Page 12 of Dawn to Dusk
I stared at him for a long minute, trying to find the trap. His lips tensed, sensing my reserve, and a line creased between his eyebrows. He kept his hand firmly in place, refusing to move it.
My hand slid through his, and his powerful grip squeezed my fingers with an odd gentleness. “I’ll accept the offer of a fresh start.”
He leaned to kiss my fingers in a gentlemanly fashion. “Thank you.”
Edur not theorizing my death was a sexy situation. As if he was not already attractive, now he was being sweet too.
I sat across from him, enjoying his mother’s delicious cooking, stealing glances at him whenever he wasn’t looking at me. I pretended to stare off into the distance and found a blue flower I couldn’t identify.
I leaned down to grab the stalk but didn’t pick it out of respect for Balthazar’s love for plants. The tall flower wascovered in tiny frilly petals. Very distinctive, but I’d never seen it before.
Edur’s feet came into view, before he crouched down to be face to face. “I know you are not this quiet around your friends.”
“Is that what we are now? Friends?” I wasn’t sure if Mirneax was present or if it was just me getting warmer.
His head tilted to the side as he beamed at me. “I’m trying to be, but your silence is not helping.”
I chuckled. “I’m trying to identify this flora.”
“‘Tis a bluebonnet.”
“A what?” I never heard of that one.
“It is only found in a certain area in New Spain.” He explained. “Balthazar grows a bunch of stuff that isn’t native here.”
“What purpose does it serve?”
“To be pretty?” He shrugged.
“I found a book of native flora for the area that is unhelpful. If Balthazar is growing things from other places, that explains it.” I clicked my tongue. “I need a better book.”
Amusement danced in his eyes. “Why do you need to know? You are a sol witch.”
“Potions. It’s hard to work with tools I don’t understand. God Herth is a heavy hitter in the magic world, especially potions. It’s hard to do anything without tapping into the earth a little bit.”
“I guess that makes sense.” He considered my words. “Are you coming to the bonfire tonight?”
I shook my head no before he even got the words out of his mouth.
“They need to get to know you to warm up to your presence.”
“I don’t leave my room at night.”
Understanding tensed his features, remembering what he saw. “I would say there is nothing like that here, but I think I would be wasting my breath.”
“I’m working on it.” At a turtle’s pace, but I was a work in progress.
“Everyone here has their quirks, but joining us at mealtimes would be a healthy step towards putting your roots down here.”
“I have no desire to make anyone uncomfortable in their own home.” I saw the way people guarded their families with fear in their eyes.
“This is your home now too.”
“I don’t have a home.” I never did. Just half safe places to put my head down at night. If I had to say there was a place where I belonged, it was that little back bedroom that Calida and Drakko kept hidden for me.
“Is that how you really feel?” He asked me quietly. I swallowed harshly and kept an even face. His pale blues saddened, like he saw right through me. Like he could see all the ripped holes that were on the inside.
I jerked back to sit properly in my chair, hoping the distance would help. “Quit staring at me like that.”
