Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
A true warrior would not allow this, even after wine, battle, dancing and worry.
Unless she was entirely comfortable in the company she kept.
She knew the Zees were no real threat from the start.
She knew a great many things.
Including how to handle herself in a variety of situations.
Many of them, much better than even he.
Her head fell on his shoulder, sliding forward, so her forehead rested against the side of his neck.
She felt heavy at the same time light in his arms.
Warm against his chest.
And her smell was bloody heaven.
One of the women came to him, and careful not to wake Elena in the doing, put his princess’s staff in Cass’s hand.
Ready to go, he turned to Silvanus and bent slightly at the waist.
Silvanus affected yet another grand bow and Cassius’s lips were twitching as he turned and walked out of the glade.
Elena did not stir during the long walk back.
And she did not stir when he made their camp and immediately faced three of their infuriated party, all standing, ready to confront him.
Though two of that party shifted instantly to alarm.
Hera took a step forward, asking urgently, “Is she—?”
“Shh,” Cass hushed her quietly, but sharply. “She’s asleep.”
Hera stopped dead and stared up at him in shock. “Asleep?”
He had been correct.
Elena would not allow what was currently happening.
Unless she was completely comfortable in her company.
His gut got tight at the thought, and it was a feeling like the one he felt at the weight he held in his arms.
Heavy.
And light.
“We encountered Zees,” Cass explained, still speaking quietly.
Her face lighted as she hummed, “Ah.”
Rosehana was grinning.
“Are you joking with that?” Ian bit.
“No,” Cassius answered.
“You were set upon by Zees?” Ian demanded.
“‘Set upon’ might be strong wording,” Cassius prevaricated, for they were, and then they were not.
“You’ve been gone hours.”
“We have. But it was clear from Elena’s behavior you do not spurn a Zee’s hospitality.”
“You don’t,” Rosehana affirmed.
“And they had good wine,” Cassius added.
“They always have good wine. They don’t bother robbing the merchants who transport poor-quality grape,” Hera muttered.
“Wine? Zee hospitality? Again, are you joking with that?” Ian demanded.
He looked to his friend. “I am not. We were fine, but I understand your concern and I apologize for causing it.”
At this, it was Ian who was staring up at him.
“Did Mac and Jasmine go looking—?” he began.
Cassius did not finish this as he heard a low, long, feminine moan coming from Mac’s tent.
He narrowed his eyes on the tent.
Then he did the same at Ian.
“They’ve been at it all night, practically since Elena followed you,” Ian informed him. “Though, I will note, it began with them wrestling an entirely different way. It just changed, not surprisingly, as they rolled closer to his tent.”
Bloody Mac.
Cass nearly smiled.
“Which I hope means he’ll tire her out and soon so the rest of us can sleep,” Hera muttered.
“Hmm,” Rosehana hummed, catching Hera’s attention.
She took one look at her lover’s face before she turned to Cassius.
“You’re here. You’re fine. We’re to bed,” she declared, then, sliding Elena’s staff from his fingers and taking Rosehana’s hand, they headed that way.
Cassius watched them go before looking to Ian.
“Mac and Jazz?” he asked.
“This journey is going to kill me, Rose and Hera at each other nightly, now Mac and Jazz in on the act. I hope there are some Nadirii who do not hate men in the trees we seek, or I’ll need to stop in a market along the way to buy some balm.”
Cassius chuckled.
Ian stared at him again, not angrily, or frustratedly.
With surprise.
“To your tent, brother,” Cassius said, having risked too long waking Elena with this conversation, he was not going to get into why his mood had been dark for days, and now he was chuckling.
He moved toward Elena’s tent.
“Cass,” Ian called, and Cassius turned back. “You are well?”
He had good friends.
“Better,” he murmured.
Ian nodded, his face in the firelight showing relief.
Yes.
He had good friends.
Ian moved to the fire to bank it and Cassius resumed walking to Elena’s tent.
For their journey to The Enchantments, their tents were much smaller, thus much lighter. They were meant for single occupancy, though two could sleep in one, but without much room to spare.
With one of those two being an Airenzian soldier, there would be no room to spare.
This, Cassius thought, would not be an issue.
He bent low, also crouching, in order to scoot in.
He set Elena on her blankets and removed her moccasins, found the ties over her casings and loosened them, pulling the casings away.
Exposing the lengths of smooth flesh on her legs, Cass swiftly looked away, stowed his sword and dagger close at hand, took off his boots, unbuttoned and shirked his shirt. He was then even more careful in taking off her belt and removing it with her dagger.
That done, he arranged the two of them fitted closely together under the fold of the blanket, both their heads on her rolled-up saddle rug.