Dark Side (Shifting Crossroads) by Zenina Masters

Author:Zenina Masters [Masters, Zenina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
Published: 2018-01-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Sweat coated every inch of her skin. He had been careful, but the knotted muscles had not relaxed easily.

Eric gathered her, picked her up and settled with her in his lap. “Breathe slowly. Relax.”

She shivered and tried to use all the techniques she was fond of before performing. The pain was receding, but her muscles were still twitching. Hoarsely, she asked, “Do you think that brook is safe to drink out of?”

“Yes. The wilderness here is untouched. Even the buildings are apart from it.”

She started kicking her feet. “Put me down. I am thirsty.”

He tilted her up, and she stretched before making her way to the brook’s edge where she knelt and scooped the icy liquid in.

When she had her fill, she sat back. “Thank you, Eric. I feel much better now.”

She placed her hands on her thighs, palms up, and leaned back until she could see the canopy of the woods around her.

“You are welcome. You recover very quickly.”

Elly straightened and pushed up into a standing position. “That is what the fey part of me does. It makes my music into magic or my magic into music, and it heals me quickly. The king was worried that it would age me, but his physicians have pronounced me standard half-fey.”

“Do you like being at the court?”

She wrinkled her nose. “The clothing is restrictive, but I love playing every night.”

“I thought your performance gear looked very comfortable.” To her amazement, he pulled out one of the cards her father had been handing around and looked at it.

“It is comfortable. At least the first three layers are. After that, it gets stifling. Each clasp is in a different position, so it forms a stiffened ridge that acts as restriction and support. As I live at court, I am always in some kind of long dress. This was my first chance in years to wear jeans.”

He smiled. “They look good on you.”

“Thank you. I thought the same thing when I saw you.”

He gave her a short bow. “Are you ready to head back? Perhaps we could get some dinner?”

Elly sighed. “I don’t want to be a burden to the café or the court.”

“I will pay for your meal, or whatever else you need. It is the least I can do after you were so cruelly used by my family.”

She wrinkled her nose. “And mine.”

“Ah. Right. Well, still, my kinswomen should have been more careful with the spells they answered.”

Elly walked up to him and extended her hand. “Fine, we are equally at fault for our lack of fault. Now, you can buy me a cheeseburger.”

“It is my fondest wish.” His fingers closed over hers, and he let her haul him out of the forest and back toward the Crossroads.

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