Page 109 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
“What?” The bridge troll crossed her arms.
“Are you sure youwantto go back?” Julian reached out and took hold of a long section of emerald hair. It pleased him to see her blush from her neck to the tips of her ears because it proved that he wasn’t the only one affected.
He lifted the lock of hair in front of her. It was wet with blood.
She cursed aloud. “One second.”
She pulled out another spell scroll.
“How many of those do you have?” he asked, curious. They were expensive to make but very handy.
“A hundred? Two?” Gerda shrugged. “[Cleanse].”
“You havetwo hundred[Cleanse] spell scrolls?”
“Not all of them are spelled,” she explained. “I pick them up in treasure chests all the time, and it’s fun collecting cantrips—I mean,useful. It’susefulhaving all these spells ready to go. Case in point.” She waved to indicate his chest. Speaking of which …
“Where is the cold iron arrow?” It was nowhere to be seen.
“I took it out before I healed you. It’s in my storage, but I’m not pulling it out now. I just cleaned up.”
“I thought we could use it to track the assassin,” Julian explained. It would be easy work for his rogue as long as they had something to connect back to the archer.
“No need. I already know who it is—and so does your mother.” Gerda shook her head and sighed. “Honestly, I’m more worried about Amy.”
“The saintess?”
“As I thought, the man she’s seeing turned out to be the assassin … and, um, you weren’t his target; I was.” She scratched her cheek. “Sorry.”
“The same one who poisoned your drink?” Julian didn’t mind a little death in her place, but if she was going to be so often attacked, then he had his own apologies to make.
The bridge troll shook her head again. “I don’t know. Your mother said the poison was legal … so I bet someone’s put out a hit on my head, and every registered assassin in the duchy is out to get the experience points for killing me.”
“I’m sorry. You never would’ve been exposed as Madame Potts if you hadn’t saved my family.” His hands clenched. Desire warred with his etiquette, but what was the polite thing to do when he woke up in the bed of the most beautiful troll he’d ever met?
He couldn’t just kiss her.
“It’s fine; I was already on the Blackfog list. And I’ll be safe in the North before we know it.” She smiled at him reassuringly. It sent his blood racing.
He rose to his feet.
Worried and aroused, his voice dropped low as he leaned in close enough to feel her breath on his chin when he asked, “But how long are you in the North? What about guarding your bridges?”
Gerda stared at his lips as she bit her own.
He also wanted to bite her lips. He wanted to pull her with him onto the bed behind him, straddling his lap, and kiss the bridge troll silly.
CHAPTER 61
I Don’t Want to Break Your Bed
Gerda
Calm your pants, Gerda.
The room,my room, was a cozy space that I’d made to my taste. In the process of reviving the duke, I hadn’t noticed how small it really was. Now, Julian was standing so close that I could feel my gown catching on his legs and my long hair brushing against him.
But as much as I wanted to push Julian back onto my bed and have my way with him … that would be a bad life choice.
