“Just watching you think,” she said.
He shook his head. “I forget to be discreet in your company.”
“I’d rather know,” she said simply. “You don’t seem overly concerned.”
Obviously she wasn’t able to hear the blood pounding in his ears and those damned spells intertwined in his chest setting up a frantic chorus of something that might have resembled cries of warning if he’d been susceptible to that sort of thing. He decided to credit it to questionable porridge a pair of hours ago and move on.
“We should think about what you’ll need,” he said, deciding it might be best to simply side-step the question.
“But you’ll be there.”
He paused and considered what he might say that would be true but not disheartening. He reached out and covered her hands that were clasped together on that rather lovely wooden table.
“I plan to be,” he said carefully.
“You won’t like what I do to you if you aren’t.”
He leaned over and kissed her, partly because her hands were shaking even though the hearthfire felt uncomfortably warm to him, and partly because he was simply besotted. She wasn’t what he’d expected and losing his heart to her was…well, at the moment he realized it had been inevitable.
“I’m properly cowed,” he said, pulling away. “No wonder those ponies in your barn never misbehave.”
She didn’t look particularly comforted, but she nodded just the same.
“You’ll be there,” she said firmly.
“I will, but should I be momentarily distracted by the odd mug of drinkable ale or sparkling spell, I want you to have a full complement of things at the ready.”
He was coming very close to lying, which he imagined she knew, but he wasn’t about to say aloud that if he were dead, he wanted her to be able to escape to a land that contained someone powerful enough to protect her from the mage loitering outside.
Those safe havens were going to be, he feared, fewer than either of them would have wanted.
He considered, then decided perhaps ’twas best to have the uncomfortable conversations over with before he began his work.
“If something happens to me—”
“You’d best make sure it doesn’t,” she said fiercely.
“I will reward you properly for that when I have a lengthy moment,” he said with a smile, “but whilst we’re both not in the middle of peril, I’m going to give you a list.”
“But,” she began, then she stopped. “Very well.”
“You don’t have my enemies,” he said, having a fairly good idea of where she’d been going with that. “You do, however, have a very powerful one out there, so you need to find someone who can protect you. You know I will never willingly give up that spot next to you that I so richly deserve by virtue simply of my massive amounts of charm and—dare I say it?—very fine kisses.”
She blushed. He was fairly certain of it.
“You talk too much,” she said weakly.
“My worst failing, right behind having too many vile spells,” he agreed. “But let’s discuss the very unlikely possibility that you might need help from someone besides me. Soilléir will be your best choice, as much as it galls me to admit as much. I’m guessing he’ll be at the schools of wizardry, though I imagine he’ll have a fair idea of where we are just the same.”
“I don’t want to run into that Droch person,” she said with a shiver.
“Not after our having stolen—”
“Youstole him.”
“Not aftermyhaving stolen a horse he wanted,” Acair said. “We might consider Inntrig, instead. Seannair would be able to keep you safe and send for Soilléir. If you’re on the other side of the mountains, go to Hearn or my father’s parents.”
“Your grandparents.”
