Page 22
A small frown tugged at Martin’s lips.
“Or we could go inside.” I attempted to placate him. If he hadn’t wanted to stay outside, I wondered why he’d offered it as an option.
“No, it’s fine. I just don’t have any chairs or… Okay, I suppose seating isn’t really necessary.”
“Nope. The ground is good enough,” I answered, already plopped down on the earth and sitting cross-legged.
“I could get you a towel or blanket or—”
“The grass is good enough.” Raking my hands through its green blades, I savored the soft feel. “It’s great actually.”
This time, when Martin looked at me, his smile was soft, easing the tension from around his eyes. “All right.” Sitting across from me, Martin leaned back on his hands, long legs stretched out before him. I swear, every part of him was solid and muscular. I felt like a twig next to his mighty form and he wasn’t even in his tree persona right now.
Sitting there, head tilted back and staring up into the blue sky above, I inhaled the fresh air, putting off what I’d come here to discuss a little longer.
Martin had other ideas. “You look much better than the last time I saw you.”
I nodded. “I’m very well rested.”
“So you’ve recovered?”
Hesitating, I finally gave a minuscule nod. “I have.”
Martin swiveled his head around, indicating the patch of ground we were currently resting on. “And this… You used your wisp energy earlier. You said there was treasure here.” Martin cocked his head. “I didn’t feel anything when you did that. At least, nothing new or earth-shattering.”
I understood his confusion. “I doubt I could have found this place on my own, not with all the shit Tenzen hid around here.” Before Martin could ask, I held up a halting hand. “I don’t know if it’s the bit of your magic I’ve got inside me or if being here, this close to your treasure, allowed its song to erase all others. I feel safe.” Those last three words slammed into me. Safe. I’m not sure I’d felt that elusive emotion since I’d stepped foot into this compound. The implication was clear. Martin made me feel safe.
Martin’s silent contemplation let me know he understood the importance of what I’d said. “I’m glad,” he finally answered. “We might not know exactly how this anchor business works, but I have to think you feeling safe around me, around my treasure and magic, is a good start.”
It wasn’t just a good start. It was a wonderous start. It was also completely unexpected.
Unsure what to say, I hung my head and dug my fingers into the earth, finding Martin’s soil soothing not just to the touch, but to my soul.
Ten
Martin
Had Grayson always looked so uncertain? So small and lost? Had my earlier prejudice blinded me so badly I couldn’t see the individual before me clearly enough?
Perhaps. Then again, we all wore masks when confronted by those we didn’t know or situations we found intimidating or uncertain. Perhaps Grayson’s mask was better than most. I found I didn’t like either option, though for vastly different reasons.
Our shared silence wasn’t strained. If anything, it was peaceful. My inner dryad magic contentedly hummed now that it was closer to the part it had willingly given up. I hadn’t gotten the feeling my magic was upset regarding the loss. The gain had been equal if not superior to that which we’d lost.
Grayson’s magic was so much different than my own. For lack of a better word, Grayson’s magic felt a little wild and more than a little mischievous. It danced around, preening for my magic, desperate for any type of attention. My magic seemed all too willing to comply and happily indulged Grayson’s spark. Last night I’d felt his magic zipping through my body, its buzz traveling here and there as my more stoic and steady magic chased it. The joy Grayson’s magic emitted was something I’d never experienced before, and though it had only been two days, I couldn’t imagine parting with it in the future.
That magical spark woke something dormant within me. I felt lighter and freer than I had in years, possibly decades. I was beginning to think my birth soil wasn’t my only treasure.
“I think I’m ready to try again,” Grayson said, breaking the quiet. “Admittedly, I’ve been putting it off.”
“What changed your mind?”
Grayson’s soft chuckle made me reflexively grin. “Henry.”
My eyebrows winged upward. “You don’t say?”
“I do say. There’s a fair amount of wisdom packed into such a little fella.”
I rolled my eyes. “Dear Gaia, don’t let him hear you say that. You should have seen the shit he and Hikaru got up to when…” My words trailed off as I thought of the kitsune and all he’d been through.
