“Yes, he does,” Ilain objected.
“He does?”
Ilain nodded vehemently. “I just told him the other night: I chose him because of my feelings for him.”
Evylin eyed her. “Is there a chance he didn’t believe you because of Thom’s prior idiocy?”
“Thanks for that,” Thom muttered, though it was a fair question.
Ilain considered, then sighed. “Yes, there’s a great chance. He doesn’t seem to believe anything I tell him.”
“You are a notable liar,” Thom offered.
“But I’ve been nothing but honest with him,” Ilain countered, then picked at her skirt. “After the whole flirting-with-you fiasco.”
Thom couldn’t help smiling at her predicament. “Thatwasyour choice. You could have been honest with him from the start.”
“That’s very helpful,” Ilain mocked.
He held her glare. “Do you want me to talk to him or not?”
“I don’t advise it,” Evylin remarked in a singsong tone.
Ilain stared between them, lips pressed together. At last, she heaved another sigh. “Yes, fine. Pleasesubtlysee if you can nudge him in the right direction. I’m not asking for anything so monumental as intercourse, but at least a kiss would be nice.”
With a nod, Thom guided his horse forward. “I’ll see what I can do.”
And with that, he left the women behind. Cantering up the road, he caught the others shortly, finding Ethenn in the middle of the group talking with Brea. She was telling him something about her time in Schon but paused when Thom arrived.
“Pleasure to see you this morning,mi’caro,” she teased.
Thom dipped his chin in a dramatic bow. “The pleasure is all mine, Lieutenant.” He scanned her casually, noting that she’d twisted back her braided black hair along the sides. “You look particularly lovely. Add some myrtle blossoms to those twists, and you’d look like a veritable Ephrian dryad.”
Her brow furrowed. “What is this ‘dryad’?”
“They’re woodland spirits,” he explained. “Supposedly friends with The Living Land.”
“And they wear flowers in their hair?”
“They’re made of flowers, I believe.”
“Ah. I look like a flower to you?”
Thom winked. “You look like a whole field of flowers, ma’am.”
“This is awkward,” Ethenn said flatly.
Remembering his reason for being there, Thom cleared his throat and forced himself to ignore Brea’s playfully challenging stare. He turned to Ethenn. “Could I talk with you?”
Glancing between the Warrior and Thom, Ethenn shrugged. “Sure.”
Guiding their horses away from the others, Thom and Ethenn dropped back on the road until even Evylin and Ilain passed them. Evylin eyed him dubiously while Ilain kept her gaze on the road ahead, pointedly ignoring the two men.
Thom shook his head at her obvious behavior.
“What did you need?” Ethenn asked once they were safely out of earshot.
“Oh, it isn’t me who needs something,” Thom replied.
