” I was out of my boots and in the cool water paces down the river as I got the words out.

A growl echoed along the bed, radiating off the trees. There wasn’t enough cool water to cool the heat that burned in my gut. How would I face him unless I calmed down?

I used my shirt as a basket and gathered plants further up the river until the sun rose high enough in the sky to warm my face.

I took my time enjoying the cool breeze, but surely Jaxus would be done by now, and I could then take these plants to Gran’s apothecary and see if she needed anything before we went to the archives. I followed the shallows of the river back to where I’d left him, finding him barely clothed.