Page 16 of Purring for Her Lion
“A magical town.”
“With magical residents,” he concedes. “But no pointy hats.”
“Disappointing,” I mutter, grinning. “What about you? Are you magical? Besides the whole…” I gesture at him, “…lion thing.”
He exhales through his nose. “I’m Rodinian. Not magic. Biology.”
“But you work with magical creatures?”
“Yes.”
“So you must have some kind of magical ability? Or special training?”
His tail flicks against the seat. “Special training.”
Apparently that’s all I’m getting.
As we drive, the landscape shifts. Trees grow older, trunks thicker, leaves deeper green. The sky is bluer, more vivid. I roll down my window, breathing in air that tastes different. Cleaner, but also… charged.
“It smells like…” I inhale, searching for the word. “Rain before it falls. Honey. And something sparkly.”
“Sparkly isn’t a smell,” Roarke says, but he doesn’t sound annoyed.
“It is here,” I insist, leaning out the window to catch more of it. Wind whips my hair, cool and wild. I close my eyes, let it wash over me.
A large hand grabs the back of my shirt and yanks me back in.
“Hey!” I protest, turning to glare at him.
“Keep your head inside the vehicle,” he growls.
“I wasn’t going to fall out!”
“You were halfway out the window.”
“I was experiencing the journey!”
He gives me a look that would shrivel most people. I just cross my arms and pout.
“You’re no fun,” I mutter.
“And you’re a safety hazard,” he counters, eyes on the road.
But he doesn’t let go of my shirt.
“Are you seriously going to hold onto me the whole way there?” I ask.
“If I have to.”
I try to wiggle free, but his grip is steady. “This is ridiculous. I’m not a child.”
“Then don’t act like one.”
I gasp, offended. “I am not acting like a child! I’m acting like someone who’s never been to a magical town before and is appropriately excited!”
“Hm,” is all he says, not releasing my shirt.
After a few more futile tugs, I slump in my seat. “Fine. You win. I’ll be a model passenger.”
