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“Darling, I didn’t have them to begin with.”
“Just eat,” she sighed, shoving the canteen into her bag. “The ship will take us over to the mainland and we should arrive just before dawn.”
A piece of the roll crumbled off and hit the dirt. I had to hold myself back from snatching it off the ground and eating it. I didn’t want her to see how hungry I truly was. My best defense was to seem unphased, I could tell she was sizing me up, gaging a way to apply leverage.
Oscar returned, eyeing me a bit as he approached. Perhaps the old fellow didn’t care for how close I sat to his pretty charge. “The captain has allowed us to board.”
“Good.” Kelia stood and grabbed her dress in her hands. “Let’s be on our way. I’m tired and wish to rest.”
Rest? It’s the afternoon and we’ve barely traveled.If this human couldn’t manage a few hours on a rocky road what about when we hiked through the mountains? Shaking my head, I followed her down the pier and to the ramp that led onto the old ship. A breeze passed through, and I inhaled the salty air.
It felt good to be outside, unchained.
And as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I would be free.
The back of Kelia’s dress dragged across the sodden planks. Water had soaked up a few inches into the cotton.If this was her adventuring gear, she was not prepared for the trek ahead. The mountains would be an opportune place to renegotiate our arrangement.
An older man with a black hat that flopped sideways motioned for us to head to the lower level. The ships that sailed in and out of this port transported both goods and people. If we were lucky, we’d have a room not reeking of sweat and sailor piss.
“Your room, milady.” The older man swung open a small cabin. “We’ll keep the fae in the barracks—”
“He stays with me,” Kelia said.
“What?” The old man and I said at the same time.
The expression on Kelia’s face held no emotion at all. “He’s my prisoner and will stay where I can watch him.”
“I assure you, milady, our barracks are secure.”
I expected Oscar to add his own thoughts, but he simply waited as if he expected this from her.
“I’m sure they are, but until his task is done, he stays with me.”
The old man cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “It’s not proper for a young lady to share a cabin with a male, especially one like him.”
“That’ll be all, good sir.” Kelia took the black bag from Oscar and nudged my arm. “Inside.”
“Gentlemen.” I nodded with a smirk and cocked eyebrow at the two surly humans before following Kelia into the room.
The cabin held a single bed and not much else. A chamber pot sat in the corner near a desk with a lantern on it. I closed the door behind me, wondering how I’d be able to spend a night in such tight quarters with this woman.
It had been too long since I had been this close to a female. Her floral scent permeated the tight quarters, her presence saturating my senses.
Kelia sat on the bed and began untying the laces on her brown boots. She sighed and kicked them off onto the floor. She laid back on the bed, wiggling her toes. I sat with my back against the door, directly across from her.
“Are we to stay in here all day and night?” I asked.
“Yes. I’ve been traveling since yesterday to come here and need to rest.” She whispered something inaudible, and I felt a shimmer of magic tingle my skin.
“What did you do?”
“Barrier spell. You can’t leave this room, and no one can enter.”
“So you are no different than my previous masters. I am to lie on the floor like some animal, some kind of pet perhaps?”
She swung her legs around off the bed. Her feet barely touched the floor. “You are my charge.”
“That doesn’t mean we need to spend our time down here when the weather has cleared, especially when it’s been years since I’ve had the breeze in my hair, inhaled the fresh air, or felt the warmth of the sun on my face.” I met her wide-eyed stare, trying to figure out what secrets she held in those big blue eyes.
