Page 37 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
Isolde’s head turned in his direction, and her eyes caught his for a brief moment before she hurriedly looked away again.
Asara laughed quietly. “My brother thinks you are very intriguing.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“I do, too.”
Well, she was certainly not playing coy. Felix chuckled. “Do you? Why is that?”
Across the campfire, Beorn was listening intently to something Isolde was telling him, his eyes never leaving her face.
“You’re clearly not in your element here, yet you’re still the most dangerous man around this fire. I like that.”
“Hmm, I find women are more often the dangerous ones,” Felix replied. Asara laughed.
Isolde caught his eye again, for the briefest moment.
“My people are usually wary of strangers, you know,” Asara said.
Felix turned to her. “You don’t seem to have any reservations.”
“Me? No, I can overlook a bit of prejudice… for a good cause.” Asara made a point of dragging her gaze down his body, then back up to his face with a wolfish smile. Her boldness reminded him of Mia. He would have liked her, before…Before what?From the corner of his eye, Felix saw Beorn take Isolde’s hand and bring it to his lips. His grip on his mug tightened, bile rising in his throat.
Asara leaned in closer. “Felix?”
“What? Sorry,” he said. “I… was just thinking.”
Her lips curled in a teasing smile. “You’re very mysterious.”
He forced a small smile in return, then reached out and twirled one of her braids between his fingers. “You’re very persistent.”
She laughed, swatting his arm playfully.
Across the fire, Isolde rose abruptly from her seat. She smiled at Beorn but gestured for him to stay where he was. He hesitated before sitting down, and she walked off. Moments later, Beorn got up anyway, trailing after her.
Asara was leaning in close to Felix, whispering something in his ear, her breath on his neck, her fingers brushing his wrist. All he could see was Beorn’s back, retreating from the firelight, heading into the darkness of the village beyond. An unpleasant feeling crawled down his spine, setting all his senses on edge. He jumped up from the bench as if stung.
“Sorry, Asara,” he said, barely looking at her. “I have to go.” Walking as fast as he could without breaking into an outright sprint, he went after Beorn.
***
Felix spotted them just as he rounded the corner into the lane leading to their guest cabin. Beorn stood close to Isolde, holding her hand, leaning toward her. Felix couldn’t hear what they were saying. He stepped back and waited. If she were happy about this, he told himself, he would go back to the campfire. He would make up some story. It would be fine. Beorn was an idiot, but maybe Isolde liked idiots.
But Isolde did not seem happy. He watched her take a step backwards, removing her hand from Beorn’s grasp. She headed towards the cabin. Beorn reached out and grabbed her hand again, spinning her back to face him. Felix caught a flash of Isolde’s face in the moonlight. Distress, possibly fear. He broke into a run.
Isolde was tugging against Beorn’s grip. “Beorn, let go,” Felix heard her say. The man stepped closer, ignoring her, his other hand reaching toward her shoulder. Isolde yanked back harder. Blue light gathered around her.
“Let mego!”
The air rippled, a wave of energy bursting outward. Felix staggered, nearly losing his footing, as the magic hurled Beorn backward, colliding heavily with the cliff wall before crumpling to the ground.
Everything was silent. Isolde stood frozen, staring at Beorn’s sprawled form. Felix shrugged off the aftereffects of the blast and approached him. The man’s body was awkwardly twisted, one leg bent at an unnatural angle against the wall.
Quiet footsteps followed behind. “Is he…?” Isolde said in a small voice.
Felix crouched down and inspected Beorn’s face. Blood was trickling from his nose, but he was breathing.
“He’s alive. Shame. Shall I finish him for you?” He drew his dagger.
