Page 21 of The Witch's Shifter
The thought of sinking into warm water up to my chin almost makes me sigh aloud. “Please.”
“We’ll get you taken care of,” she says, then vanishes back into the kitchen.
Already feeling better, I strip off my cloak and drape it over my bag, then stretch my arms overhead as the fire in the hearth crackles behind me.
Perhaps this trip won’t be so bad after all.
Chapter 15
Rowan
EVEN IN THE DARKNESS, I can see the blue of his eyes, the almost unnatural glow of them from the depths of the cave.
“It’s me,” I say. “Rowan.”
As soon as my name leaves my lips, Faolan growls, the sound low and rumbling. He readjusts again, pushing himself up into a seated position, and now I can tell that he’s in his human form. That, at least, puts me somewhat at ease.
“What are you doing here, little knight?” Each word is sharp, edged in scorn. Not that I can blame him.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
There’s a tense beat of silence.
“Why?”
“To bring you back.”
His blue eyes narrow. For a moment, he regards me, perhaps trying to discern if I’m lying to him.
“You made your feelings very clear.” His voice is low, and if I’m not mistaken, it sounds tired. “But now you seek me out?”
I sigh. My cloak, heavy with rainwater, drips onto my boots. Outside, the storm continues to rage.
“Before, I behaved . . . emotionally. I was worried.”
“Because I am a shifter,” he says. “You thought I was a danger to her.”
And to my unborn child—and I still do. What I don’t tell him is that I was jealous as well, not willing to share Aurora with him. That part I still need to figure out on my own.
Tersely, I say, “Yes.”
Faolan makes a low sound, a huff of what could be annoyance, or perhaps disinterest. He leans his head back against the stone and draws his knees into his chest. Though I can’t see his skin clearly from this distance, what I can see is him flinch as he moves. He’s indeed wounded—only time will tell how badly.
“I understand,” he says finally. His voice is slowly losing its sharp edge. He must be exhausted. “But I won’t hurt the witch.”
There’s a long pause. I shift my boots on the rock, and tiny stones scratch beneath them.
I don’t know if I believe him, but I trust Aurora, and she trusts him. Now that I’ve taken some time to reflect on my recent behavior, I realize I can’t let my desire to protect her outweigh my respect for her and her own decisions.
Though the words want to get stuck in my throat, I force them out. “Then we’d like you to come back.”
Faolan chuckles, then winces. “We?Are you sure about that?” The cold blue of his eyes challenges me.
“No. But Aurora wants you back, and I want Aurora to be happy.”
“So, you came all the way out here just to find me?”
I nod once, sending a wet strand of red hair swinging in front of my eyes.
