Page 67 of A Court of Sugar and Spice
“So we’re out here alone, you and I,” I say, shivering, “and you have no magic, while I smell like a savory buffet, or like sex incarnate.”
Lir’s green eyes glow faintly at me. He’s crouched beside our scanty supplies, opening our bedrolls. “Yes.”
“So we’re going to sleep here until they come to devour and rape me?”
“Does Fin have anything in his bag that could protect us?” he counters.
“Shit, why didn’t I think of that?” I plop down and open the satchel. There’s a guide within, just where Fin said it would be. I’m not sure if he had it all along, or if he conjured it on the spot when he left us.
I pore over the list of spells, comparing them to the colorful sweets and tiny spheres tucked into the various pockets of the satchel. “Here’s something to disguise a person’s scent.”
“How many of those?”
“Just one, I think.”
“Save it. We’ll need it when we’re passing through the Ravine.”
Shrugging, I trace my finger down the parchment. “This one is for protection. It creates a dome that lasts for several hours. That should work, yes?”
“Show it to me.”
“You don’t believe me?”
He gives me a stern look. “Louisa.”
My stomach thrills when he says my name. “Fine. Here.”
He examines the chart, then inspects the piece of candy. “There’s only one.”
“Maybe if one of us eats it and we’re standing close together, the dome will appear around both of us.”
“Unlikely.”
“Then we split it.”
“We may get two domes and half the protection time.”
“Well, we can’t ask Fin about it, so we have to try something.” I unwrap the sweet. Unfortunately it’s not easily divisible; it’s a hard, round ball.
“It’s meant to be sucked on, I think,” I muse, turning it over. “Maybe I can suck it for a while, and then you—”
He’s looking at me with the most supremely disdainful expression.
“Or we could suck on it at the same time,” I say, just to annoy him.
“That idea has merit,” he replies. “It would ensure the dome forms around us both.”
My jaw drops. “You—I—then we—all right.”
We’re already sitting on the ground, so he scoots nearer to me. “Hold it between your lips, and come here.”
I place the round candy between my lips, in front of my teeth, and he kisses me. We both open our teeth slightly at the same moment, our tongues sliding out, caressing the sweet surface of the candy. My eyes are closed, my brow furrowed as I concentrate on exerting the same amount of pressure as him so the candy stays balanced between us.
Never have I kissed anyone like this, tongues pressing and gliding, sweetness slipping into both our mouths. The candy is dissolving faster than I expected, growing smaller and smaller until it’s a syrupy flow down my throat, but his tongue is still in my mouth and he’s not pulling away.
I open my eyes, and his are closed, black lashes traced on pale cheeks. Behind him the protective dome shimmers. It’s just the right size for the two of us—a rainbow bubble that looks all too fragile. But I’m sure it isn’t as flimsy as it seems. Fin’s packaged magic seems dependable, from what I’ve witnessed.
Unfortunately the horses ended up outside the small dome, but they’re native Fae creatures, with shaggy coats to protect them against the elements. Hopefully the dome will muffle my scent so no monsters will come prowling around and put our mounts at risk.
