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It’d be so much easier to do more, to give in to the desire coursing through my body and likely his, but that wouldn’t help him recover. Right now, the thing I need more is for him to heal, to live, to be the fierce king I fell in love with. I won’t hamper his recovery by stealing pleasure that can be found another day.
“You’ll have plenty of time with me,” I say. “Just not today.”
He sighs. “That’s right.” A sad smile touches his face as he turns his head toward me. “You must want to return to the human world.”
“I do. Tomorrow.” I nestle closer to him, lacing my fingers through his again and earning a grateful squeeze in return. “Once you’re through the worst of it. And this time, I won’t be leaving your side in the night.”
Mischief twinkles in his eyes. “Really?”
“As long as you behave yourself.” I swat at him playfully.
“You know I’m not always good at that.” He waggles his brows at me.
I bite my lip and fight the urge to give in to his teasing. “We’re trying many new things today.”
Sigurd sighs. “If you insist.”
“I do.”
Chapter 45
It’smidmorningthedayafter the almost war and the striking of peace—one that’s hopefully long-lasting—between the Court of Air and the Court of the Forest. Sigurd, Mark, and Hawke accompanied me to the door between worlds, along with a number of guards. After my abduction, Sigurd isn’t taking any chances with my safety and making sure that I get back to my world as planned.
I don’t mind today, but he’s going to have to relax a bit when I return.
“So, I just walk through this space?” I say, gesturing to the circle of large stones surrounding an otherwise grassy stretch of land amid a pine forest.
“And you must wish to be in your world.” Sigurd extends a hand to me. “Come. We’ll go with you.”
“Is that safe?” I ask, placing my hand in his.
“We can linger there a short time. Besides, I don’t want you to have to go alone.” The smile he grants me stirs up a mess of butterflies in my stomach. It’s ridiculous how much something so small, so simple, can affect me.
Together, we cross through the stones, Mark, Hawke, and the guards following after us.
The shift from one world to the next is both subtle and stark. One moment, we’re in Faery and the next, back in my world with the loud hum of cicadas and thick humidity already forming, despite that it’s not even noon. The forest itself isn’t all that different here, probably why I missed the change so completely when I ran into Faery. I must have wished to be somewhere else at just the right moment, almost like fate.
I glance up at Sigurd, fighting my amusement at the scrunched look on his face as he takes in my world.
Maybe we were meant to find one another at just that moment.
I look back at the forest, taking in the slope of the hillside stretching out before us. I ran down that, I think. Jolene’s would be up ahead somewhere, through the trees. Nothing like a little trek alone through the woods to figure out what the heck I’m going to tell people or how I’ll get home without my car. I’m guessing they didn’t just leave it behind the bar. Not to mention that Derrick won’t be in to open the place for several hours yet.
“Well, I guess I should get going.” I give a nervous laugh. I’ve never been one for hiking. Just peachy, this will be.
“Wait,” Hawke says.
I twist around at the unexpected request.
“I’ll take you,” he says. “Let me shift you there.”
“You can do that?”
He folds his hands in front of him. “I went with Mark that day he tried to visit your grandmother. I remember the house. My memory is quite good.” That, I fully believe. “Shifting is much harder for us here. I’m not sure I could go much farther, but it will be faster and easier for you that way.”
“Are you sure?” I look between him and Mark.
I understand the full extent of what he’s offering. It’s risky for them to enter our world at all. If they got stuck here, it would mean death for them. Using magic, exerting oneself, and traveling away from the door only increases that risk. It’s a big thing to offer, even if it makes things so much easier for me. Jolene’s isn’t open this time of day, and showing up there out of the blue… I can’t even picture it. What would I say to Derrick or anyone else? Somehow, seeing Gran first sounds so much easier. At least she won’t think me crazy. Hopefully.
