Page 75 of Tempting the Fae Lord
With the liberty that’s now mine to take, I slide off my seat and make my intention to settle at his feet known.
He parts his thighs, expression questioning. But I’m not aiming for anything particularly steamy, just offering some comfort between uncomfortable situations.
I sit on the ground and lay my head on his thigh. “Touch my hair.”
He hums and slides his fingers into my curls.
“Now relax for a bit.” It feels good to claim this tender moment. Grounding. Hopefully, for him too. I hug his leg to my chest and let out a tight breath. Above me, he follows suit, exhaling long and slow.
He pets my head and scratches his nails lightly over my scalp. “You deserve better than me, Mooncalf.”
“Nonsense.” Though the intimacy is new, he’s still the same Ezra I’ve always adored. If only he could believe he’s perfect for me as he is. “You’re just right. I want no one but you.”
A soft knock, Eulie’s if I’m not mistaken, sounds at the door.
“One moment,” says Ezra as I scramble back to my chair and shake my hair back into place. “Come in,” he says when I’m presentable.
Eulie opens the door, a knowing smile on her face. “Congratulations, darlings.”
Well, that settles that. She knows and approves. Something in my gut softens with this news, and heat fills my cheeks.
Ezra stutters out a shy thank you. Wild to witness him anything but elegant in his speech. Lovely to know I’m the cause.
“Ready for them?” she asks.
Ezra steels himself with a deep breath and sits straighter in his chair. “Yes, thank you. Send them in.”
Jack and Chester pass through first, carrying extra chairs which they arrange into a circle for our guests. We rise to greet Willow, her second, and the mage Farlowe.
The others depart and the five of us take a seat.
I’m a bit shocked to be included.
Ezra quickly explains what he calls his failures, which makes me cringe. He’s done nothing wrong. It hurts my heart to see him be so hard on himself over this. Especially in front of strangers. I know how much he detests any hint of vulnerability. This can’t be easy for him. He may not be happy with himself, but my chest swells with pride regardless.
He ends with, “We must stop her before any more damage can be done. But in order to do that, we must find her.”
Willow turns her thoughtful expression toward Farlowe. “Can you track her?”
“The fire decimated any scent traces of her magic,” says Ezra.
“I don’t need the scent.” Farlowe’s voice is deep, with a lulling sort of calm. Is he using magic as we speak?
“But how does tracking work with no scent?” asks Ezra.
“Merely a trace of her magical essence will be enough for me to cast a spell that will track her. It’s somewhat of a specialty of mine. So long as you have something she touched, I can find her.”
“The embroidery,” I say. “She left the needlepoint she was practicing on behind in the game room. Will that do?”
Farlowe smiles, a bit of a creepy smile if you ask me, cunning like a cat after its dinner. “Yes, that will do nicely.”
“Brilliant.” Ezra matches his energy with a glint of triumph glittering in his dark eyes. “No more waiting for an attack. We take the fight to her.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ezra
Takingaction sends a sharp thrill humming through my bones.
