Page 34 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
“She is your woman? You are… together? With her?”
“What?” Felix nearly dropped the rock in his hand. “No. I’m just her guard.” Leif raised an eyebrow and gave him a sideways glance.
“Oh,” Beorn said. The grin spreading across his face made Felix scoff.
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
“Why not?” Beorn replied with genuine surprise in his voice. “You said she’s not yours? Then she might as well enjoy herself, no? She’s a beautiful woman.”
Felix’s grip tightened on the rock in his hand. He got up and stalked over, eyes narrowed. Beorn tilted his head at him in confusion.
“And you think she’denjoy herselfwith a moron like you? She’s not anyone’s property. Say that again and I’ll break your fucking jaw.”
Beorn’s grin faltered. His stance was loose, casual, off balance. Hands in pockets. Unarmed. Naïve. Back in the pits in Azuill, Beorn would’ve lasted maybe five seconds. Three, if Felix was in a bad mood. He took another step closer. Beorn instinctively recoiled.
But… nobody was going to thank him for picking a fight in this village, Isolde least of all. And he had no claim on her, regardless. Whether she wanted to entertain the advances of some utter idiot like this guy was her decision to make. He stopped advancing, giving Beorn a long glare instead. He wisely took the hint, stammered a vague goodbye to Leif and left.
Behind him, Leif whistled. “Do you threaten to hit people a lot, or only when they show interest in the pretty girls you areguarding?”
Felix whirled on him, hands clenched into fists. “You want to find out?”
“Woah, woah, easy,” Leif said, both palms in the air. “I’m nice! I promise. Don’t hurt me.”
A chuckle escaped Felix before he could help it. He shook his head and tossed the rock into the pond with a plunk, then turned to walk back into the village. Leif joined him once more and picked up the chatter without skipping a beat. “So, you’re from Azuill, right?”
“Yes.”
“Did you grow up there?”
“Yes.”
“What’s your family like?”
Felix snorted. “No idea.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means drop it.”
Leif raised his eyebrows in confusion and did not drop it. “Does it mean you have no family? I only have my sister and aunt here. Mum moved back to her home village when my father passed. Best hunter in the village, he was! Taught me everything I know.”
“Doyou share your entire life story with every complete stranger who passes through here, or am I special?”
“You’re special,” Leif said with a wide grin. Felix shook his head.
When he reached the horse paddock, he gripped the wooden rail until his knuckles ached. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to find something to punch or laugh at the absurdity of it all. Leif casually leaned on the fence beside him.
“So, you and the Aelithar…?”
Felix didn’t look at him. “Mind your business.”
“Right then,” Leif said cheerfully, and started whistling.
Felix stared out over the paddock. Even though he had no claim on her, some swaggering fool thinking Isolde was fair game made his blood boil. He had no right to feel this way, no right at all, but that didn’t seem to make any difference. She wasn’t his, but hells take the next idiot who thought she was available.
***
When he got back to the cabin, Leif still on his heels like an overeager puppy, Felix nearly collided with Isolde.
