Page 53 of Unbound By Shadows
Selene drew back, fearing she was about to see Sam destroy his attacker, but Sam said, “Is this how you greet all your guests?”
“Only the ones who think they can beat me at wrestling,” the Goblyn cried, beating his heels against Sam’s shoulders.
“I surrender,” Sam said, holding up his palms.
Was that actualamusementSelene heard tinging his voice?
The Goblyn lifted off Sam’s back to hover in the air. Sam turned, and they embraced. Right there in the road, a tiny Goblyn and a huge demon, hugging as if it were the most normal thing in the world. After a moment, the Goblyn dropped to the ground.
Sam turned to Selene. “This is my friend Eldridge. He and his mate Brunie will be hosting us tonight.”
Eldridge pulled off his hat to reveal a shiny head dusted with wisps of white hair. “Selene, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Sam has told us all about you in his letters.”
“He has? It’s nice to meet you too,” she said. Eldridge’s violet eyes twinkled. There was a roguish quality about him, like a friendly pirate. She liked him immediately.
“I know your kind greet by clasping hands, but may I welcome you with a hug?”
“Sure.” She had to bend to meet the Goblyn’s embrace since he only came up to her shoulder. He had a surprisingly strong grip and smelled of peppermint and tobacco. The white sideburns hugging his face were soft as they brushed against her neck, and his smile was warm as they pulled apart. He had pearlescent skin similar to Sam’s, but with greenish undertones. Long pointed ears stuck out on either side of his head.
“You didn’t have to meet us in town,” Sam said. “We were planning to come out to the farm.”
“Nonsense,” Eldridge said. Brunie would have come too if she weren’t busy cooking.” He motioned for them to follow him toward a horse-drawn carriage parked nearby. It was black with a raised driver’s seat at the front, and a padded bench in the back. The brown horse attached to it stamped the ground impatiently.
“Who wants to sit up front?” Eldridge asked.
“I will,” Sam volunteered. “The back will be more comfortable for Selene.”
After tossing in their packs, Sam held out a hand to help Selene onto the carriage step. She took it, and when their fingers met, heat licked up her arm. It surged through her veins to settle with a distracting dip of pleasure between her legs. She tried keeping her eyes downcast, so that he couldn’t see the effect of his touch, but he caught her gaze. His eyes burned with intensity.
It wasn’t until Eldridge cleared his throat that Sam finally let her go of her hand. “Come now, we can’t keep Brunie waiting, can we?” Eldridge said from the driver’s seat. Sam climbed aboard, and they set off.
During the carriage ride from Snowmelt to the cottage, Eldridge chatted animatedly with Sam, and Selene luxuriated in being chauffeured to her next destination. Eventually, after passing by countless rolling hills, the carriage slowed.
“Welcome to Azuresong Pastures!” Eldridge called back to Selene.
The carriage stopped in front of a blue and white cottage tucked between two soaring trees. A chimney of mismatched stone puffed smoke out over a straw-thatched roof. Ivy chased up the north side of the house, while boxes of bright yellow flowers hung below each leaded window. A large blue barn sat behind the house.
Selene heard the sound of a door slam, followed by a high-pitched squeal. She sucked in a breath at the sight of a six-foot-tall Harpy in a turquoise dress half-running, half-flying down the stone path to meet them. Her taloned feet made scraping sounds againstthe ground until she launched herself up to wrap her thick arms around Sam.
The Harpy made little cooing sounds as she squeezed, and Sam awkwardly patted above her light blue feathered wings.
“Hello, Brunie,” he said fondly.
The Harpy looked into his face. “We’ve missed you. How have you been?” Then she hugged him again and murmured, “You seem a bit thinner. Don’t those Malkina feed you?”
“They do.”
“Fish and mice, I bet! Or are they too busy chasing balls of string?”
“No one cooks as well as you,” Sam said, then smiled.
It was a full smile, not the usual small tug at the corner of his mouth. The dimples Selene had seen hints of made a full appearance, while the lines of tension usually found around his eyes disappeared. The expression transformed his normally scowling face so completely, sogorgeously, that when Selene stood to get down from the carriage, her knees wobbled.
Eldridge seemed to notice her unsteadiness and came to help her. Then he called out, “Brunie, let the boy go! You’re neglecting our guest.”
Brunie squawked then used her wings to drop toward the ground. Turning toward Selene, she said, “Forgive me, dearest! I’m Brunie. Sam tells us you’re on a quest to find a way home. We’re so honored to meet you.”
Brunie had bright amber-colored eyes, round and alert as an owl. Her gaze was bold but kind. Almost as if she were welcoming Selene to study the unusual planes of her face, knowing she would be helpless not to.
