Page 35 of Don't Fae With Dragons

“I doubt they would,” I sigh with half a grin. “Max has thoroughly avoided me since we met, and Cory is ... not someone I trust myself to see in a friendly capacity, at this time. I don’t think he can trust himself with me either. It’s business-onlywith him, as far as I’m concerned. I need him to help me break the curse or whatever it is that ails Ethelinda, that’s it. Plus, I wouldn’t want to intrude, anyway, on your time together.”

At my last comment, Port bursts into laughter. “Oh, that’s perfect,” he says.

“What is it?”

“Just what you said: our ‘time together.’ I suppose we are a pack, so it’s to be expected, but – you know, I think we’d all feel a little better with you around, Mili.”

“Why? You hardly know me.” I ask, now completely lost.

Port brushes my words away with a wave of his hand. “Oh, never mind. Just think about it, will you?”

With a reluctant sigh, I realize Port is not letting this go, so I nod and tentatively agree. He smiles widely at me, then, and takes one of my hands in his. My eyes go wide as he presses it to his lips, and I feel myself silently swoon at the sudden romantic gesture.

My eyes go wide as I start to blush. “Port–”

“Don’t worry, Mili,” he interrupts. “It means nothing.”

He winks, though, and I can’t say I’m entirely convinced.

CHAPTER 23: MILI

After I get back to my room, I close the door behind me with a heavy exhale. My mind reels from the utterly casual way Port walked me back to my chamber, the easy gait he had, the lifting speech. I can’t understand how he can be so easily romantic, so lovely, and so handsome, and apparently think nothing of it.

I lay out the two bowls – one from me, one from him–and start to sort through what Port has picked that’s poisonous. Unfortunately, despite my efforts in teaching him, he hasn’t gotten much better at discerning what wild things are healing, and which are deadly.

I’m just settling into the rhythm of sorting through the forage when a loud knock sounds on my door. The noise makes me jump, and I breathe quickly as my heart starts to pound. Apparently, my instincts are still shattered, and I immediately start looking for an escape route from the possible intruder.

Then Cory’s voice rings out cheerfully, “Oh, Milica?” and I curse myself silently for still being so shaken.

I realize that the baskets with his shredded gifts to me are strewn across my bed, and I quickly knock them to the floor where they’re hidden from the door. Once they’re suitably hidden, I go to open it, cracking it just so that I can see him.

“Hello?”

“Mili!” he exclaims, quickly standing straighter. “I didn’t realize you were actually here. I’m sorry for my ... silly tone.”

Realizing he’s actually flustered makes my heart flip. I lean against the doorframe, a helpless smile curving my lips, and he looks past me to the bed.

“You’ve got a lot of random plants there, Mili.” I quickly step out into the hall, closing the door behind me, and Cory laughs. “No, please don’t be offended that I mentioned it. It’s just funny, having a faery around, that’s all.”

I arch an eyebrow, still smiling against my will. “You have lots of faery guardians, though, don’t you?”

Cory scratches his hair, now frowning. “Well, I suppose so.”

“Then it can’t be that strange, can it?”

At my little snarky remark, Cory scowls, and I find myself giggling quietly.

“Oh, don’t tease, none are like you” he says with a roll of his eyes. “I came because I’m worried about you, for the Realm’s sake.”

“You’re worried?” the words spring out of me before I can stop them, my shock painfully clear. I mentally berate myself,of course he’s worried! You arrived half-dead to the volcano, anyway.

Then, all of a sudden, the playful Cory I’d been speaking to vanishes. Just like that, his eyes steel over again, and he stands taller than I remembered he could.

“Mili,” he says sternly, “I have been worried since youarrivedhere. I came to ask because I don’t think you’ve beenfollowing my instructions.” I open my mouth to argue, because for the Realm’s sake he’s not in charge of me, but he continues, “Have you been healing, or have you simply been wandering about the forest with no caution whatsoever?”

At that, my breath catches in my throat. I’d half forgotten that I was technically forbidden from leaving the volcano, especially out of Cory’s sight. Cory cocks his head mechanically, and I feel a flicker of heat and fear run down my back. It’s hard to focus around him –he’s so handsome, but so fearsome, all at once.

“You’re not a prisoner here, Milica, but I strongly recommend you follow my orders – forbothof our sakes.”

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