Page 36 of Earth Dragon
“Please,” he muttered, and she knew it was a stupid question.
In the cover of night, there were few places Sir Patrick couldn’t get into.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” she said, then tensed when she heard a footfall behind her. “Hide,” she hissed, turning around and walking to meet Ewan, who must have followed her.
She stepped back into the light, gaze meeting Ewan’s as he came to a halt at the sight of her.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked. “Where are your guards?”
She hadn’t even reflected on the lack of them. She was as much a prisoner without them as she was with them.
“Does it make any difference?” she asked.
“It does to me,” Ewan said sternly.
“Oh, did you come to scold me?”
“No, I came to ask you what exactly your problem is.”
She glanced behind her. She did not need to have this conversation within hearing range of Sir Patrick.
“Can we not speak of this inside?” she asked.
“No,” Ewan declared. “We can speak of it right here. You were the one who said it was a mistake.”
“It was.”
“And now you’re the one acting jilted.”
“I’m… not,” she tried, though she knew she had been. “It’s not your fault,” she added. “The fault is mine. I never should have let it go that far. I never should have… returned…”
“The kiss?” he practically barked when she seemed to have such trouble saying it out loud and she cringed, glancing over her shoulder again. “What?” he asked. “What are you looking at? There’s no one here to hear me, you needn’t worry about keeping our voices down. Kiss!” he yelled and she stepped forward, shushing him, unable to keep a smile down.
Her hands were grasping at his, wanting to make him stop shouting, but the proximity managed other things and she let him go.
She still had his scent all over her.
It was maddening.
“Petrus and Eric will need reprimanding,” he said.
“Don’t be too hard on them. They have to eat sometime.”
“I suppose.”
“Besides, I can’t shift inside the castle walls,” she shrugged. “And where would I go? All I know… Well, all I know is right here.”
“Not all you know,” he said slowly.
“My father,” she elaborated.
“He’s very…”
“I know,” she murmured.
“Cordial,” he offered.
“Indeed,” she said, though the word was far from sufficient in telling her what Ewan made of the lord.
