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“Really?”
“Yes.”
But if she was seen with another male, would that hurt their ruse? Probably. She glanced at the handsome shifter and studied him. The contrast of pale freckles against mahogany skin was so striking that she had trouble pulling her gaze away. She’d bet he was never lacking for someone to scratch his itch.
“I’d love that,” she replied, “but perhaps another time.”
His dark eyes sparkled. “Then I will ask again… another time.”
A chorus of eerie hooting rose over the marketplace. Nova glanced up as the lanterns released. Orange glowing lights lazily lifted against the backdrop of turquoise foliage and twilight sky.
“Beautiful,” she breathed, awed.
“Yes,” he agreed—looking at her. “Like nothing I’ve seen.”
A blush warmed her cheeks. He was obviously into her, and she found him attractive. Storm was the perfect candidate to help her move on with life here in Elphyne. Even if he were a distraction… she wouldn’t think about Jace or Leaf for a while. It might give her a clean break—a way to distance her heart.
“I should go,” she mumbled, turning toward the Lodge.
“Will I see you tomorrow night?”
She frowned. “I’m not sure. What’s tomorrow night?”
Concern flittered over his expression. “Unforeseen circumstances have caused us to shorten the wake’s events. The Dance of Silent Flight, the Feast of Nourishment, and the Final Farewell will merge into one spectacular evening.”
“If Leaf will be there, so will I.”
Storm’s concern brewed into something darker. “Your mate will be there, sitting beside the Prime. He didn’t mention it to you?”
Dejection swarmed in her blood. She stopped short of saying something she shouldn’t. “I look forward to seeing you again.”
Leaf might be gone by the end of tomorrow night. Nova had to stop living in the past. She said goodbye to Storm, returned to the Lodge, and headed straight for her room. When she opened the door, her gaze clashed with an angry warrior elf sitting on the bed, waiting with a scowl.
“Where have you been?” he growled.
ChapterNineteen
When Leaf returned to the room and found it empty, panic had set in. Nova was gone. He’d been short with her this morning and then stormed out. Then she’d left. He’d paced the room for a few minutes, feeling irritated and unable to focus. During the day, he’d tried to locate the Prime multiple times, but all he’d learned were secondhand messages and rumors that she’d be at tomorrow night’s sudden change of events.
So he’d spent the day collecting supplies, fulfilling his end of the bargain for Nova, and training with the guards down at their small barracks by their gates. The distraction had been just what he’d needed to cool down, to release the pent-up sexual frustration he’d woken up with. But he’d lost track of time. He realized it was late when the lanterns floated in the sky.
“Where were you?” he asked again.
Her expression dropped. She stared at him from top to toe, no doubt seeing that he’d been training and neglecting his duty here. More guilt bubbled inside him, and he couldn’t look her in the eyes.
She shut the door and answered, “I was just outside the Lodge.”
“I went out there looking for you.”
She scowled, removed her cape, and hung it on the hook behind the door. “I was under the tree, watching the lanterns. Why do you care? You weren’t here all day.”
Why should he care? Anger tightened his chest. Whyshouldhe care? The question repeated itself in his head, but he refused to answer, afraid he’d known all along and…
Cutting his thoughts off, he grunted and nodded at the bed. “You should be resting.”
“I feel better.” She frowned. “Anyway, it was only a few minutes, and I was tired of being stuck here all day.”
He shouldn’t feel good about that. But knowing she hadn’t, in fact, been out there gallivanting around with her curvy body, leaving a trail of drooling males was a relief.
