Page 133 of By the Moonbeam and the Mist
“I think that’s a good idea,” said Garvis.
I nodded and pushed open the door to find that Felicity was chatting away to Dazmine and Terrin in the kitchen, despite the former looking as if she wanted to claw her ears out and the latter staring at the monkey with an utterly blank expression. The two of them had begun trying to create a blueprint of the prison at the top of Bascite Mountain based on information they’d been able to gather from the birds and the wind, but so far, that blueprint only consisted of a sad little rectanglesurrounded by an iron gate crowned with spikes. Nobody who’d gone in, it seemed, ever came out—much like the Uninhabitable Zone.
It was just one more reason to kill Dyonisia. When she was gone, Dazmine and Terrin would finally get to act.
My gaze shifted to Steeler by the fireplace.
“Here,” he said, moving aside. “You two look like you need the fire more than I do.”
Garvis and I both hurried forward, water trailing behind us at every step. I felt every sweep of Steeler’s gaze as it lingered on the dress I was wearing today. Made of a white, cottony material much like the cashmere in Garvis’s mind, I could feel it clinging to every curve of my body.
When I looked down, heat rose to my cheeks as I saw how transparent it was now. My nipples were pebbling through the material—whether because of the cold water dripping off me or the dark glint in Steeler’s eyes, I didn’t know.
All too aware of my own body, I cracked open my blockade and shot into his mind,Do you happen to have a change of clothes I could borrow until this dries? I seem to be getting too much attention.
Too much? Steeler had followed my downward gaze with a flash of amusement.I could never give those too much attention. They would always deserve more.
I rolled my eyes, but my nipples only peaked harder against my will, and I couldn’t deny that Ilikedit when he looked at them—I just didn’t want the others to glance over and see how stupidly turned on I was.
Garvis just taught me how to make commands, I warned.I could make you take off your own shirt and give it to me right now.
Is that just a ploy to see my abs again?
Again?My lips twisted.What makes you think I’ve ever looked at them before?
Uh, I don’t know. Your eyes?
Well, damn. He had me there. I tried another strategy.
I could cash in my prize for that bet I won.
Not that I actually would. When I’d told Steeler that the Cardina peddlers hadn’t carried poison dart frog eggs, he’d cursed, but asked me what I wanted for winning. I’d told him I was waiting for the right moment, but the truth was I had no idea what to ask of him. He’d given me so much already: his blood, his time, his makeshift home.
Well, therewasone thing I wanted, but that was a secret locked deep beneath my skin…
As if Steeler could scent that secret, his nostrils widened briefly before he nodded at the hallway to our right.
As much as I’d love to keep watching you blush, you’re right—we wouldn’t want you to catch a cold in that thing. I have some dry clothes in my room… no Mind Manipulating or cashing in bets required.
I’m not blushing,I muttered, but left Garvis and the others behind anyway and followed Steeler to that singular door in the hallway.
He opened it and led me into a small, drafty room with a rickety cot slammed against a corner next to a gnarled nightstand that looked like it had been here long before him. A flash of silver caught my eye on top of it: the pendant he had Branded me with. Next to it lay my stolen file from Mr. Gleekle’s office.
I looked away from those items quickly. Despite how many times I’d been to the lighthouse by now, I’d never been in here before. Nothing about it was anywhere near as homey as the rest of the cottage, and my heart squeezed to think that this was where he slept every night.
“Felicity sometimes sleeps in the rafters up there when the wind gets bad,” Steeler said, as if he could hear my rush of thoughts despite my blockade that I had closed up again. He rummaged through one of his nightstand drawers before whipping out an oversized gray shirt. “How is this? It’ll probably cover about as much as those dresses of yours…”
I took the shirt from him and found myself wanting him to look at me again, but he just turned his back, blocking the crack of the door, so I took that as my cue to change.
As quickly as I could, I slipped out of the sopping dress until I was completely naked except for the sheath and all those glittering blades at my thigh. Then I paused, staring at the way Steeler’s back muscles tensed and his fists flexed at his sides.
Why was I so desperately close to telling him to shut the door and turn around? So many people were in this cottage right now that the click of the lock wouldn’t go unnoticed, and I’d been smothering my feelings for him fairly well over the last few weeks. Why was that control fracturing right now?
But here I was, nothing to cover me from those devouring eyes that could eat me alive if I let them. And I wanted to let them. Iachedto let them.
Just as I found my mouth inexplicably opening, Steeler spoke up instead, his voice softer than before.
“Thank you.”
