Page 40 of A Soul to Keep

Reia felt something tug on her heart strings.

“You don’t have to go out of your way for me.”

She turned her gaze down to her lap as she brushed her fingers over the top surface of the stump to feel its roughness. The roots were still connected and looked as though they’d been snaped off to create a firm base so it didn’t tip.

This is really thoughtful.

Hewas being really thoughtful.

But she didn’t want him to do things for her. She didn’t want him to change his home when she had every intention of figuring out a way to leave.

She’d managed to wrangle up the courage yesterday to find out what he’d eat while she was here since he wasn’t intending to eat her. He’d told her he would eventually leave to hunt. Animals, he was planning on going to the surface to hunt for a deer or a wolf. However, she also thought he might hunt a human if he stumbled upon one. He said he even fished in the stream nearby occasionally when mating season had finished and there were more fish travelling through it.

The sun faded over the right of the forest. She knew from travelling here that they had always been walking towards the sunsets, which meant all she needed to do was go the opposite way, and she’d hopefully find the Veil’s cliff walls.

She’d decided that if she survived that long and she could garner enough of his trust that he left to hunt – because she doubted he’d do it now – that she would leave then.

I just have to be good until then. Don’t anger him, don’t make him hungry, don’t accidentally hurt myself so I bleed too much.

She’d been making a mental list of what not to do. Survival was her intention, and with the circlet amulet he’d given her, the bathing he said that hid her human scent, and hopefully with her cloak shielding her, she could walk through the Veil safely if she was smart.

Which meant, Reia had come to a distressing decision this morning.

“I want to make you comfortable,” he rebuffed, making her inwardly cringe.

Guilt shot through her. He wanted a companion, a fuckingfriend, and Reia was planning on fleeing. He at times seemed lonely in some of the things he said, like when he’d told her no other human had wanted to make trinkets with him. She also got the impression they hadn’t wanted to eat in front of him either.

Don’t upset him.

“If you want to make a chair, you are welcome to.”

He nodded before moving out of the garden.

“Do not leave the light until I return.”

Listening to his command, she grabbed her bowl and walked in the garden that was showered in bright sunshine. She picked the fruit she wanted before returning to sit on the stump.

He returned not much later and placed a second cup on the table before backing away, giving her space as though he thought she’d prefer that he did. Orpheus never crowded her.

“What’s this?” she asked, reaching forward to find it was hot and the liquid inside had sweet smell to its honey colour.

“You do not have to drink it if you do not want to, but it is a tea.” He walked away until he was at the opening of the fence on the other side. “It’s the only one I know how to make.”

She hesitated, but the smell of it was rather inviting.

He was also watching her, almost as if with anticipation, and she found she couldn’t deny him because of that fact. Slowly lifting it to her face, she sniffed its contents before taking a sip.

Oh wow! This is actually really nice.

She took a bigger drink, and watched his eyes change from blue to bright yellow within the breath of a second, flashing so quickly to it.

“Thank you, I like it.”

He nodded, before moving away to sit with his back resting against the timber stake of the fence and face the forest.

“I will watch over you while you eat.”

Even though it was late morning, and the sun was shining, the gloom of the Veil’s forest was ever present. The blue mist never faded, and the swallowing darkness made it disturbing to try to look through it. However, it was also serene and mystical. Almost as though she was no longer on earth, but in a place beyond, like the afterlife.

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