Page 23 of An Unlikely Knight

As hard as she tried Erin couldn’t stop herself from grinning. “You have such a great sense of humor.”

It was cute when he responded with a sheepish shrug.

“We should probably return to the library. I am not sure how long I can remain here.” Padriag got up and hurriedly poured a coffee into a large mug. “Don’t have this over there.”

Once in the library, Erin got her notebook and settled onto the couch. He lowered to sit next to her, leaving a respectable distance between them. When she crossed her legs, he slid a look at her exposed leg. Inevitably, the thought of how long he’d been without sex crossed her mind.

Erin cleared her throat. “I have written down the curse you told to them, but is there more to it?”

His shoulders lifted and lowered. “That is all I remember.”

“Can you repeat it for me please?” Erin asked.

Moving his gaze toward the open window, it seemed as if he wished to be anywhere but there in that instant.

Until moon’s pale light and dawn’s last breath,

I send thee to the brink of death.

Chains of darkness, will not unbind⁠—

Never to be released, your soul, or your mind.

“Interesting.” Erin checked her notes, he’d said it word for word, nothing different, but it felt as if the third line stood out to her the most. “Do you feel as if something else, besides the curse, is binding you to the other realm? Is there someone or something that you have reservations about leaving behind?”

Brows lowered, he pondered her question. “I have lived there for a very long time. If you ask if I will miss anything about it, of course I will. To be honest, it feels more like home there than here. I want to leave, I wish to return here, especially now that I do not live at the keep.”

“What is the place like. Where you live now?”

As he described an unbelievable world, Erin listened for any changes in tone, for expression of fondness. Nothing stood out.

“What of the people there? Who comes to mind that you will miss when coming here?”

He sucked in his bottom lip in thought, catching her attention, especially when he released it. Padriag had a nice mouth, the bottom lip slightly thicker than the upper.

“I am not going to miss anyone. Other than the men I grew close with, the only other people I know are Sterling, his sisters, and, I suppose evil Meliot. I most certainly will not miss him.”

Erin had so many questions written down, she skipped some to ask the ones she figured would help. “What do you look forward to the most about coming here?”

The wicked grin and darkening of his eyes when looking at her, made the answer very evident. Erin felt her eyes widen and her cheek redden. “Other than that. What else?”

“Food, the fresh air of Scotland, being with my friends, seeing them marry and all of us grow old.” He stopped and cleared his throat. “Oh there are cars now, so driving will be great.”

She wondered where he would get income from. After all, he would be in a new world without any marketable trade, but it wasn’t important at the moment. “I was told you have some magical abilities. Have you tried to sense answers to breaking the curse?”

“I have tried so many things. Not just for myself, but also for the others. But nothing ever worked. My magic is limited to protective wards, invisibility, and lighting. I can make things float, but that’s pretty useless.”

“Does it work here?” Erin leaned forward. “Can I see it?”

Padriag shrugged. “I have never tried it here.”

“How about we try together. I have no abilities, but for some reason the group across the hall think I am the one chosen to rescue you.”

“Do you have a spell yet?” Padriag asked.

Erin nodded. “The start of one. It’s not finished. At least I do not think it is.” She held out her hands. “Try your magic, maybe see if you can weave a ward around us. I will chant the spell.”

When they held hands, it suddenly felt silly. Casting a spell wasn’t something Erin ever thought to do, especially not with a witness.