Page 11 of Dweller of the Mists

“Not in the least,” she agreed. “Some of us go through tree climbing stages as kids but breaking my arm falling from one when I was young quickly cured me of that. Why?”

The corner of his mouth hitched a little higher and he chuckled. “I did not think of it. All that time following you through the swamp, it only occurred to me now that you would not be able to move through the trees like a Bia.” He reached for her hand, his claws lightly skimming over her fingertips, sending tiny electric tingles up her arm. “It is no wonder that you fell when you do not have strong claws to cling to the trees.”

“I wouldn’t have made that association. Although you seem to jump through the trees easily enough, I thought the Bia were aquatic,” she replied, and he nodded in agreement.

“The Biaareaquatic. When we are within our home territory, we spend much of our time on the ground and within the water. Our homes are a far safer place to retreat than the dwellings yourpeople make but we may also escape into the trees. For traveling purposes, it is far safer to remain above.”

“I see,” she mumbled and glanced uncertainly up into the trees.

Her throat worked as she swallowed nervously. They werereallyhigh up there. Fuck, that made for a long drop. Her arm throbbed sympathetically in remembered pain. She didn’t know if she could do this.

“It will not work,” he mused, his voice intruding on her mini panic attack. “We will have to walk along the root systems as you were.” His head turned toward her, his smile replaced with a grim look as he regarded her seriously. “Butif there is danger, you must trust me to carry you up into the trees. There is no alternative when we are out in the open swamplands, and this cannot be any point of argument between us. Safety is the first priority.”

Noelle nodded eagerly. She would happily agree to anything if it meant that she didn’t have to climb the fucking tree. She was not proud of the relief that she immediately felt. Call her a coward, but it was worth not having to maneuver dozens of feet off the ground. “I have absolutely no problem. If there is any chance that we might be in danger, by all means whisk me away. I will try not to scream too loudly… and keep the whimpering as minimal as possible,” she added with a tiny wince.

His mouth twitched in a gentle smile, and she was startled when he tangled his fingers with hers, his large claws overlapping her hand in a fashion that she found surprisingly soothing. Her hand warmed and the rest of her seemed to warm and grow heavy as contentment spread through her. Whoa, this was something dangerous!

“Come then,” he said quietly, his voice pitched so sweetly that her heart seemed to gallop all in its own accord in reaction. “I will protect you, jymlina.”

“Okay,” she whispered and willingly followed him out into the vast swamplands stretched out ahead of them.

Chapter

Nine

Traveling along the root systems was an entirely new experience for Gwum—and a novelty that he found surprisingly enjoyable. Of course, part of that pleasure was likely due to the company. For so many revolutions he had traveled alone that having someone by his side, her hand trustingly entangled with his, sent an unexpected warmth through his hearts… and other regions he tried not to think about. It was easy enough to dismiss. He was a male holding the hand of a female. That his body was experiencing a reaction to it was nothing for him to be overly concerned about. He was a healer, after all. He understood these sorts of things better than most and did not possess the same romantic fantasies that many males clung to.

It certainly was not fate or any predetermination blessed by the gods.

He glanced back at her, and he could not help the smile that curled his lips. His little human was certainly a potent lure. The nightglow insects were gathering with the waning sunlight and appeared to be following after her in a long glittering train. A small cloud took advantage of their brief rest to land in her hairand continued to cling to her like a luminous crown. It was quite enchanting even if he did not understand it.

He had never seen nightglow insects act in such a way. It was odd. He stared at her profile as he tried to work out what might be drawing them, but Noelle raised her brows at him, the odd strips of fur arching quizzically. Caught staring, he gestured to the insects.

“The nightglow insects… they are oddly attracted to you.”

She glanced at the cloud of lights and smiled, her hand slipping free from his so that she could glide her fingers through the air among their dancing illumination. “They started doing that the first day I left the trailer. Strange, isn’t it? But kind of magical too.”

“Magical,” he echoed, his skin prickling. It was too unnatural for him to feel completely at ease about it. “I have only seen such concentrated clouds when the water saroong bloom, their flowers covering the vast waterways of the swamplands.”

Her eyes dropped to the surface of the water. “Saroong, huh? Sounds a bit like our water lilies back home. I can’t say that I have ever seen them draw anything quite like that, though.”

He lifted his hands helplessly. He did not understand the comparison, but he understood that he was not meant to. Her observations were clearly for her own benefit. She was trying to make sense of a world that was strange to her. She did not look his way but continued to study the water as if it held some unknown answer. Sighing, Gwum’s gaze swept the surrounding swamp. The light was growing fainter; he would need to stash Noelle soon if he wished to successfully acquire food for them.

“Noelle, it is time,” he murmured, and her eyes snapped up to him in wary surprise.

“Time? Time for what?”

He nodded toward the trees. “It will be dark soon. The best place to rest is there. We should ascend now so that I can make certain that you are comfortable before acquiring food for us.”

“Oh… right,” she replied quietly and glanced up. “Are you sure that it’s safe for us to sleep up there?”

“Very safe,” he assured her. “It may not appear so from here, but the branches are very broad. Nearly every tree has a comfortable little nook where a traveler might sleep. And you will have me beside you,” he added with a playful smile. “I will most definitely not fall, so you will be safe squeezed in between me and the tree.”

She gave him an uncertain smile but did not argue. Instead, she swung her bag off her shoulder and proceeded to open it. He watched in surprise as she withdrew a large metal disc. She slid her hand over its top, and he startled when a small piece popped up and the disc expanded rapidly into a small cylinder.

“Noelle?”

Her eyes lifted to him and danced with amusement. “This handy little device is a water purification unit,” she explained. “It will take this mucky swamp water and filter it into something drinkable. And I don’t know about you, but I prefer to get whatever water I might need for the nightbeforewe go up there.”

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