Page 26 of The Phoenix Inheritance

Isobel

As I stir the ashes in the fireplace one chilly evening, I wonder once again if Dane will join me tonight.

The month that elapsed was like I stole away a few chapters from another person’s life. I discovered that for all my nineteen years on Earth, I don’t know half of my body’s wonders. Thanks to Dane. I discovered that even the most menial of tasks can become a full-fledged adventure with the right person. Also thanks to Dane.

I haven’t left the lands where I took shelter five years ago, yet my world has been turned upside down.

But it’s been ten days since Dane last came. I miss him.

Maybe he’s grown tired of you. Maybe he’d rather spend his time with a woman who isn’t in the middle of nowhere, not only in location but also in life.

I poke the fire with a vengeance, willing the mopey thoughts away. No, Dane never gave me a single indication that he doesn’t enjoy my company. If anything, the lapse of time between his visits only grew smaller… Until he stopped coming at all.

He must be busy, I reason with a firm nod. Dane earned my trust a thousand times, from the time he fretted so sweetly over my virginity to the last time I saw him, tasting a mushroom for me to double check that it was safe to eat. At the very least he’s earned the right to not have me doubt like a madwoman whenever something keeps him away. I have faith that he’d care enough to tell me if he decided never to stop by my cottage again.

A knock resounds on my door and my heart lifts. At this rate I don’t want to get my hopes up and expect Dane, but a visit from the Hunters would certainly not be unwelcome.

Yet as I peer through the peephole, I nearly hop in excitement when I recognize the familiar figure hulking outside. I swing the door open, ready to gather Dane in my arms, if only they could fit around him.

He beats me to it. Dane smothers me in his warm embrace. A silly grin stretches across my cheeks. But I can’t help it – everything finally feels right, and better than that.

“You must’ve thought I would never return,” he murmurs into my hair as he rests his chin on top of my head.

I nudge away and make a show of rolling my eyes. “Of course I knew you’d come back.” Well that’s not exactly true, but he doesn’t need to know that. “How could you possibly resist my fish stew any longer?”

Dane doesn’t even glance at the pot I point to. His eyes are steadfast on me, skeptical, searching for the slightest hint of anguish. But I won’t show how his absence affected me. I don’t want him to feel guilty.

“You took your own sweet time though,” I finally admit with a sigh. “I was growing a little concerned.”

The light dwindles in his stormy gaze, as if he can sense that I’m underplaying my distress. “I’m so sorry. I was… sick.”

My heart misses a beat. Of all the excuses I came up for him, from harvesting crops to marrying the prettiest woman in his village, I never once suspected he may be ill. Something about the sturdiness of Dane’s frame but also of his character made me assume he was invincible. That’s crazy. He’s human, just like you!

I anxiously study him from head to toe, trying to detect any sign of fatigue. And that’s when I notice that indeed, Dane has changed.

It’s a subtle difference, one that I can only detect because I spent so much time gazing adoringly at his face. The last of the boyish softness that underlied his features is gone, and now Dane is all man. The planes of his cheekbones are somehow sharper, each of his traits slightly more harsh and distinct. He even seems to have gained in bulk, though it may be the thick mantle he wears.

“You should take this off,” I mutter as I pull at the fabric. “The fire has made it quite warm in here.”

But Dane grabs my wrist before the cape slides off his shoulders. “I’d rather keep it.”

Dread spirals through me. “Because you’re unwell?”

He wedges a finger between my brows like I’ve done dozens of times to him when he frowns. “Don’t worry. I’m fine. I just need to stay covered for a while.”

I flex my fingers nervously. A common cold doesn’t keep a person in bed ten days, especially not a strong male like Dane. There’s something he’s hiding from me. Something important.

“Dane, tell me what’s wrong.”

He flees my gaze, fixing some point above my forehead rather than my eyes. “Your hair looks beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Pinkness creeps up my cheeks. Today I wove shells into my brownish-blonde strands after bathing in the Solenz. Silly as it is, the compliment makes me stand taller.

“You’re avoiding the subject. And you can’t fool me. It was only a month ago that you said my hair looks like a bird’s nest.”

A grin tugs at the corner of Dane’s lips. My heart slows down to a more normal beat. Nothing can be too wrong if a smile can break through that permanent scowl of his.

“I was a stupid man a month ago.”

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