Page 69 of The Anointed's Paladin

Nidori approached, Kaine not far behind her. I folded my arms, scowling at them. They were pristine.

“Talon, you seem tense.” Nidori laced her fingers together innocently.

Kaine raised an eyebrow at the dead erusei on the ground.

“I’mfilthy!” I said, my voice cracking. “And I don’t have a shirt anymore!”

“I mean, you don’t really need one, right?” Nidori said hopefully. Kaine turned his attention back to us. He didn’t look the least bit sorry.

“Apologise!” I demanded.

“Bad luck, mate.” Kaine shrugged, turning to go.

“Bad luck?!” I said with a strangled growl, leaping at him. He let out a yelp as I tackled him to the ground.

“You arrogant, pretentious—agh! You could at leastpretendto care,” I said as we rolled over, struggling until I was on top of him. Finally, I managed to pin him down.

He paused, then grinned at up me. “I should piss you off more often,” he said, hand trailing up to my neck. The hair on my nape stood up as I became very aware of how our bodies were pinned together. I struggled to stay focused. Make him apologise. He couldn’t flirt his way out of this one.

“Stop that,” I snapped, swatting him away. “I need an apology.”

“For what?”

“Um, for blowing up the bridge? For attracting the erusei!?”

He met my gaze, his face softening. My train of thought crashed and completely derailed as his fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, so he could whisper in my ear.

“Come on, darling, you know apologies aren’t my style,” he said in a low voice. “How about I make it up to you later?”

I cleared my throat.

“I guess that’s acceptable,” I managed to say.

“So,” he said, meeting my eyes and raising an eyebrow, “are you going to get off me?”

Right. I sat back, and he raised himself up on his elbows, shooting me a cheeky grin.

I blinked, trying to figure out if I’d won or not. I jumped as Nidori popped up beside him.

“I am so sorry, Talon,” she said somberly. “I can make you a vine weave shirt, if you want.”

“Sure,” I said, and she beamed, twisting her hand and growing a thin tangle of vines and leaves to cover me. I stood, testing it. The texture was strange—smooth and almost damp—but it would have to do for now.

“Please don’t tackle me,” she said, looking up at me with her large eyes. “At least, not till I’m bigger.”

I gave her a crooked smile. “I promise, Kaine is the only one I’ll be tackling.”

Kaine shot me a wink.

31

Little cabin in the woods

Talon

Nidori tugged on my hair. “Stop.”

I stopped. It had started raining, coming down in a miserable drizzle.

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