Page 52 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
Of course, he would think that. Everyone probably thought that, she realised. She looked down, fiddling with her sleeves.
“I could help it,” she said finally, her voice barely more than a whisper. “It was… it wasn’tentirelyan accident.” She avoided his eyes, lacing her fingers together.
Felix said nothing, and she braced herself for something, anything. He should be mad at her; he certainly had the right to be.
Then she heard him chuckle, and her head snapped up. At her expression, the chuckle turned into a full on laugh, until he was doubled over, holding his sides, trying in vain to compose himself as she glared daggers at him.
“Hells, Isa,” he hiccupped, “stop doing such a good impression of Luella. You’re scaring me.”
“It’s not funny!” she scolded him. “Imagine if the roles were reversed. Do you think I’d laugh if you had punched me because you were mad?”
Felix startled, his humour vanishing as he looked at her directly. “I would never do that.”
“I know!” she said, her voice a little too loud. “Which is why it is terrible that I did. And I am really sorry!”
“Alright, I get it. I was not holding it against you, just so you know. I uh, forgive you?”
She let out a long sigh and nodded.
“That is amazing, though,” he said.
She eyed him curiously, tilting her head to the side, swaying slightly.
“You were in control,” he continued, his eyes glowing in the firelight, “even while you were angry. That’s impressive.”
His smile was warm and beautiful, and she thought she might dissolve in a puddle at the sight of it. It felt like she had not seen him smile in weeks.
“You really think that?” she squeaked.
“Yeah, I do. Although I have to say it’s a bit odd to know you can apparently kick my ass without even trying,” he said with a wide grin.
Isolde huffed, but could not hide a smile. She almost felt a little taller, a little stronger.
Felix leaned back on his hands, his eyes returning to the fire.
“I am sorry as well. For what happened,” he said after a while. “You may have lashed out, but I provoked you, and I said things I shouldn’t have. It wasn’t my place to tell you what to do. If your time with the Crovan elder was important to you, I should have respected that.” He stared into the flames as he talked.
“Thank you, Felix,” she mumbled, staring at his face.
“Everything that happened that day… running off, Leif getting hurt… It was stupid. I was stupid.”
She shifted a little closer to him, watching the firelight trace his features. “I don’t think you’re stupid,” she said softly.
He smiled at that, but it was a wry sort of smile that did not reach his eyes.
She nudged his shoulder with hers. “I think you’re really nice.”
He turned to her and blinked, his brows raised.
Isolde was suddenly very aware of how close she was sitting. It was as if she watched herself from the inside, unable to fully control what she did next. And, Triad above, she was flirting with him like a tavern wench. Her governess would expire if she knew. “I mean it,” she said, her voice slow and syrupy.
Felix tilted his head. Then his hand came up, and his fingers brushed along the ley marking on her neck, his thumb tracing a line of fire on the edge of her jaw. She shivered, her eyelids fluttering closed. Breath caught in her throat, and she swayed a little where she sat, leaning in towards him.
“You should get some sleep, Isa.”
Her stomach sank. She blinked her eyes open, staring at him. He smiled. It wasn’t mocking or teasing, but warm. Kind.
“Right,” she stammered, rocking backward, trying to brush off the flush of embarrassment. “You’re… probably right.”
