Page 51 of A Skirl of Sorcery
I wondered which came first, the cheeky behaviour or the expensive caviar? I sneaked a look at Thane’s expression; it might be wise not to suggest that Tiddles was actually training him to give it to her. Besides, I didn’t disapprove, far from it. ‘Okay.’
‘Have I gone overboard?’
‘That’s not for me to say.’ I paused. ‘Just don’t try to tame me into submission with expensive treats.’
Thane grinned. ‘I wouldn’t dare.’
‘I saw your stocked fridge when I broke into your flat.’
‘You mean the flat I can no longer go back to?’
I pulled a face.
‘It’s okay, Kit. There are other places where I can stay.’ The purple sparks of the approaching tram appeared. It slowed to a stop in front of us and the doors slid open. ‘But I did buy that food for you. I wanted to cook for you, and I will. After we’ve enjoyed some sizzling sex, I will make you dinner. Or breakfast. Or,’ he smiled slowly, ‘whatever you want.’
The tram driver looked impressed. Thane winked at her, dropped two tokens into her outstretched hand and walked towards the nearest empty seats.
‘Cat caviar,’ I whispered to myself, then I smiled at the driver and joined Thane.
The journey to the stop nearest to Green Humbleton, where Bin the trow had told me he lived, was pleasantly long.
To begin with there was a reasonable gap of about three inches between Thane and me but it didn’t take long for it to close. Thane initiated the move and shifted closer to me. When his thigh was pressed against mine and we were shoulder to shoulder, I realised how comforting his body heat was. He possessed a warm, reassuring solidity.
I dropped my head onto his shoulder. ‘I’m glad you’re here,’ I mumbled. ‘I missed you during the full moon.’
Thane took hold of my fingers and squeezed them. ‘Is that some genuine emotional honesty from the cat lady?’
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘It is.’
I heard the answering smile in his voice. ‘I missed you, too. I’m still sorry I wasn’t there when you came around with Tiddles.’
‘You should have left a note,’ I agreed. ‘But it’s okay. You don’t need to apologise twice.’ I paused. ‘I’m not sorry I gave my word to Keres, though I should have told you what I was doing first.’
‘I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, Kit, but your decisions are your own. I only want to know you’re doing everything you can to stay safe.’
Feeling a wash of relief, I snuggled closer. ‘Ditto.’
We lapsed into silence for the remainder of the tram ride, enjoying the peace we brought each other. There were different ways to compromise within relationships and I decided I liked this way very much; in fact, I was almost disappointed when the tram pulled into its final stop – but then I thought about Keres, pale-faced and shaking.
I jumped up, straightened my shoulders and strode off the tram. I could be a snuggly kitty and a ferocious tiger. Both were good.
‘I know this area,’ Thane said as he alighted behind me. ‘The fastest way to Green Humbleton is through those trees. Icome here sometimes during the full moon, though it’s been a while. The last time I was here, I ran into a clump of concealed wolfsbane.’
I glanced at him. ‘Just lying around?’
‘Yeah.’ He pursed his lips. ‘I wasn’t sure if someone had left it deliberately or it had been dropped by accident.’
Given the price of wolfsbane recently, I doubted it was the latter. ‘And yet you’ve not been back to this area since,’ I pointed out.
Thane scratched his chin and we exchanged looks. A beat later, we both picked up the pace.
Green Humbleton couldn’t be described as a large settlement. It was too far from the city limits to count as part of Coldstream and too small to be considered a village in its own right, not to mention that there were no visible buildings. But there was still magic bound into the land.
Usually you had to be close to the border between Scotland and England to feel the natural ground enchantments and Green Humbleton was several miles away, yet the thrum of magic was tangible.
This was protected land. As far as I was aware, annals that went back five centuries had decreed this land should be maintained as a green space as much as possible. Those laws certainly suited the trows, who lived in holes in the ground. Tourists visiting the area would probably have likened them to fictional hobbit holes, but tourists weren’t allowed here. This was a place for a peaceful rural life, not social media, and it helped that it looked like an uninspiring field rather than a magical fairy landscape.
Thane frowned as he surveyed the area. ‘It’s one thing finding Green Humbleton, it’s another locating a trow in Green Humbleton.’ He waved an arm. ‘All I can see is grass. I can’tscent much, even though my senses are still heightened from the full moon.’
