Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
ROWAN
She was here. With me. Her hand was inside mine, clutching my fingers tightly, with nerves or something else, I couldn’t tell. She wasn’t afraid. I’d smell it on her. Her heartbeat kicked up some when I took her hand. A good sign, maybe? I didn’t dare to hope.
Those stunning eyes of hers took in the area, her lips parted in wonder.
We were different from Joy Springs, much different.
I did not lead through fear or intimidation, though there were times I had to remind people what I was made of.
Caelan did not lead through fear outright, though he had a reputation for dispatching those who displeased him quickly and without prejudice.
I couldn’t deny I’d done the same. Only a few times, but enough to keep me awake some nights.
There was so much I wanted, no, needed to show her. So many things I needed her to know. About me, my life, my people. All the things I wanted for myself and for her if she’d allow me to give them to her. But Evie was still wounded, still trying to find some way to return to her old life.
She had not realized that life had turned to ashes. Maybe she wouldn’t realize it until she tried again.
And I knew the bastard would let her. Now that Lugh was gone, he’d realize how badly he’d been played.
In some ways, he already had. He’d already removed Rachel, but I knew he would come for Evie soon.
I’m surprised he hadn’t done so already.
Every day, I prepared for his arrival. Every day, I tried to show Evie the wonders of my land and my home.
Every day, I resisted the urge to drop to my knees and beg her to stay.
She wasn’t ready. And I was afraid I was running out of time.
Her fingers clenched around mine as I led her into the heart of Emberwood.
Fairy lights were strung across the buildings, casting a warm, comforting glow across the area.
A fountain burbled happily ahead, the water sparkling with fairy glitter.
Evie gasped when she saw it and, without thinking, stepped ahead of me, tugging me forward.
I happily went along. No one had ever dared lead me before, but with Evie, I’d follow her wherever she decided to go.
A few people passed by, their eyebrows slightly raised as they watched Evie tugging me along.
Some of their lips tipped up in hesitant smiles when they saw me, allowing her to do so.
“This is amazing,” Evie breathed. “Is that from the fae?” She pointed to the sparkles of light glittering inside and above the water.
Rowan nodded. “We have several sprites who live here. They charge the fountain once a week to keep it glowing like that.”
“Cool.” She reached her hand forward, then jerked it back.
“Go ahead,” I encouraged.
Evie smiled and touched the water, filling her palm with the glittering liquid. She moved it to and fro in her palm before depositing it back into the pool. “This is amazing.”
I let her explore as much as she wanted, reveling in the fact that she hadn’t yet dropped my hand.
She wandered over to a shop that sold stained glass.
The owner, a small, sparkly-eyed woman named Leia, greeted me enthusiastically, eyeing Evie with interest when she saw our hands still clasped.
Her eyebrows went up, and as Evie passed by her because her eye snagged a stunning floral piece, Leia mouthed, “She’s gorgeous,” and gave me two thumbs up.
I suppressed my grin and winked at Leia. Evie stopped before the piece and dropped my hand. I tried not to flinch from the lack of her warmth, but she turned to Leia. “This is stunning work,” she breathed. “How much is it?”
Leia was not a cheap artist. Her work was worth the money, but her prices were sometimes eye-watering.
The piece itself was a beautiful work of art and oddly prophetic.
A woman with long, dark hair blowing away from the side of her head like a ribbon unfurling in the wind, sat in a field of blooming flowers.
Her back was bare, and one hand was tipped up holding a palm full of white blossoms, some spilling to the ground.
Moonlight sparkled in the sky, a white glass ball surrounded by a deep blue glass background dotted with stars.
Leia’s eyes narrowed. She stared at Evie for a long moment, then looked at me. “This piece is not for sale.”
I blinked at the artist. I knew godsdamn well everything in this shop was for sale. Leia loved art, but she loved money even more. Evie’s face fell, but after a moment, once she’d swallowed her disappointment, she nodded. “I understand. If I had something this beautiful, I wouldn’t sell it either.”
Evie smiled and drifted away, wandering through the store and stopping every few feet to admire another treasure, though I didn’t miss how her gaze kept drifting back to the piece she coveted.
“Leia,” I hissed in a barely audible whisper. “What the hell?”
Leia grinned, completely unrepentant. “Is this the Floromancer?”
“You know it is.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“I know that,” I snapped. “What’s the deal with that not being for sale?”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not for sale because it’s a wedding gift.”
“A wedding gift? For whom?” I was supposed to know of any marriages happening in the area so the Keep could send a gift.
Leia’s eyebrows rose. Her brown eyes sparkled as she waited for my brain to start working.
And when it did, I snorted. “Today was the first day she held my hand. If you’re planning on that, you might as well take that thing down and put it in a closet because it will be a long while before she’s ready for that. If she ever is.”
“But you were still holding hands,” Leia whispered. “That means your beautiful Floromancer feels safe with you.”
I glanced over to see Evie crouched, peering at something on a lower shelf.
“It is no small thing for a woman to feel safe with a male, Lord.” She flicked her fingers at me. “Now go away and see if that girl will hold your hand again. You looked like a smitten teenager when you walked in here.”
I snorted. “Mind your tongue, Leia.” I pointed to the stained-glass piece Evie coveted. “And take that down before we leave, so Evie doesn’t have to be sad when she walks past it again.”
Leia put a hand over her heart. “Of course, Lord.”
I knew I’d end up offering Leia three times what she was asking soon, and the succubus knew it, too.
I rolled my eyes at her impudence and headed toward Evie.
She started to rise, and I held out a hand to help her.
Evie smiled and took it, allowing me to curl her fingers into mine.
We left that shop half an hour later with a promise from Leia to ship Evie’s purchases back to the Keep tomorrow.
Her bank account was lighter, but my heart was even more so.
I let her lead me through town for hours, and I didn’t have to do a thing to make my people love her.
She won them with her questions and her awe, and occasionally with her wallet.
Tomorrow, the Keep would get an avalanche of packages, and Evie hadn’t even gone clothes shopping yet, something we both knew she needed to do.
She’d come to me with the clothes on her back and nothing more. Moira had shipped a box of her things, but there was only about a week’s worth of clothing. Most of the box was filled with books and chocolate, which had made Evie laugh at first, then cry.
I’d sent out my Omega, Hope, who purchased her a few more things, but there was very little of it that was in Evie’s style, mostly joggers and long-sleeved shirts.
And though she was thankful, Evie hadn’t worn them at all until I’d pressed.
The reason why had given me much pause and made me clean out my own closet.
She wore nothing made from synthetic fibers, except for the occasional elastane or spandex for stretch in athletic clothing, provided it was kept at five percent or lower of the total fabric content.
The thought never crossed my mind. When I checked the tags on the clothing the Omega bought her, I realized most of it was made of polyester, acrylic, and nylon.
Evie had smiled apologetically and offered to repay every cent, lamenting that she knew she needed to go shopping but couldn’t bring herself to care too much.
I sent Hope back to the stores with all the purchases and had her try again, this time with cotton, silk, cashmere, linen, and sustainably sourced bamboo. When Evie saw the new pile on her bed, she came out of her room and yelled at me, then wrote me a check I promptly ripped up and threw away.
Yes, natural fibers were outrageously expensive, which seemed counterintuitive to the alternative of poisoning the planet, but they lasted for years.
Plus, I didn’t give a shit how much something cost. All the Lords were rich as Croesus, and I was no exception.
I’d put her in furs if she wouldn’t have my head over it.
I’d removed all the polyester, acrylic, and nylon from my wardrobe, kind of pissed at myself for never considering the environmental impact of my clothing before Evie.
And when my new wardrobe came in, I had to resist the urge to pick Evie up and kiss her right on those glorious lips.
Natural fibers were comfortable, breathable, and soft. Except for linen.
Fuck linen.
“There are a few clothing shops farther down if you want to look around.”
Evie hesitated and shook her head. “I have plenty, thanks to you. Though I still want to smack you for that cashmere you bought.”
I grinned. “But it’s warm and cozy, isn’t it?”
She gave me the side eye. “Yes. I love it.”
Evie sounded so grumpy, I laughed.
“Are you hungry?” I asked. We hadn’t shared a real meal since her arrival.
The first two weeks, she barely came out of her room.
The next week, I barely saw her inside the house as she’d spent most of her time exploring the property.
Last week, I had to start sending trays to her room because her appetite was less than half of what it should be.