Page 250 of Kingdoms of Night

Geraint reached to pull the garment from Enid’s shoulders, but she held fast.

“No, it’s not improper,” she said. “I thank you for the gift of your body heat. It’s very thoughtful.”

Thoughtfulness wasn’t something she was used to in the male species. Male fae often reached higher for the sun, overshadowing their female counterparts, who had to make do with shade.

Geraint smiled at Enid’s compliment. Enid snuggled into Geraint’s garment. Sir Gawain cleared his throat.

Giving himself a visible shake, Geraint nodded. His smile doused, and his look turned serious as he regarded Enid. "Are you running from your father? Is that why we're here?"

Enid wanted to get away from her father. But running was not a plant's strong suit. What she needed was to find better soil.

"If so, I can protect you."

If ever you need it, for the rest of my days, my sword is at your command.That’s what this was all about. Though she knew Geraint could not protect her from her father. He couldn’t protect himself from her father. He'd played right into Gyges’ hands back at the ring tournament.

“This is the realm of the frost giants. One of the princes... Prince Vidar..."

Why was she finding this so hard to say? Because she'd been bested again by another man? Well, that would be the last time.

Enid was a powerful fae. She had power over the flora on the earth. She had power over the energy within the earth. The only thing she did not have power over was her destiny. That would change today.

“Vidar took possession of my flower.”

The wind changed. Before it had been blowing steadily, with enough force to lift the tendrils of her hair and freeze the ends. A mighty gust shoved at Enid’s front. It ripped the veil from her head and sent it sailing on the wind’s currents. The air moved with enough force to lift her toes and rock her back on her heels. The curious thing was this wind was filled with heat and not cold.

Looking up, she saw that Geraint’s eager features had iced over. His nostrils flared, reminding Enid of a raging furnace. His teeth were bared, reminding her of the carnivorous plants in the gardens back at her home.

“This man deflowered you?" asked Geraint.

What an odd way of wording it.

A series of emotions skated across the knight’s face. Enid wasn’t used to reading emotions. Those in the fae court were far too skilled at hiding their own. Geraint clearly hadn’t had any of those lessons. The lines of his brow reminded her of neat flower beds. Her finger itched to press into the furrows. Instead, she clenched her hands at her side.

His anger was a good thing. She needed him willing and ready to wield it. She needed his sword.

“You wish me to fight for your honor?” said Geraint, his hand on his sword.

"I want my flower back,” she said.

Again Geraint's gaze went confused, and then pitying. A glance over his shoulder at his brother knight showed the same expression.

The skepticism had gone from Gawain’s eyes as he regarded her now. Pity weighed down his brow. Enid had the notion that something was getting lost in translation. But she wasn’t sure what. So she decided to make her request plain and clear.

"Will you help me retrieve my flower back from Prince Vidar?”

CHAPTERFOUR

Geraint wanted to punch something. Thankfully, he was in luck because the lady was asking him to commit violence to the one who had taken her honor. No, she hadn’t actually asked him to punch the villain, but Geraint was having selective hearing at the moment.

It was men like this foul coward that made women cross the street at night in a well-lit area. It was men like this gutless wretch that had women threading their fingers through their car keys instead of holding hands with a lover when they rounded corners. It was men like this yellow-bellied refuse that had women on their guard when they were approached by any man because they couldn’t know the content of his character just by looking at him.

To women in the modern age, all men were nothing more than loaded guns. There was no way of telling by looking at a man if he was empty of ammunition, bore dummy rounds, or was fully loaded. Without the ability to peer into the barrel of a man’s being, modern women had to treat each and every man as though he was ready to do her damage until he proved himself worthy of her time and attention.

Some man had gotten past Enid’s defenses and blasted a hole in this sweet, delicate creature. Geraint would tear that man apart with his bare hands. At his side, his sword hummed its approval of the plan.

Enid had consumed his every thought since the moment he’d laid eyes on her. It sickened him that he hadn’t been here for her when her honor was assaulted. He thanked the Goddess that it was him that she’d turned to in her time of need.

He would fight this battle for her. He would walk into moving traffic for her. He would bust down any door for her. He would put the weight of the world on his shoulders for this woman.

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