Chapter 12
The last thing I want to do today is deal with my work.
All I can think about is how amazing it was to kiss Fen last night, and the fact that I need to talk to him today.
Not because I want to kiss him again, though that is part of it, but because I want to know what's happening between us and if it's everything I hope it is.
But I have a cover to keep. I have no idea which members of staff know that there's a Damsel rescue mission going on, and which don't, but I can't risk any of them knowing that I'm here in case they tell the wrong person.
If word gets back to Lord Alfson about the plan, he might try to take Lady Eyre back to his castle, and I doubt we'd be able to get her out.
Which means that I'm going to have to put on the best pretence possible that I'm just here to work. I just wish that didn't involve having to scrub floors. It makes my shoulders scream in protest, and my hands get dry and cracked, despite all of the water.
Footsteps sound, and I'm already internally cursing whoever it is that's coming to walk on my almost-clean floor. I look up to find it's Lady Eyre, which only makes my frustration worse.
"Oh, it is you," she says. "I couldn't tell, all the uniforms look the same."
I bite my tongue to stop myself from pointing out there's a reason for that. "Can I help you with something, My Lady?"
"When are we leaving?" she demands.
I get to my feet, groaning slightly as my back twinges. I'm truly ready to go home. I'll take daily sparring over this any day. "Once the guards have stopped watching the tower, we'll be able to send a message, and then the extraction team will come. It'll take about three days after that."
"Three days?" Her expression tells me everything I need to know about her thoughts on that.
"We have to make sure it's safe," I say. "Everything is in place."
"When I asked for the Damsels for help, it was because it was urgent," she says. "I expected things to move at an accelerated pace."
I want to snap back at her, but I know it's better if I hold my tongue. If she changes her mind and tells anyone about what we're doing here, it's going to be my life on the line. And that's not something I want to part with, especially when it now seems to be getting interesting.
"We're working as quickly and safely as possible," I assure her instead. "You'll be free soon."
She lets out a huff and walks away, leaving footprints all over my clean floor.
"Really?" I murmur as I look down at them.
Someone chuckles, and I spin around to find Fen leaning against the wall.
"Are you determined to keep creeping up on me?" I ask, only realising as I say it that it isn't what I wanted to say to him the first time I saw him after our kiss.
"It's not my fault you need to work on your awareness training."
"Maybe I should ask you to help me," I mutter.
"That can be arranged."
I bite my bottom lip as I look at him, trying to figure out what he's thinking, and what I need to be saying.
"I see what you mean about her being unlikeable, though," he says after a few moments of silence.
"She might just be stressed," I respond. "We're taking her away from her home."
"She asked us to do that," Fen reminds me.
"That doesn't make it less stressful." I head over to him, completely ignoring the floor, even though I'm going to have to redo it. "This is everything she's ever known, and she's leaving it all behind. The people, the comforts, the security of knowing. That's terrifying."
"True."
"And she's probably also scared about what will happen if it goes wrong.
What if her father finds out and insists on taking her back to his castle?
He'll hit her, certainly, but what if he goes further?
Those are the things I'd be worrying about if I were in Lady Eyre's position.
" A shiver runs down my spine even at the thought.
Fen steps closer and pulls me into his arms, apparently not in the slightest bit worried about things after last night. It's reassuring, especially as I sink into his arms and relax at the familiar scent of smoke that comes from him.
"I'm sorry," I murmur.
"Compassion isn't something to be sorry for, Ingrid," he responds softly.
"I feel like a fool for it, though. Lady Eyre doesn't care about me or my safety. Or the safety of everyone else involved in getting her away from here."
"You're not a fool," he promises. "This is one of the reasons you're going to be great at this kind of mission in the future."
I laugh. "Are you sure you're going to want to run the dragon tower gambit with me again?"
"I would definitely run one with you again," he promises. "Compassion isn't your weakness, it's your strength. It's the thing that's going to keep you helping people, even if you don't like them."
I pull back so I can look up at him. "You really think that?"
"I know that." He brushes some hair out of my face, the gesture intimate and reminding me that we haven't talked about last night.
I clear my throat. "Should we be doing this?"
"Probably not, someone could come around the corner at any time."
I roll my eyes. "I meant this." I touch his arm. "We haven't talked."
"Ah." A conflicted expression crosses his face.
"I want to talk," I say quickly. "My feelings haven't changed."
Relief flashes across his face.
"Is there anywhere private we can go later?" I ask. "It's probably better if we don't risk anyone seeing us, just in case."
He nods. "Come to the top floor of the tower."
"Really? The top floor? Not all of us can fly, you know."
"I can find somewhere else."
"No. If that's where it's private, then that's a good place."
"I should hope it's private, that's where I've been staying," he says.
I swallow hard. "You're asking me to come to your room?"
"Isn't that what you wanted last night?"
My cheeks heat at the insinuation. "Well, yes. But I thought you wanted to talk."
"I do," he assures me.
"All right. I'll be there. But first, I need to finish this floor." I look at it and sigh. "No one really prepared me for this part of being undercover."
"I know, but it'll be over soon." He rubs a hand up and down my back.
"I hope you're right."
Voices sound from down the hall, and we exchange a glance, knowing this is the end of the stolen moment. Feeling bold after the promise of the conversation to come, I lean in and press a swift kiss on his lips.
"I'll see you soon," I murmur.
"I look forward to it." He smiles at me in a way that makes me certain he's telling the truth. "I'll go check on the guard watching us. I could use a stretch of my wings."
I nod and finally pull away from him so I can return to my bucket.
He starts to walk away, but pauses when he's halfway down the stairs to wave at me.
A silly smile crosses my face, and I return it. I might have more floors to clean, and an impatient noblewoman to deal with, but things are starting to look up.
A whoosh of wings sounds from nearby and I look up in time to see Fen soaring overhead, the sun glistening off his dark red scales and the golden hue of his mane that matches his eyes.
He does a couple of laps of the tower, and even though I know it's probably for Lady Eyre's benefit, and that of the rest of the people living here, there's a part of me that wonders if he's doing it so that I can admire him.
I suppose it doesn't matter, because I can take the time to do that. Magic is something surreal to me, not possessing any myself, but it makes complete sense that the man I know, and this dragon, are one and the same. It's one of those things that just feels right.
Like being with him. That feels right to me.
When I was with the miller's daughter, or the tailor before her, I didn't have this feeling.
I didn't want to tell them my innermost feelings, or the things that scare me, frustrate me, or make me determined.
But I show them to Fen without a second thought.
He's the person I want to turn to when things are bothering me.
Which means that going to the top of the tower tonight is something I have to do, because I need him to know how I feel, more than I ever thought I would.