Page 24 of A Deeper Blue
“Good plan,” said Rafe, grabbing his pants from the side of their forest bed. He stood up with a complete absence of embarrassment and pulled them on.
Azure waited until Milo was behind the trailer, then she wrapped all the covers around her and made a dash for her bag. Rafe ambled toward Milo and held out a hand as Azure shoved her feet into her boots.
“Rafe.”
“Milo. Did you hear a weird howling a little bit ago?” asked Milo, as Azure hot-footed it toward the stream to clean up.
“Nope,” lied Rafe cheerfully. “Can’t imagine what that could have been.”
Episode 13
Milo
Azure
Azure was pressed into the middle seat of the truck between the slender Milo and Rafe’s reassuringly bulky form. Milo was humming along to the radio, which was playing mariachi music. All the Fae species tended to be musical, and wood nymphs were no exception, but when Rafe absentmindedly harmonized the chorus under his breath as he settled into the passenger seat, Azure couldn’t help smiling. She felt like there were parts of Rafe that matched her like no one else she’d ever met. As the thought formed, it almost immediately made her sad. Why was he going to leave her? She tried to push the idea away as Rafe wriggled around a bit and came to rest with his hand resting companionably on her knee. He felt so present and caring right now. She tried to hold onto that.
“Well,” said Milo, once the truck and trailer had lumbered onto the freeway, “I am so happy to see you, Azure. Matilde packed you a basket. It’s behind your seat. It has your favorite.”
“Gingerbread?” asked Azure clapping her hands.
“But of course! All witches love gingerbread!”
“That is a myth,” said Azure, “that I will continue to support as long as it gets me gingerbread.”
Rafe chuckled as Azure contorted herself to reach behind the bench seat to pull out a picnic basket. It had an embroidered tea towel over the top in cheerful blue thread.
“So, how did you two meet?” asked Milo, beaming at them. He was always enthusiastic about all kinds of romance. Azure found it a little embarrassing.
“At a bar,” said Rafe. “She kissed me.”
“I did not,” said Azure. “You kissed me!”
“You grabbed me,” said Rafe, “so I had to.”
“I grabbed you to get you out of the way of the pool ball that was flying at your head.”
“You remember it your way,” said Rafe. “I’ll remember it mine.”
“The delusional way,” said Azure. “The next thing I know, you’re going to be telling people that the Warlocks were my fault too.”
“Warlocks?” asked Milo, looking surprised. “Like the bikers or just the regular kind?”
“Both,” said Rafe, sourly.
Milo shook his head angrily. “Those bikers have been rolling into everywhere in the last few years! It is bad. It makes me nervous.”
“Mm,” said Azure feeling a flutter of the second sight. “Me too.”
“That is also not good,” said Milo, looking alarmed. “It is a big vision or just bad feelings?”
“Just bad feelings at the moment,” said Azure soothingly.
Milo relaxed a fraction. “I wish you were coming home with me. The family would like to see you, but it would be nice to have you check the protection spells on the house.”
“Maybe when I head back toward Grandma’s,” said Azure, “I can stop in.”
“That would be excellent. And maybe I will call Alekos. He’s better at anti-warlock magic than most.”
