Page 35 of Compass Points
“Yes, secret missions where I get my ass kicked by the target I intended to win to my side are a regular part of my duties as the Suden Point.” He paused and tilted his head, continuing with a slow smile. “Though referring to yourself as a secret weapon might be a bit much, even for you.” She laughed out loud at that, her lingering anger evaporating for the moment at his self-deprecation.
She had kicked his ass, and she’d enjoyed it.
They’d kept strolling as they talked, passing by a few outbuildings. Her steps slowed as they passed one that could only be the forge. The smells of a forge would never get old to her. She loved having one in her home in the Lake of the Gods. The fire, the hot tang of iron, and even the smell of sweat dripping down her skin as she worked.
The fire was hot, and a man stood close to it. She couldn’t see what he was working on but saw his arm rise and lower with a mallet. She heard the telltale clang of metal being worked. She saw the muscles in his upper back and arms ripple as he swung. She must have watched the man longer than was appropriate as she heard Luc’s cough behind her.
“Should I leave you two alone?” He had sidled up closer to her, whispering in her ear. Though she could feel the heat from the forge where she stood, a shiver ran up her body unbidden at Luc’s nearness. She jumped at his voice, knocking on one of the swords hanging on the wall, making enough noise to gain the blacksmith’s attention.
“Sir.” He stopped his work and stood stiff and formal as he gave a short bow to Luc.
“Jonathan,” Luc acknowledged, with no anger but also no warmth in his tone.
“Do you need the forge, sir?” he asked hesitantly, his eyes shifting between Rose and Luc.
“Yes, Jonathan, that would be helpful. Do you mind giving us just a few minutes?”
Jonathan cleared the room faster than Rose thought possible. He left his work to sit on the anvil.
She turned to Luc. “He’ll have to start that again. There was no need to make him leave.” She was still off balance from the effect of his proximity. She needed to get used to it. They were in a relationship for all everyone here knew. She should enjoy his touch.
That could be the problem. Her body seemed to enjoy his closeness too much.
She glared at him as she walked toward the forge, examining the workshop and tools. She was getting herself some much-needed distance from the Suden Point.
“What do you think of it?” he asked without acknowledging her reprimand.
“The Suden are warriors. I expect you to have the best forge and armory on the continent.” She let out a breath as she said more softly, “It’s beautiful. I always wanted to work here.”
She covered her mouth as the last slipped out. She didn’t mean to say that. She didn’t want to talk about it. Luc crossed the room, closing the distance between them.
“It’s yours. You can work here anytime,” he said.
She shook her head. He wouldn’t understand the import of what she said without fully understanding her fae court affiliation. She stepped toward the discarded item the blacksmith had been working on—an axe. Moving herself to the forge, she restarted work on it. It had almost been finished. She took a few swings as her muscles warmed to the familiar motion.
The swings were a habit. Once, they had been their own kind of communion with the goddess of her people. Now, a soothing ritual as she wondered where the gods were and why they continued to let the mist plague spread. She wasn’t sure how long passed as she lost herself in it.
After a time, she looked over her shoulder, remembering Luc was in the room. She regretted her decision immediately as she saw only heat in his gaze. A heat that had nothing to do with the forge fire in front of her. One she was much more eager to see than she should have been.
She tried to shake herself free of the effect of his desire. Turning from his gaze, she resumed her work. She used the forge’s flame to sharpen the axe blade the blacksmith had worked. As a child, she remembered wanting so badly to work at the most revered forge of Compass Lake. That was undoubtedly the Suden Point’s.
She was young, though, and had never voiced her desire. Even her loving family would have seen it as a betrayal of her people. A Norden would never work for a Suden. The fae, though living in close proximity at Compass Lake, learned at a young age not to spend time with those outside of their own court. Each fae people had too many secrets they guarded from the others. Only the most powerful among them, the Compass Points, had to work together by order of the gods.
She finished the axe and set it to cool. She turned to meet Luc standing much closer than he had been. The desire in his eyes was still unabashedly apparent.
“I could watch that all day,” he said. “You seem to fall into a rhythm with your work, even in the little while we were here. I can’t imagine what happens when there is magic involved.”
Rose had to shake herself a little, thinking about evaluating Luc’s magic while working. He was right. Her work was soothing in its repetition, but all bets were off when she evaluated someone’s magic. It was an intimate thing to know someone on the level that a weapon’s master needed.
She didn’t think she was ready for what that would mean between her and Luc. The fire burning between them was already much hotter than she’d like. She knew this was supposed to be a fake relationship, but his admiration and desire seemed to request a different definition.
She breathed, “How about the rest of that tour?” Her voice was embarrassingly rough, and Luc seemed to notice as a slow smile crept over his features.
“Of course.” He held out his arm to her, and she took it. His shirt sleeves were still rolled from their ride around the lake. Her eyes closed briefly at the feel of her hand sliding across his forearm, resting at the crook of his elbow. Her mind wandered to her hand sliding across the more hidden planes of his body. Opening her eyes, she tried to slowly blink away the image.
She was in so much trouble.
Chapter Twenty-One
