Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
An hour later, I was still waiting for Kole.
I’d ventured to the general store and placed an order for a new carpet.
I had it being delivered to a city in the northern area of Stonewild, which hopefully Kole would take me to if needed.
Otherwise, I would have to hitch a ride with other fae in order to claim it.
But even though I’d kept an eye out the shop’s window while I’d been placing my order, I still hadn’t seen Kole emerge from the inn, not once.
So I waited and waited for him to return.
The sun rose steadily behind a thick cloud cover, and the frigid air didn’t warm.
Swirling masses of indigo, navy, and purple puffs roiled over the land, threatening another gale.
Rain or snow would likely come again. I shivered.
No, not rain. Snow would definitely be coming if those clouds decided to let loose.
I hopped from foot to foot, my toes slightly numb from standing idly for so long, and I debated if I should go back inside the inn just to warm up.
But then another thought occurred to me, and my stomach dropped.
Perhaps I should also check in with the front desk to see if Kole was still here.
It was possible the warrior had changed his mind about helping me, and he’d ditched me through the inn’s back door rather than breaking the news to my face.
That could explain why he hadn’t shown yet.
Oh Gods. I lurched toward the inn’s door, but the second I brushed the door handle, Kole opened it with a carpet in tow.
I jumped back, and he halted, as if my presence took him by surprise as much as his did me.
His hair was ruffled, and his breathing was rapid, as though he’d been running, which made no sense whatsoever. The inn’s quarters were much too tight to run through.
“You’re still here.” My shoulders sagged in relief.
He eyed me, and I could only imagine what I looked like. Frantic energy likely filled my aura.
“Of course, I am.” He moved out into the street until his huge carpet was free of the door.
His enchanted carpet was large, colorful, and looked brand new. He maneuvered it easily, even having slipped it fully through the door without knocking anything over in our vicinity.
“Did you get lost?” I joked.
“No. I, uh, had to do a few things first. Sorry to make you wait.” He began to unfurl the carpet. It rolled awkwardly, as though it’d been tightly coiled for months and was only just being allowed to breathe.
I shrugged. “That’s okay. I’m glad you showed.”
He peered up at me, and once again, his rugged masculinity threatened to steal my breath. “Did you doubt that I would?”
I wrung my hands and forced a smile. “No?”
His penetrating stare didn’t waver. “I wouldn’t abandon you, Prim. I promised you could join me. I was always going to show.”
His tone left no room for argument, and something in me calmed. Even though I didn’t know Kole well—if at all—his statement told me that if the warrior gave his word to someone, he kept it. “Sorry that I doubted you.”
“It’s all right.” He returned his attention to the carpet, and once it was fully flat, it levitated automatically on its own. Thick magic puffed around it, and the strong scent of woven fibers filled my nose. It not only looked new, but it smelled new too.
Kole grabbed my supplies and began to stack them in the back. I joined him and studied the bright carpet colors that were in direct contrast to the angry sky.
“Do you require travelers to remove their footwear?” I bumped his elbow playfully.
He stopped mid-movement. “What?”
I nodded toward his carpet. “It’s so clean. It looks brand new. I figured you may be one of those fae who don’t allow anyone to wear shoes on their carpet. How else could it be so spotless?”
He reached for another box and said gruffly, “No, you can keep your shoes on.”
My brow furrowed, but I finished helping him with my supplies.
Within minutes, everything was magically strapped into place, and we were ready to go. I glanced toward the northern skyline. The Wildland Mountain peaks gleamed with fresh white snow, and I thought of the creature last night. Of what potentially waited for us in the Wood.
Suddenly, I was very thankful that I was traveling with an Imperial Warrior whose very job was to hunt such things. I could only hope that Nym, Jessip, and Felix would be lucky enough to avoid them if any more were lurking about.
Kole jumped onto the carpet and sat, but he had to shift his sword so his blade angled off the carpet’s side. He then patted the area beside him. “Ready to go?”
His large hand snagged my attention. His fingers were thick, his palm wide. Wind swirled his midnight hair around the tips of his ears, and my attention shifted to his mouth. Last night now felt like a whirlwind, but at one point, I knew he’d been as aroused as me.
My heartbeat kicked up, and I hurriedly climbed onto the carpet, then settled myself beside him. My leg brushed against his, but when I made a move to shift away, his hand settled on my thigh, halting me.
Warmth immediately seared through my pants from his body heat, and my muscles bunched.
His fingers tensed, and he quickly removed his hand and ran it through his hair. “Um, sorry about that.”
All I managed was an awkward smile since I was still reeling from how easily he touched me.
Glancing away, he mumbled a command to the carpet, but nothing happened. His jaw locked, and he said it louder.
As before . . . nothing happened.
My brows furrowed together. “Kole, have you ever ridden this carpet before?” Seconds ticked by, but he didn’t respond. “Kole?” I said again.
He growled, so low that it was more like a vibration in his chest. “No.”
My nose scrunched up. “Then how did you get here? Didn’t you travel here on this carpet?”
He wouldn’t meet my eye, and once again, he didn’t reply.
Sighing, I was reminded of his secretive nature and decided to respect his privacy even though everything about his new carpet made me endlessly curious.
“I take it you don’t often travel by enchanted carpet?” I teased instead.
He made a noise in his throat, and a hint of embarrassment wafted from his aura. “What gave it away?”
I laughed and sat up straighter, smiling brightly. “You need to imprint the carpet to your voice before it follows your commands.”
I told him the simple instructions, which I assumed all fae knew regarding carpets, but considering Kole followed my directions, I thought that perhaps this truly was new to him. Odd indeed, but I bit my tongue and didn’t push further.
Once the carpet’s magic recognized Kole as its commander, I nodded at him. “Try again.”
Under his breath, he said, “Lift. Sail north on the road.”
The carpet rose higher and immediately began gliding down the main street back to the Wood’s road. Kole smirked.
I bumped the warrior’s elbow again. “That’s better, don’t you think?”
For the briefest moment, his lips tugged up, and I felt positively giddy to see another elusive smile.
“Do you think the weather will hold?” I gazed skyward.
Threats of an impending gale continued. The wind was positively fierce, but unlike last night, a breath of warmth filled me since Kole’s body heat radiated out of him.
Blessedly, I soaked up every bit of it. “But I suppose even if it starts snowing again, at least it’s not as cold as it was last night. ”
“Not yet, at least. Weather can be unpredictable this time of the season. There’s no telling what’s in store for us.”
“Is that so?” I peered up at the warrior. “Do you know this area well?”
“Not as well as the locals, but I’ve been here before.”
We sailed out of Inisville, and the carpet settled into flight along the Wood’s road, going north as commanded.
“Do you have a certain destination in mind today?” I asked him. “Other than going north?” I would ride with Kole for as long as I could, but if the seekerill told me to go in a different direction from him, we would have to part ways.
“Nowhere specifically. My orders are to stay on patrol.”
“Ah, wonderful. In that case . . .” I pulled out the seekerill and checked the needle.
A cold breeze rushed over my cheeks as the carpet glided along its predestined path, and Kole’s heat continued to be a blessing.
My spirits lifted, even when the needle showed that I should go more northeast, but the road we were on tracked steadily north instead, with no intersection in sight.
I shrugged. “Close enough. Let’s stay on this road for now. ”
Kole eyed my device as I tucked it back into my pocket.
“Is there any chance we could go faster?” I asked him.
He issued another command, and the carpet shot forward.
Grinning, I relished the speed as the land whizzed by us, and the fact that I was once again making headway caused my heart to soar.
We sailed over the Wood’s road, and the Wildland Mountains loomed, yet even with potential creatures lurking in the forest, my smile didn’t abate.
Kole glanced down at me, and asked in a curious tone, “What was that device you put in your pocket?”
My lips parted, surprise momentarily biting my tongue that the warrior had initiated a conversation.
“Oh. Well . . .” I withdrew it from my pocket and showed it to him. “This is actually my uncle’s. He invented it.”
I opened the small metallic box and showed him how the thick needle, which floated over a flat piece of babbo wood, moved in the direction its magic guided it.
“It’s similar to a compass, but it follows an object that you alert it to.
It can follow anything. Its magic is incredibly precise and accurate. ”
“May I?” He held his hand out, and I placed it on his palm. He picked the box up and inspected it more, then handed it back to me. “How interesting. And your uncle invented that?”
“He did. He’s a brilliant inventor.”
“So brilliant that he knows how to create a device that can find anything?”