“Thanks, Ginna. When did you get so wise?” I clasp my opposite hand around her shoulder.
“Always here to knock some sense into you. Both literally and figurately,” she chuckles. “Now, please, go talk to Elia so Hanson and I can be free of this weird tension between you two.”
The corner of my mouth twitches in a half-smile. “Okay, okay, I’m going.”
???
Unsurprisingly, I find Elia curled up in her favorite chair by the window in the library.
“Need a pick-me-up?” She must have been deeply absorbed in her bookbecause the sound of my voice startles her.
“What? Oh, Callum, it’s you.” She notices the cup of coffee in my hand that I grabbed from the kitchen on the way. “Is that for me?”
I pass her the cup. “Of course. You know, we’ve never gone through as much coffee beans as we have with you here.”
Her lips are pressed tightly together as she takes a small sip. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
Her formality tells me that I’ve allowed this unresolved awkwardness to linger between us for far too long.
“I was hoping I might take you somewhere for the remainder of the day. Outside of the castle and the town.”
Elia perks up at that, her eyes brightening. “Where?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Are Hanson and Ginna coming, too?”
I shake my head. “Just us, I’m afraid, if you’re okay with that.” I take a deep breath and offer her the olive branch. “Can we make it date number two?”
Elia arches an eyebrow at me. “Is this going to end the same as our first?”
“With a kiss? Hopefully,” I tease.
“With you barely talking to me,” she retorts. Her eyes drill into me. “I didn’t think the kiss wasthatbad.”
“I’m sorry. I would like to explain myself today, if you’ll let me.” I offer her my hand.
Elia hesitates briefly before slipping her hand into mine, and I help her rise from her chair. “Here's hoping your explanation is worth it.”
“I’ll try my best,” I promise.
I lead Elia out of the palace through the same back door that we entered through on our very first night. It seems so long ago that I picked her up from the desert and brought her here; she’s already slipped seamlessly into our close-knit circle, filling a space we didn’t know was empty.
My horse, Gallant, is waiting for me, as requested. I nuzzle his head and slip him the apple I nicked from the kitchen.
“Ready?” I turn to help Elia up on the saddle, but she’s already seated herself comfortably.
“I’m waiting on you. Farm girl, remember?” She tosses her braid behindher back.
I swing myself up on Gallant behind Elia, my thighs closing around hers. I nudge Gallant to start moving before leaning in close, lips lightly brushing Elia’s ear.
“By the way, the kisswasn’tbad. It was the best thing that happened to me in years, and I haven’t stopped dreaming about it since.”
Elia shivers against me and immense satisfaction blooms in my chest. We ride off in the late afternoon sun, my heart a hundred times lighter than it was this morning.
Chapter 16
Elia
