Page 21 of Sanctuary of the Shadow
As if he were following her thoughts, that distrustful look slowly bled from his features.
And then he took a bite.
She froze, holding her breath. Somehow, waiting to see his reaction to that silly cookie was the most exciting thing that had happened to her in years. He chewed, a frown creasing his brow.
His eyes widened slightly and shot back to hers as he swallowed.
“Do you like it?” She was beside herself. She had to know.
He looked down at the cookie and then back at her.
And then he smiled.
His mouth curved upward, creasing his cheeks. And his eyes… The real smile was in his eyes. The flames in them seemed to burn brighter, and they crinkled in the corners and took her breath away all over again.
Her own face split into a smile so wide it hurt. “You like it?”
He nodded.
She grinned. Ridiculously. “Me too. They’re my favorite.”
Raith picked up another cookie from the napkin and held it out to her.
Her smile dropped, and she stared at that outstretched hand as emotion choked her. He was being kept in a cage like an animal, yet his first instinct was to share with her. His smile was so genuine and guileless, looking at him felt like a fist squeezing her heart. How could Salizar do this to him? How could anyone ever want to hurt him?
He shook the cookie at her, reminding her to take it.
She accepted his gift and spoke around the sudden lump in her throat. “Thank you.”
They ate together in silence, holding eye contact the entire time. Her skin felt hot from the intensity of his attention, yet she had no desire to escape it. When the cookies were gone, they ate the fruit and the muffins and the scones and the cheese.
She passed them all to him to inspect, and after he tasted them and deemed them worthy, he passed some back to her to share. He didn’t speak a word the entire time. He didn’t need to. Somehow, she understood him perfectly.
After the food was gone, she pulled out an old book of Seer folktales and, though she felt silly and nearly lost her nerve, she offered to read him one. He nodded, and she ended up reading half the book. She stayed there until her candle burned down to a waxy stump and the walls of the tent started to turn a pale gray as the sun rose, and she knew it was time to go.
Climbing up from where she’d taken up residence on the ground, her back against the cage so Raith could follow over her shoulder, she stuffed everything back into her sack.
Turning to face him, she offered a smile. “Would you like me to visit again tomorrow?”
He looked hesitant, and her heart sank a little. She’d thought he’d enjoyed her company, but perhaps he would rather be left alone?
But then he said, “It’s not safe.”
The sound of his voice sent a shiver running through her. “Don’t worry about me. I know how to be sneaky, and I won’t get caught.”
He said nothing, and she decided that meant he had enjoyed her company after all but was concerned for her safety. The relief she felt was stronger than it perhaps should have been.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then, Raith.” Smiling, she swung the considerably lighter bag over her shoulder. It was strange how badly she didn’t want to go.
He smiled back, and her heart raced.
She was definitely returning tomorrow.
…
Raith sat on the floor, leaning against the cage bars, and watched Salizar conversing in low tones with Loren. The new sign had been completed several days ago, spelling mistake-free, and the two men now discussed the terrible monster it described and how they would force it to entertain humans in the days to come.
Raith tuned out their conversation, uninterested in their constant plotting. Instead, he thought about the woman who visited him at night.
