Page 43

As they finished their tour of the castle, they exited out a different entrance than when they first arrived and walked down stone steps into a large garden. The garden was filled with herbs of every kind, some familiar and others she had never seen before.

“This is where the healers grow and harvest ingredients for their balms and tinctures,” Raine explained.

“It’s lovely.” She sighed as she ran her hand along the rosemary, releasing its sharp scent.

They walked through the gardens onto a winding path opening into a large clearing.

A waist high stone wall dotted with trees surrounded an open field where there were dozens of circular areas of dirt.

“This is where we train.” Raine gestured as they approached.

“Let’s go see if anyone is still out here making fools of themselves. ”

Smiling, Ava walked next to him as they ambled along the path on the outside of the stone wall. After a couple of minutes, they stopped before a dirt ring close to the wall where two warriors were facing off, Casimir and Jorrar.

“Be easy on the old man, Cas!” Raine jested.

Ava leaned over, resting on her elbows on the smooth stone and watched with a mix of fascination and fear. Casimir and Jorrar each had a sword and were squaring off in the center of the ring. Both men were drenched in sweat, tunics clinging to their bodies as they danced around each other.

Jorrar advanced and lunged at Casimir, swiping toward him. Casimir parried the blow and pivoted to Jorrar’s side so quickly, Ava could barely register the move. But Jorrar had prepared for it, sweeping his leg at Casimir’s own, throwing him flat on his back.

“I may be older, but I can still best the general.” Jorrar smiled as he walked around the ring at his victory.

Casimir jumped up with a predatory gleam in his eye. He removed his shirt and tossed it aside before picking back up his sword. Ava watched as he swung it around, taunting Jorrar as if he was stalking his quarry.

“I’m not done yet,” he challenged, a grin on his face.

Jorrar laughed and lunged back at Casimir who blocked his blow. They danced for a few seconds, swords ringing as they continued to swipe and parry, each blow deflected with swift precision.

She couldn’t keep her eyes off the two powerful warriors, mesmerized by their strength and speed. She had forgotten how tall and broad Casimir was until she saw him next to Jorrar who was not short by any means.

Sweat dripped down his muscled back as he continued to land blow after blow, trying to enact his revenge.

He turned, and Jorrar now lay on his back while Casimir looked down at him triumphantly.

Some of his hair had come loose from the leather strip binding it together and was hanging in his face, framing his golden eyes.

Ava’s eyes crept down his chest that was dusted with hair, snagging on the scars painting his sun-kissed skin.

Her gaze paused on the deep lines of muscles disappearing below his pants.

Next to her, Raine cleared his throat, breaking her from her trance and she looked up, making eye contact with Casimir, who smirked. Her cheeks burned as she looked away and up at Raine.

He was beaming down at her, delight on his face. “Like what you see, huh?”

“I… um…” she stammered, her face turning an even deeper shade as she rubbed the back of her neck .

She glanced back at the ring as Casimir approached. A gleam in his eye, he paused in front of them and crossed his arms. His rippling, perfectly toned arms. “How’s your tour going?”

Raine answered, humor in his voice. “Oh, it’s going fantastic, Cas. I thought Ava’s favorite part of the tour was our lovely library but now I think I may be mistaken.”

Ava subtly kicked Raine’s shin from behind the wall. “Ouch!” he hissed as he reached down and rubbed his leg, glancing at her.

Casimir chuckled. “Well, I hope you two have a fun rest of your day,” he replied, glancing down at Ava, suppressing a small grin.

She smiled back awkwardly and looped her arm through Raine’s. “We sure will and it’s time we get on with it,” she said, dragging him away.

“Bye, Cas. Thanks for the show!” he called, as he waggled his eyebrows at Casimir.

“Oh god,” she said quietly.

Raine patted her hand resting on his arm. “I’m sorry, dear. Did I embarrass you?”

They walked along the path taking them around the side of the castle and out to the front, following along a small brook sparkling as it reflected the sunlight peeking through the trees.

Ava looked at him and rolled her eyes. “You’re insufferable,” she said, releasing his arm now they were away from the training area.

“Cas tells me that too.” He beamed. “Seems you two have something in common.”

“Oh, you like to embarrass him also?” she jabbed as they strolled along.

He laughed. “I just enjoy pointing out the obvious.” He glanced down at her. “Like when I notice someone eye-fucking my best friend. ”

“Oh my god, I was not eye-fucking him.” She blushed again.

“Mm hm,” he replied. “I mean, I don’t blame you one bit. Cas is quite fuckable. With those rippling pecs and rock-hard abs. And if you even knew how big his co?—”

Ava stopped and turned toward him, poking her finger into his chest. “No. There will be no fucking of any kind.”

Raine grabbed her finger, lowering her hand from him and pouted. “Well, that’s no fun.” He placed his hands on his hips. “There’s nothing a good romp in the sheets can’t cure. You could use that. You’re too uptight.”

She froze, looking up at him, suddenly self-conscious. “Uhhh… are you—I—what?”

He laughed. “Are you asking if I want to take you to bed?”

She backed away a step. “No.” She shook her head. “I just—you said?—”

Raine shook his head. “You’re very beautiful, but you’re not my type.” He resumed his walk toward town, and she turned to keep up with him. “I’m sorry. You’re just too easy to fluster. Fun to embarrass.” He paused. “Actually, you and Cas have that in common too.”

“Great, thanks.”

Changing the subject, she huffed. “Where are we going?”

“Shopping.”

“How about this one?” Raine held up a forest green and brown dress, the bodice lined with lace while the skirts had layers upon layers of fabric with embroidered flowers along the hemline.

“When would I even wear that?” Ava replied.

They had been going from clothing store to clothing store for the last two hours, Raine insisting she needed a better wardrobe, and the dresses were all blurring together at this point.

“Out,” he said.

“Out? Like to a party?” She fingered the fabric.

“Yes,” he replied, holding out another dress. “This one?”

“They look the same.” She frowned.

“They’re completely different.” He laughed as he set the latter back on the rack and draped the first dress over his arm and continued meandering through the store.

The shop was small and cozy. Lanterns hung from the warm wood ceiling in clusters and the walls were covered with racks of clothing. Sounds of the streets entered every time the door opened, the tinkling bell alerting the owner of a new patron.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Ava asked as they continued to look through the clothing. “I told you I don’t have any money.”

“And I told you I have plenty. Thorne pays us well.” He picked up an ivory-colored cloak with green thread lining the edges and draped it over his arm.

“Besides, if you’re staying you need clothing.

You don’t have anything. And I needed some new pants anyway.

” He raised his brows at her as he grabbed a pair of boots and handed them to her. “Try these on.”

Her face heated as they sat down across from each other on two leather armchairs, and she removed the boots she was currently wearing.

He watched her and then asked, “You are staying, right?”

“I don’t have anywhere else to go,” she said, pulling on one of the boots. “So, yeah. I guess I am.”

He nodded. “Good.”

She stood up and walked back and forth, testing the fit, and then sat back down. As she removed them and replaced them with her previous pair, she asked, “Am I still a prisoner?”

Raine narrowed his eyes. “Kind of,” he lamented.

“What does that mean? ”

“It means you’re allowed to explore if you have an escort.” He reached out for the boots she handed him. “That we don’t think you’ll harm anyone, but we still don’t completely trust you.”

“So, I’m on probation.”

Raine stood up and frowned at her. “I don’t know that word. Is it a human term?”

She followed him to the front of the store, stopping at the counter. “Oh. It means it’s like a trial run. Like I get privileges but if I screw up, then it’s back to the dungeons or whatever.”

“Then yes. Kind of like that,” he said as he handed the fae manning the desk their purchases. “Have these sent to the castle, beautiful.” He winked at her roguishly, causing her to blush.

“Yes, Captain,” she replied in her mellifluous voice, flustered.

“You’re ridiculous,” whispered Ava as they walked away.

“I’m friendly.”

They exited the store and walked through the street, boughs of leaves rustling overhead from the afternoon breeze.

Birds chirped as they darted in between their nests high above and the sounds of citizens permeated the air.

Orcs, fae, goblins and other creatures Ava didn’t recognize bustled about on their daily business, occasionally glancing at her with curiosity.

“So,” Ava broke the silence. “If you don’t know the word ‘probation,’ how do we understand each other?”

“Well, that’s how portal magic works. When you pass through, you gain the ability to communicate in the main language of where you land.”

“Are there other languages in Eorhan?”

Raine led them through a crowd of townsfolk, clustered around food stalls in a large town square. Smells of roasted meats and spices filled the air and the shouts of vendors selling their wares cut through the sounds of the city .

“Yes, but most everyone can speak High Fae which is what we’re speaking now.”

“That’s so—” She glanced up at him. “Weird.”