“Almost two days.”
He put his free hand over his eyes, then groaned. “My apologies.”
“Right out of the gate with one, I see.”
“Terrifying, isn’t it?”
She thought that was quite a bit less terrifying than what she’d experienced earlier, but perhaps that was a tale better saved for later. She was happy to simply sit there and not be alone. Well, she supposed she was happy that her companion was alive and awake, but perhaps she didn’t need to admit that at the moment.
She realized he was stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
“You’re safe, darling.”
She took a deep breath. “I know.”
“Anything interesting happen?” he asked.
“I didn’t use all of your tokens,” she managed. “There’s one left.”
He looked at her in surprise, then his eyes narrowed. “A very poor jest, that one.”
“Just a bit of good-natured sport,” she said, her mouth dry. She imagined she didn’t need to say how close she’d come to rummaging around in his purse for his spell of death just in case.
She was starting to see why mages used them.
“Stop holding up that polished glass so I might see all my flaws,” he muttered. He sat up, then apparently regretted it. He lay back down with a groan. “Any change?”
“He tried to break through your spell.”
Acair put his arm over his eyes, then let go of her hand and held open his other arm. “Come keep me in one piece for a moment, love.”
She stretched out next to him and tried not to wail, though she supposed if there were a place to fall apart, ’twas there. If he noticed how badly she was shaking, he made no mention of it. He simply put both his arms around her and held her close.
She didn’t want to admit it, she who had taken care of herself for so long with only the aid of her sharp tongue and a riding crop, but there was something profoundly comforting about being held by a man who had stepped between her and harm’s way more than once.
“You’re thinking lovely thoughts about me,” he whispered. “I can tell.”
“I might be.”
“You should unburden yourself and tell me all,” he said, “but let me hear this other bit first. Veg before dessert, as my scrupulous dam always taught me.”
“Did she?”
He grunted. “You don’t want to know what she taught me. She also has sweets for breakfast, so that might tell you more than you want to know. What happened?”
“I went outside for a walk,” she said unwillingly.
“I’m certain you did. Was my spell of un-noticing still intact?”
“It seemed to be,” she said slowly.
“Did he know you were there?”
She nodded. “He tried to break through your spell. I didn’t provoke—”
“Léirsinn, of course you didn’t,” he interrupted. “You haven’t done anything to him. If anything, he should be coming after me for leaving him falling off his ladder in a tangle of flailing limbs and humiliation. He’s simply a marginally powerful fool with hurt feelings. We’ll find out what he wants, then I’ll see to him.”
“How do you bear any of this?” she whispered.
