Page 59 of Swamp Kings 2

“Advise you take it with plenty of water, then.”

He glanced at Seer. “And that’s code for?”

“Gah-day-dawn,” he muttered, his frustration making Bishop laugh.

“What I do now?”

“Where’s my diligent pupil? The water is the word of God, the manual for everything. Which reminds me. They referred to you as a quantum architect but just remember, all that quantum architecting you’re doing is on shit that therealQuantum Architect made. Which makes you only good at using what the real genius created.”

Bishop gave a big laugh at that one. “That is a fucking fact, oui?”

“Damn right it is. So, don’t get arrogant.” He pointed. “That’s our turn.”

Bishop already had his eye on it. His entire being was counting down the seconds before he would hold his wife.

****

Mabel followed her gracious host through the scatter of tents, still reeling from everything, particularly Gideon. The man that had initially struck terror in her was suddenly her savior and protector. It was a real miracle, and it was happening to her of all people. The newest member of The Shunned.

But Gideon flipped that around too. He wasn’t The Shunned, they were, those elders beyond that wall—she had been right all along in her gut. She always knew something was very off in that place, a dirt hiding in the deepest fibers of their righteous rules.

She paused when he stopped and yanked a tent away from another one just before it. Was it a double tent? “I only need one, you know,” she assured, not wanting him to take extra care where it wasn’t needed.

“This one’s mine,” he informed, untying the entrance on hers. “I put it here because you’re a woman in a camp full of men.” He faced her, his powerful, direct gaze sending her blood running. “We don’t have etiquetterules set up where women are concerned other than if you enter a marriage bed with her, then you never leave it. But how they go about doing that is not anybody’s business.” He held his arm toward the opening, that hard gaze not leaving hers. “But since I have claimed you asmineto protect, you’ll remain where I can do that.”

Gracious, that was… “Thank you,” she said, glancing at the opening before running into his hard gaze again. She fought her way out of it, getting ensnared in his naked torso now. “Aren’t you freezing,” she gasped, forcing her eyes off him as her blood rushed to her ears and cheeks.

“We’re used to it.”

She shivered at the thought of living like they did while her pores suddenly craved to feel the warmth of human skin.

“If you get cold, I’ll get you more blankets. But you’ll need to wake me.”

She nodded, kneeling at the door of the tent and peeking in. “Okay.”

“If you need to relieve yourself, you’ll wake me for that too and I’ll accompany you to those... accommodations,” he muttered, like he hadto think up an appropriate word for a bathroom. Mercy, was it a hole in the ground?

She moved her gaze up the tall, chiseled body before her. “Thank you again.” She fought down the shame of being useless baggage. “If… you need anything I can provide, let me know. Medically,” she added, hearing how that might sound.

“I’ll let you know if I need a band-aid.”

She regarded him, the moonlight too faint to read his face. She wondered then. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

He glanced up for two seconds. “Ten o’clock.”

“Is that… moon time?” she marveled, looking up at the towering trees, amazed.

“It’s the time according to the moon, yes.”

She watched him walk off, but he didn’t get far before returning with an armful of wood and dropping it on the ground. She made out a spot for a fire. She realized the area was a bit private with its ownthings, even seating. She spied something hanging over the pit. “Do you need help?” she offered, the idea of a fire bringing that ever-hungry need for warmth. The fur pelt was actually pretty lovely, it blocked the wind where it covered her, but she was cold down to her bones and felt like it would take a whole year to heat them back up.

“Go to sleep.”

Right. She doubted she could. “I’m suddenly more cold than tired and unless you can put a fire in my bed, I don’t think I can sleep.”

“A fire in your bed,” he mumbled, his amused tone sending a flash of alarm through her. “Icannotprovide that,” he assured.

“I didn’t mean that kind of fire,” she said at his last adamant tone. “Why is your mind bent toward the gutter?”

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