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“I intend to,” she replied lightly.
Neither of them moved.
“Go sleep, Gabriel,” she said gently. “I’m fine. Really.”
With a nod, he left her to it. As Nic assembled her supplies for the bath and to dress after, she wondered when, exactly, she’d fallen in love with the wizard.
~18~
“We’re going toneed another horse,” Nic told him, “or an elemental-powered wagon.” She surveyed her packed bags with a dismayed frown that did nothing to diminish her loveliness. He almost regretted buying that riding outfit for her, because the deep burgundy color made her beauty that much more vivid, especially her luscious mouth, and the tailoring—guaranteed by Ophiel magic to fit her figure exactly—emphasized every enticing curve he’d forbidden himself from touching.
She’d also left her hair down, the curls gleaming from the attentions of her grooming imp, and in the soft morning sunlight, she looked more delicious than the pastries they’d devoured for breakfast.
“Gabriel, are you listening?” She assessed him with a practiced eye. “Maybe you need more rest.”
He nearly leapt at the suggestion. He wanted nothing more than to stay in the solace of the inn with her forever. Though he also couldn’t trust himself in such close quarters with her a moment longer. Her magic curled around him, filling his head with the heady scent of rose-spiced wine, and his own magic constantly reached for her, wanting to take more and more. He shook his head to dispel the insistent craving.
“No, you’re not listening to me?” She lifted a raven-black brow.
“No, we don’t need another horse,” he replied. “And I’m not buying one of those wagons.”
“Well, you bought so much other stuff that I don’t think we can fit all of this on Vale, even if we both walk.”
“What I mean is, there will be three of us, so we’ll needtwomore horses, so that we can each ride one. Three horses ought to be sufficient to carry the packs, too, if we distribute them evenly.”
“Three horses,” she said flatly. “Gabriel Phel, donottell me you’re contemplating what I think you are.”
Amazing, really, how well she already knew him. He nodded. “We’re taking Narlis with us.”
She folded her arms, looking at him like he’d lost his mind. “You cannot steal another wizard’s familiar.”
“Why not?” He pressed the glyph to summon help to carry their bags.
“To begin with, because it’s against Convocation law.”
“I find I’m not all that fond of many Convocation laws,” he remarked.
“Second, that Iblis wizard will hardly just let her go.”
“I’ll buy her from him.”
“Gabriel!” She gaped at him in shock. “You can’t buy and sell people in the Convocation.”
“You could’ve fooled me,” he growled. “That’s exactly what’s going on with familiars—it’s just dressed up as something else.”
“Still!” She actually stomped her booted foot, managing to look adorably elegant doing it.
“Fine, fine. Then if she’s so free to choose, I’ll invite her to come live in Meresin, where she’ll be offered the comfort her long life deserves. Isn’t that what you told me—that she’d likely leave him if only someone would take her in? I’ll take her in.”
“That Iblis wizard won’t let her go easily,” Nic warned.
“Let him try to stop me,” he replied on a snarl. “I hope he does. I’d love an excuse to smack that weasel around.”
“You’re impossible.”
“I didn’t like the way he touched you,” Gabriel said, fingers curling into fists at the memory. “Or the way he looked at you. Or the foul things he said. I’d like to wrap every one of those collars around his neck and strangle him with them. Though that brings up a fair point—if Narlis is wearing that collar, how do we get the Iblis wizard to take it off of her?”
“She won’t be.” Nic dismissed that problem with a dash of her hand. “That was a show collar, for demonstration. Like I said, most collars really are just for show and not functional.” Her fingers drifted to the bruises at her throat and collarbones, only adding fuel to his anger.
