Page 89 of Smoke and Flame

It was clear to Morlie that Eilidh desired the auburn-headed guy as much as he wanted her.As far as Morlie noticed, Eilidh kept her distance and was the one to maintain a ‘friends only’ boundary line.

Eilidh let out a heavy sigh and blinked away the matching flames of lust in her eyes.“You ready, Morlie?”

“Wait.”Morlie looked around, realizing some of their friend group was missing.“Where’s Saphira...Irad?”They had started with them and were a part of the group rushing ahead of her and Eilidh.

Anguis’s chuckle rang out through the forest.“Those two are going at it somewhere.They’ll be catch up.”

Going at it?Morlie gasped, shocked.She couldn’t imagine desiring anyone that much that she had to run off into the woods to be with them.She stared up at Anguis, who had moved to the next branch.“Wait...I thought you two—”

“Naw.”Anguis waved his hand away at Morlie’s unfinished words.“We were just messing around that night.Saphira’s not my mate, nor are we attached only to each other.”He winked at her.

Morlie blushed at his flirtation.It wasn’t the first time that someone in their group had let her know they’d be willing to have sex with her if she wanted it.As she’d told Kai, the Drahks were gorgeous, but her blood didn’t warm a little for any of them.She wished it did.

Then again, she could not imagine sharing her partner so freely with others.It wasn’t what she wanted.Maybe because, in the Dispatch, her parents’ love relationship was rare.In the years since her parents’ death, most people only got together for government stipends.

Concentrating on what was before her, she faced Eilidh.“Tell me what to do.”

Eilidh nodded.“Pick the tree you want.Make sure it has a branch low enough for you to reach but sturdy enough to hold your weight.”

Morlie turned to the tree beside her.The branch before her was narrow, and she could wrap her hand around it if she reached up.However, the tree was wide, and overhead, she could see plenty of thick, full branches.Moving around to the other side, she spotted the perfect limb.Morlie stretched her arms up and could barely brush her fingertips over the rough texture.

Refusing to give up, she rubbed her hands together, squatted, and then sprung up.When she grabbed ahold of the tree, she smiled—and hung there, her body swinging back and forth.

She tried to pull herself up as she’d seen Anguis and Linda do, but she didn’t have enough hand or arm strength to accomplish the move.

“Ugh!”She groaned in frustration as she dropped with a thud to the ground.Staring at Eilidh, she said, “I can’t do it.”

“Of course, you can, Morlie.Just inyourway.”Fafner’s low, intense voice came from behind her.

Aggravated, Morlie turned around with her hands on her hips and shot Fafner a look.“What way is that?A human way?”

“Yes.”Fafner returned, unfazed by her irritation.

When he stepped closer, Morlie thought he would give her a boost, but he didn’t touch her.

“Move a little closer to the tree's base,” he instructed.

Still frustrated, Morlie followed his guidance and moved toward the tree.

“This time, when you grab the branch, place your feet against the trunk.Use them as a counterbalance and take some weight off your arms as you pull yourself up.”

“You can do it, Morlie,” Eilidh encouraged.

“You got this!”Linda called out from somewhere above in her designated tree.

Nodding, Morlie took Fafner’s advice and began.Quicker than expected, she perched up on the first branch and then the second.Smiling, she swung her feet and teased, “You two going to stay down there and make out or join the rest of us up here.”

Eilidh blanched.

Fafner chuckled.“You keep going, Morlie.We’re right behind you.”He rushed off to the tree beside her and started up it fast.

“Be careful, Morlie.If you fall and hurt yourself, Kai may try and kill me,” Eilidh joked.She laughed as she climbed up the same tree Morlie was on.

Morlie laughed, too, as she moved alongside the other young woman.She was thankful for Eilidh’s consideration of her abilities and that she didn’t race to the top like the others, leaving her behind.

“Wow.This view is breathtaking.”As Morlie straddled a branch high in the tree, she locked her legs at the ankle and refused to look down and see how far the ground sat under her feet.She didn’t think she feared heights but wouldn’t use this moment to test it.Morlie soaked in the view before her as she kept her gaze on the violet horizon about the treetops and stared at the mountains in the distance.

“It is an amazing sight.”Eilidh leaned against the trunk and stretched her legs along the branch.

---