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I grinned. "I wouldn't dream of it."
He scowled. "Where are you going?"
I jogged backwards out of his reach as he swiped out an arm to catch me. "Nowhere," I said, laughing.
He huffed and shook his head, but behind him, a bright red tail wagged eagerly. It gave him away so easily. "Evanthia," he said in a hard, commanding tone.
"Conall," I answered, mocking his voice.
He stomped toward me, and I darted immediately away, giggling at the open shock on his face.
"What are you doing?" he cried.
"What areyoudoing?"
Another brief chase ensued before he halted once more, arms wide at his side. "Evanthia!"
"Conall!" I teased.
"Quit running away from me," he said, just barely concealing the whine in his words.
I paused, locking my hands behind my back and tipping my head to study him. "No," I said, and he gaped at me. "Catch me."
I ran before he could refuse, laughing at the dark rumble that echoed at my back. I ran as fast as I could, a straight arrow through the meadow, only seeking distance. Conall was faster than me, and it wouldn't be long before he caught me. It wouldn't be long before Ilethim. I just needed enough time to…
I glanced over my shoulder and smiled as I realized he wasn't running full tilt yet, just trying to keep me in sight. I would give him something to look at, then. I turned to face him, catching my breath with great gasps, and he stopped, his hands on his hips and an unconvincing snarl twisting his expression.
It melted away as I reached for the long tunic of Laszlo's I'd dressed in this morning. Conall's curled lip slackened as I peeled the fabric up from over my head, baring my upper body and the tight fit of the leggings I wore. He mouthed something—my name, I thought—and tensed.
I turned and ran once more, my laughter loud and sharp, a screech of excitement escaping as he answered with a growl that curled and called to me through the high grasses.
"I know what you're doing," he called.
"So do I," I answered, flashing him a smile over my shoulder.
He'd gained on me, but he was still keeping a gentler pace. His tail was kicking seeds off the tops of weeds as it waved eagerly, and he slowed when I did. Claw-tipped fingers pulled white linen off his shoulders and over his head, bare chest gleaming under hazy sunlight. I reached down, tugging off the boots that were loosely laced on my feet. I tossed the first one toward him, and it dropped short. Conall arched a brow at me. I threw the next one farther and he yelped, dodging before it hit him, giving me the distraction I needed to take off into the orchard.
"Evie!" Conall barked.
I grinned and spared my breath for sprinting.
The orchard was in deep bloom, pale pink and white petals floating down from gnarled apple trees. Thick leaves would shelter the view of us from the castle, and the ground was dense and soft with white wild violets.
"Ouch!" I hissed, bouncing on one foot as I glared down at the ground.
Wild violets and dropped twigs, I amended mentally.
Conall laughed, and I startled at how close the sound was. I searched around me, eyes moving too quickly to pick him out in the shadows, and then I caught a brief glimpse of rust-red fur batting out from behind a tree.
I turned and reached for the low branch of the apple tree at my back, hauling myself into its canopy.
"Wouldn't you rather go inside to a nice, comfortable bed?" Conall asked, appearing from his hiding place, watching me climb with an amused quirk on his lips.
"So you can spread me out in goose down and treat me like a chivalrous lover?" I asked, grunting as I climbed up once more. I found a V of branches to rest in and leaned back against the larger of the two.
Conall approached slowly, face flickering through budded blossoms and fat green leaves. "Is that so wrong of me?"
"It's lovely of you, and you know it," I said, reaching for the laces of the leggings. Conall stopped still and stared at my hands with avid interest. I pulled the leather through the eyelets slowly, teasing him with my progress before I continued speaking. "But I should hate for us to forget how we came together in the first place. I'm not fragile, Conall."
