17. Willow #3
Cin shakes his head. “Mate bonds are very much clouded in mystery and legend, but we are aware of the law of the female. It is her decision, always. Only the most foolish and evil of males would disregard that rule.” He leans in, his gaze intent.
“You are in control here, little human. You just haven’t realized it yet. ”
I open my mouth to respond when a hissing sound draws my attention to the opposite end of the room. Cin’s python slides across the ice, its pearlescent gray scales contrasting strikingly with the dark blue of the floor.
With its serpentine eyes trained steadily on my face, the snake’s tongue flicks out, tasting the air around my ankles. Its muscular body curls around my foot in a flash, and the python begins scaling my body like a tree limb.
For some reason, I’m not scared. I probably should be, but something inside me calls out, promising that no harm will come to me. And weirdly, I believe it.
The snake is around my abdomen now, its head lying flat against my sternum, gazing up at me curiously. In a trance, I brush my finger over the scales on its head, and it closes its eyes—almost like it’s happy to be touched.
“You must be special,” Cin rasps. “Noox doesn’t tolerate anyone but me.”
Noox starts to wind around my shoulders, and Cin reaches out, meaning to pull his familiar off me. Only, as soon as his hand gets close, Noox whips his head to the side and hisses, then snaps the air near Cin’s hand.
Cin steps back with a silent laugh, lowering his hand to his side. “Looks like you’re his new favorite.”
I continue petting the python, fascinated by the feel of its scales. “I like him, too.”
Noox flicks his tongue, seemingly pleased by my words. It nuzzles my neck slightly with its snout, then slithers back to the floor as gracefully as it had climbed up.
As Noox disappears into the shadows, a wave of tiredness crashes through my veins, and I let out a massive yawn, unable to hide how exhausted I am.
Cin tips his head to the side, studying me like one of his beautiful sculptures. “You know… if you wanted to sleep in my room tonight to have some space away from Rhune and Nyx, that would be no problem.”
My face heats at the thought of snuggling up in Cin’s furs, placing my head on his warm, muscular chest. Feeling his…
I drop my gaze from his handsome face. “I don’t want to put you out like that...”
“It’s no trouble,” he says. “I rarely sleep at all, and even less in my bedroom. I’ll be in here until the suns flip—working.
” His eyes squint in one of those enchanting half-smiles that makes my stomach flutter.
“Don’t you want to know what it’s like to stretch out in a bed without Rhune and Nyx hogging up all the space? ”
I laugh under my breath. “Twist my arm why don’t you.”
“Is that a yes?”
I nod, giving in. “Yes. Thank you, Cin.”
Seeming pleased, Cin leads me out of the workshop and down the tunnel to his room. As soon as I step inside, my senses are assaulted with the most pleasant of smells—spice and ash and a hint of male musk. It’s a little addicting.
“Rhune and Nyx will leave you alone as long as you’re in here,” he says, his eyes intent as he leans against the doorway. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
I blush, hoping he can’t see it through the shadows. “Thank you Cin. You’ve been so kind to me. I’ll find a way to repay you.”
His eyes squint with a smile I can’t see. “You already have.”
With that, he turns and disappears down the tunnel, leaving me alone in his bedroom with nothing but a small “night-light” to illuminate the space. Really, it’s just a section of exposed glowing root, but it functions the same way.
I snuggle into Cin’s bed, inhaling his distinctly masculine scent clinging to the furs. It’s not quite as cozy as Rhune’s—but then again, I doubt it’s possible to be cozier than his. It’s warm and soft and comforting, and before long, my eyes grow heavy, and I fall into a deep, deep sleep.
A few hours later, there’s a faint rustle from the doorway that pulls me from my slumber.
I open my eyes just in time to watch Cin’s serpentine eyes retreating into the shadows, and I frown, bracing my palm at my side as I push into an upright position.
My pinky brushes something cool and hard, and my gaze drops to the edge of the furs, not quite believing what my eyes are seeing.
He made me a comb…
The gift has been carved from a dark gray material, cooler to the touch than the ice-rock that lines the walls and floor. Dozens of thin, intricately carved teeth branch off perpendicularly from a sturdy spine, one which fits perfectly in my palm.
My thumb brushes over the shaft, feeling the fine grooves etched into its surface.
I pull it closer to my face, taking in the intricately carved flowers adorning the dark rock.
I don’t recognize them from anything I’ve seen on earth, but if I had to make a comparison, I’d say they looked a bit like orchids.
I curl my fingers around the comb, and am surprised to find tears pricking the corners of my eyes. This gift—it’s a small gesture, but it means more to me than Cin will ever know.
I fall back asleep with the comb clutched tight to my chest.