“Callum?” Elia is curled up in one of the bigger chairs to the side, legs tucked underneath her small frame. She closes the book in her lap. “Did you get lost? I was starting to think I’d have to find the kitchens myself.” She grins at me, and another piece of my heart stirs back to life.
“Sorry, I ran into Hanson, and we were catching up.” I place the tray on the table and start restacking books and gather the loose documents into a pile.
“He’s one of the Hunters helping us, right?” I like that she’s including herself now in the ‘us’.
“Yes. You’ll probably meet him tomorrow. He and Ginna train every other day with the rest of the Hunters, but both will swing by sometime tomorrow.” I pass her a plate filled with everything I was able to take from the kitchen.
“What about you?” She asks, tearing off a piece of bread.
“What about me?”
“You don’t have to train? Those muscles work themselves?” Her gaze trails across my body, leaving me heated.
I can’t tell if she’s openly flirting with me or if that’s who she is as a person. I reflect on what Hanson had expressed, about me being open. I can flirt, right? It’s been years but it did work out for me once.
“Careful, if you keep complimenting me, I’ll start to think you might actually like me.” I raise an eyebrow at her.
“I don’t remember a compliment in that statement. I have muscles.You have muscles. Lots of people have muscles.” She pops a grape into her mouth. “But you wouldn’t have them without some consistent work.”
Well, that flirting failed. Mission aborted. I do find myself having fun talking with Elia. I never know what she’s going to say, and I appreciate that about her. People in the Ashven court have tried to interest me, especially since becoming lead Hunter, but they’re predictably boring and formal. I already have too much of that in my own personality; I don’t want that in my partner, too.
“Ginna and I sparred this morning.”
“Is that how you hurt your shoulder?”
I’m taken aback that Elia noticed the bandage that only barely peeks out from the collar of my shirt. “It’s barely a scratch.” I dismiss it as quickly as I can. “Anyways, once you’re settled in, I’ll be going back to my typical training schedule.”
“I’m plenty settled. New clothes, hot baths, hot food, hot Hunters. What more could a girl want?”
My cheeks heat but I gloss over the ‘hot Hunter’ part.
“Travel? A family? Love?” She moves her head side to side as if contemplating each.
“I haven’t really thought about it, I guess,” she exhales. “I pretty much accepted that I was going to be stuck in the Traps forever. But I think I would like to someday find someone who loves me. I’m not sure I’ve ever had that.”
A somber mood falls over us as we watch the shadows flickering.
“What about you?” Elia asks abruptly.
“What about me?”
“Have you ever been in love?”
My palms start to sweat. “You’re very open, do you know that?” I try to buy time to respond.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we barely know each other, yet you’re comfortable with sharing a lot about yourself.”
Elia shrugs. “I don’t have anything to hide. Besides, how do you get to know others if you don’t share about yourself? You don’t have to answer if I’ve made you uncomfortable.”
Hanson’s words ring in my ears.Be open to something good.Then Elia’s question does the same.Have I ever been in love?
Is the air becoming thinner here? My lungs can’t seem to inhale enoughair. Love is such a trivial word for what I felt. Elia stares at me expectantly, as if her question didn’t just turn the world on its axis.
I lick my lips and try to bring some moisture back to my throat. “Yes, I’ve been in love.” I walk over and take her empty plate from her to put back on the tray. “But that was a long time ago.”
I clear my throat before she asks any follow up questions. “Come, it’s late and it’s been a long day. I’ll walk you back to your room.”
