Page 84 of Galadon
She blinked. “But my mother always said it was a waste of…”
“No.” I cupped her cheek. “You told me yourself you could never please her, so why let her ruin this as well?”
Rayna opened her mouth, then closed it. “I guess you have a point.”
I turned my attention to the man. “How long will it take for the chest to be completed?”
“I only have a few orders ahead of you, so two to three weeks.” He glanced at Rayna. “If she were willing to provide a few more designs I could use for the pre-made chests, I’d be willing to give you a discount."
I didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on Rayna. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Wait.” She put a hand on my arm and turned her gaze to the human. “I’ll work on them between now and when we pick up the chest. I’ll be coming near here to hunt anyway, and if you like the designs, we can talk about a discount.”
“You’re a slayer—like the pendragon’s wife?” the man asked, eyebrows lifting.
She nodded. “Yes, though I recently moved to Faegud territory in Texas. I still come up here to hunt Kandoran, though.”
“Were you here for the war?”
“Yes.” She gestured at me. “We both fought in it.”
“I admit I hid underground when the battle came close, but I’ve heard plenty of stories. I’ll never understand how you all stood fighting while badly outnumbered, then survived and won. Those of us who couldn’t join appreciate what you did and your sacrifices. Anyway, slayers automatically get a ten percent discount on top of whatever we agree on with your sketches,” he said, tapping her paper.
“Sounds great.”
Despite the human not being a warrior, I found myself liking him. He wasn’t in the kind of physical shape needed to fight against an enemy, but he still did what he could to support those who protected him and other innocents. The world needed all types of people to flourish.
“I assume you’d like a deposit now?” I asked, making certain I used as friendly a voice as possible.
He nodded, appearing less tense than before as he met my gaze. “We prefer half up front. I’d say a hundred and thirty-five for the chest at the current discount.”
Rayna gasped. “But…”
I squeezed her hand. “Also, I want her to choose something smaller today that she can take with her. How much would that be?”
“Twenty-five for any of the ones along that wall,” he said, pointing to our right. There were numerous chests that could suit her. “The ones on the bottom shelf are all flame-proof for five extra.”
Rayna hesitated for a moment, but I was rather certain the adamant look on my face told her not to argue. She skimmed over the ones on the bottom shelf until she came upon one that caught her eye. Picking it up, she brought it back to the counter. It was a simple design with a single rose.
“This one.”
I was beginning to think I’d never be able to predict what she would do next.
Pulling from shiggara, I dropped the exact number of necessary coins. Some were larger and worth five or ten, but they would add up correctly. It still didn’t bother me when the proprietor counted them out. I would have done the same. Then, he made out a receipt for the transaction. I took it and sent it to shiggara before I could singe the paper.
“We will get you parchment and other supplies for sketching from the fortress, so they will be flameproof,” I told Rayna.
She knitted her brows. “Oh, right. Good idea.”
I was rather certain she wasn’t accustomed to anyone taking care of her. If I were honest, I wasn’t used to doing things for another person, either. I’d begun with my mother, so I’d had some practice before Rayna came along, but it was different with her. The amount of pleasure I derived from making my mate the slightest bit happier was something I never anticipated.
She clutched the chest as we departed the shop. I offered to take it for her, but she refused to let it go like it was the most important treasure in the world. It made me feel pleased that I’d added it to the order. I knew very well the larger chest had a practical use, even if it was nicer and costlier. The small one would be to store the items she didn’t necessarily need.
“Thank you,” she said, throwing her free arm around me and kissing me on the cheek. “You’ve made me happier than you know.”
Somehow, she managed to lift my mood even higher with a few words. I’d become accustomed to long periods of feeling little to nothing, but with her, I felt everything. A question had been lingering in my mind the last few days, and now seemed as good a time as any to ask.
“After we handle the Kandoran threat, would you consider doing a bonding ceremony?” I asked, nervous about her answer. While we didn’t need anything official, it would help others see how serious we were about our relationship, and I wanted them to know she had become the most precious person in the world to me.
