He nodded slightly. “I might be.”
“What could he want from me?” she whispered.
“Come sit next to me and keep warm, then we’ll noodle it around a bit and see what comes up.”
She looked absolutely devastated. “How can you be so calm—never mind. This is what you face every day.”
He pulled her up to sit next to him, then drew a warm cloak out of thin air and wrapped it around the both of them.
“Aye, well ’tis all too true,” he said easily, “but the difference is, I deserve it. You don’t.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “We could go inside, if you prefer.”
“I’m fine.”
She was shivering, but perhaps she hadn’t noticed. He had another look at the spell he’d cast up to shield them from prying eyes, then turned to the pile of wood there in front of them. He considered for a moment the sort of fire he could make that would be warming but beautiful. Léirsinn had seen enough from him that hadn’t been so beautiful, to be sure.
“What are you thinking?”
He looked at her, her lovely visage so close to his that he found himself a little dazzled by the leafy greenness of her eyes.
“I’m having trouble holding a thought,” he admitted.
She smiled and elbowed him gently. “I’m sure you aren’t. Are you going to build me a fire?”
He supposed he could do a little experimenting with things that intrigued him. Since he was definitely going to be completely flattened by the end of the day anyway, no sense in not taking his Gran’s spell out for a brief canter about the old place. He imagined weaving it aloud was a very bad idea indeed, so he settled for a few theatrical hand wavings and a silently recited spell of essence meddling.
Léirsinn gasped.
He had to admit, he did too.
“What is that?” she said faintly.
“I believe most people call itfire.”
She shot him a half-hearted glare. “I meant, what magic was that?”
“Can’t remember,” he said.
“You’re a terrible liar and that is an exceptionally lovely bit of work there.”
He leaned closer to her. “Granny’s magic,” he murmured in her ear. He straightened and put his arm back around her shoulders. “I’m not sure why I’m surprised, but I am. I expected it to lightmeon fire.”
“There are dragons in the flames.”
“Are there? Hadn’t noticed.”
“Did you do that?” she said, watching the flames with an expression of wonder on her face.
“Might have.”
She turned that look on him. “For me?”
“Well, I don’t see any other red-haired lassies who breathe fire hereabouts.”
She smiled. “Who are you?”
“Today, darling, I have absolutely no idea.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. He rested his cheek against her hair and watched the flames dance. He had to admit he was a bit surprised that his grandmother’s magic hadn’t first done what he’d asked, then suddenly turned on him and incinerated him, but perhaps she was fonder of him than he supposed.
