Page 193 of Bitten & Burned
I hiccupped. “I can’t. All I can think about is how shortsighted and foolish I am.”
“You are neither of those things,” Quil said firmly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear and pulling something from his pocket.
The black embroidered handkerchief I’d given him. He used it to dab at my eyes and nose until I took it from him and did it myself.
“You’re not a fool, Rowena. You look for the good in people, even when the rest of us have stopped trying. We’re a bunch of old cynics, but not you. Please don’t lose that.”
“Yeah, but…” I sniffed. “Vael was right.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I hate that too. Gods know I do. Vael being right makes this all so much worse.”
I laughed, and he smiled—just a little. I handed back the handkerchief. “Thank you.”
“Thanks are not necessary. It was yours to begin with.”
“It was a gift. It’s yours now. And you’re getting thanks anyway. Deal with it.”
He chuckled and rose. “Are you hungry? I could go hunt something… do you like rabbit?”
“I’m not hungry yet,” I said. “But please don’t feed me rabbit when I am.”
He laughed. “Fine. What do you like? Quail? Pheasant?”
“You’re going to serve me pheasant in a cave?”
He laughed. “Yeah, I was planning on it, if that’s what you want.”
“It’s a date, then. I love pheasant.”
“Then that’s what you’ll have.”
I pulled the furs around me more, watching him as he walked around the cave, checking things he had lying around.
“How did you find me?”
“I smelled you. Also, your friend, Thalia, came by. She was worried when you didn’t keep your lunch plans.”
“Oh no! Thalia!” I leaned back. “Gods, is she alright?”
Quil scratched the back of his head. “I honestly… don’t know? I left her with Vael at your apartment and came to find you.”
“QUIL.”
“Sorry! I needed to save you! Would you rather I stayed there with her until she was comfortable and got there to save you a half hour later?”
I remembered how it felt lying on that floor and shook my head. “No.”
“Well, okay then. I’m sure everything’s fine. You can send her another letter, and it’ll be fine.”
He was probably right. I settled back into the furs, rolling over on my side like a worm all wrapped from head to toe.
I glanced towards the entrance. “Are we behind a waterfall?”
Quil nodded. “Yeah. This is a cave I found a while ago. Back before I lived at Halemont. It’s nice. Close-ish to home. We can go back whenever you’re ready. I just thought you should rest first.”
“I did rest. And… I sort of want to stay here for a bit.”
He smiled like that’s what he’d been hoping to hear. “Alright.”
