Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Briar
I was preparing to release some energy and flee when a tiny head popped out from the underbrush.
Big, soulful, nearly black eyes blinked at me from the shadows.
Long black lashes and fluffy, light gray fur surrounded its large eyes.
Tufts of gray hair stuck up from the tips of its rounded ears, and I almost went aww at its undeniable cuteness, but I was afraid my voice might scare it away.
As we stared at each other, its two small paws with their little pink pads pulled down the leaves covering the bottom half of its face and body. Standing on its hind feet, the creature exposed a small snout and a black, button nose that twitched as it scented me.
The size of a squirrel, white fur covered its belly, while the rest of it retained the grayish hue of its face. The creature was one of the most adorable things I’d ever seen and, because of that, I was a little scared it was going to kill me.
Adorable and Wildwood were two words I’d never heard associated with each other. Despite my certainty it was about to latch onto my face and claw out my eyeballs, I bent, rubbed my fingers together, and called to the tiny creature.
No one had ever accused me of being smart when it came to animals, and I probably deserved to be eaten, but I wanted something to brighten this day. I’d long ago accepted that some creature I wanted to pet would kill me.
It eyed me for a few seconds before lowering to all fours and inching closer. When I searched the ground, I discovered a small, hard, red fruit and held it out to the animal. It studied me, the fruit, and then me again as it rose onto its hind legs once more.
Now that it was closer, I could tell it was a boy. He put his front paws against his chest and released a little squeak that made me smile.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “I won’t hurt you.”
His bushy tail twitched before he dropped down and inched closer. When I held the fruit further out, he snatched it from my hands and scurried back to the underbrush before turning to look at me over his shoulder.
I grinned as I gathered some more fruit from the forest floor while he nibbled on the piece he took from me. I was about to offer him more when Seth’s voice carried into the woods.
“If you make me come after you, Briar, I promise, you’ll regret it.”
The tiny creature scampered into the forest and disappeared. With a sigh, I rose, and while I didn’t have pockets in this ridiculous dress, I did have shoes. I slid three pieces of dried fruit into my once white slippers.
The horse and woods had dirtied my shoes to a dull brown color, and walking with the fruit inside them wasn’t exactly comfortable, but I didn’t care. If I got the chance to see that creature again, I’d feed it some more. He was a small bit of joy in my increasingly desolate existence.
“Briar,” Seth called into the forest.
“Do you think she ran?” Lyra inquired.
“No,” Seth replied. “She’s treacherous, but she’s not a coward.”
“Well, at least you think one good thing about me,” I said as I walked out from the trees.
I hadn’t exited the same way I entered, but the four of them faced my direction. Of course, they’d heard and scented me coming before I emerged; they were part animal after all.
“I’ll hunt something for us to eat,” Pierce said.
“I’ll gather the water,” Dromon said.
Seth’s gaze raked me before he used his finger to beckon me forward. I balked at the arrogant gesture. Did he think I’d run right over to him because he motioned me to?
When he shrugged and turned away, his words drifted over his shoulder to me. “Fine, do without the coat I was going to give you then. It may be spring, but it gets chilly in these woods at night.”
I didn’t so much care about the cold as I did about my mostly exposed breasts. “I’ll take the coat,” I blurted and then kicked myself for sounding so eager. My excitement might cause him to deny me.
He didn’t acknowledge me as he walked over to his saddlebag, opened it, and removed a tattered brown coat from within. He tossed it in my direction without looking at me.
When it landed a few feet before me, I glowered at him before walking over to snatch it up. I would have much preferred to leave it lying on the ground between us, but I’d only be spiting myself by doing such a thing.
Holding back a string of curses at myself and him, I slipped the coat on. Its sleeves fell almost comically to my feet, and I had to roll them up to keep from tripping over them.
The hem dragged across the ground, but I couldn’t do anything about that.
I also couldn’t do anything about the fact that it smelled so strongly of Seth I could almost close my eyes and pretend it was him around me.
However, I couldn’t do that to my heart; I’d only shatter it more if I started playing make-believe.
I hugged my arms around my middle as I watched the others preparing our small camp. I hated having taken the coat, but I was glad to have it.
Behind me, a rustle drew my attention, and I turned to find the creature peering out from behind a tree. Smiling, I bent to remove the fruit from my shoes. I tossed a piece behind me before slipping the other two into a coat pocket and gliding closer to the fire.