Page 78 of Kissing Potions and Elves
Rhystan studies me a moment before turning away. Thankfully, he doesn’t press any further.
When Lyrion returns, my chest squeezes at the sight of him, my heart pounding anxiously. “Did you feel it?” I blurt out.
Concern flickers in his violet eyes. “Feel what?”
“The proximity spell.”
His brow furrows, then softens as realization enters his eyes. “You’re right… I felt it too, just not nearly as strong. It must be fading.” He lingers on me for a moment, as if weighing his next words, before quietly adding, “You must be glad.”
My pulse stutters. “I—” In truth, I don’t want it to fade; I’m afraid of what that might mean. But I can’t tell him this, so instead I force out a safer question. “Are you… glad?”
Rhystan looks between us and rolls his eyes. “Really, you two?” He shakes his head and guides Asher a few paces away. “Let’s give them a moment, shall we?” he tells the Dire Wolf.
Lyrion’s eyes search mine. “I think… perhaps we no longer need magic to keep us close.”
Fragile hope blooms in my chest. His words could mean anything, but in this moment, I choose to believe they mean what I pray they do. “You really think so?”
A faint smile curves his mouth. “I do.”
As we continue our journey, I catch myself smiling several times. Although neither of us have declared anything, it’s as if things have somehow changed between us.
Doubt tries to creep in, but I force it back down. We can talk more about this later, when it’s just the two of us. For now, I’m going to just enjoy this time we have together.
When we reach the manor house, it’s already dark. The Dire Wolves have already returned to the woods. I was sad to saygoodbye to Nyxus and Asher, but Lyrion promised we could visit them whenever we wish.
Hilda greets us warmly, fussing as she helps us unload our things, while Errol winds around our legs, yowling loudly and insistently.
“Here we go,” Rhystan chuckles warmly as he pets Errol. “Yes, we missed you terribly. And we rode as fast as we could to return to you, my friend.”
Errol yowls again, louder this time, dramatically pawing at Rhystan’s tunic.
“Yes, yes, I’m sure the house felt quite empty and you and Hilda were terribly lonely,” Lyrion replies dryly, a hint of amusement curling his lips. “Clearly you both suffered immensely.”
Errol immediately trots over to me, circling my legs and meowing insistently, demanding attention. Laughing, I scoop him up into my arms. “I missed you too, Errol,” I murmur as he rubs against me.
Rhystan grins widely. “He says he endured unimaginable hardships in our absence.”
“Poor thing.” Lyrion snorts, reaching over to scratch Errol’s ears. “It looks as though Hilda spoiled you while we were gone. Truly tragic,” he teases.
Errol lifts his head with a dignified huff, pleased by the attention.
After I’ve unpacked my things, I step back out into the hallway and find Lyrion waiting. “Do you have a moment to talk?” he asks.
I nod. A slight prickle of unease moves through me. I’m nervous, worried that maybe I’ve misread how things are between us.
The uncertainty is unbearable, and the question slips out before I can stop it. “The proximity spell seems to be fading.I was wondering if maybe you…” My voice falters. I want to ask how he feels about me, but the words lodge in my throat. Instead, I manage, “I suppose this means Errol and I could return to my apartment soon.”
“Um… yes.” Lyrion frowns. “I mean… if that’s what you want.”
“I’ve got dinner ready in here,” Hilda calls up from the kitchen, interrupting the moment. “It’s late. You should eat. You’ve both got an early day tomorrow.”
I glance at the clock on the mantel. It is late and Lyrion is grumpy if he doesn’t get at least six or seven hours of sleep. And his breakfast tea, of course. But perhaps he won’t need to worry about any of that now.
“Maybe by morning, you won’t even need to accompany me to the café.” I really want him to come, but if the spell is faded enough to allow him to remain at home, I don’t want to force him. “I’m sure you would prefer to remain here to work on your book.”
Lyrion’s brow furrows. “Perhaps it’s best not to test it with that sort of distance between us just yet. Don’t you think?”
Relief fills me. “I agree.”
