Chapter Nineteen #3
“I was just returning the horses to the stables,” he said, “and I wanted to know if you would like to go riding with me later? You can ride Starlight again. I won’t tell Gabby. It can be another of our secrets.”
Rhea lost all ability to think. Or to speak. Or to breathe, really. She was certain that he was only asking her this because the other fairies were there. He was playing his role as her husband but she couldn’t tell her heart that.
“Of course, she would love to go riding later!” Sid interjected, seeing that Rhea was unable to move.
“Good.” Reeve stepped closer to Rhea, bent his head down, and whispered in her ear, “Meet me in the stables when you’re finished. And you look gorgeous in that gown.”
Rhea’s entire body trembled. He lingered for a moment, which made her heart flutter when she felt his breath on her neck.
Then he gently kissed her cheek before walking away.
She didn’t know she’d had her eyes closed until she opened them to find all three fairies gaping at her.
They were probably just as stunned as she was, but for entirely different reasons.
Her heart was racing and she was pretty sure her face was flushed pink. She resisted the urge to fan herself.
Sid was unable to hide her surprise too. She hadn’t realized the two of them were really falling for each other. There was no way that display was purely for show. Had Bree’s plan actually worked?
“I thought that entire story in Anestas was just an act,” Raven said, blinking in shock. “To save the man. I didn’t think you meant it.”
“I think I’m in love…” Twila said, sighing. “Does he have a brother?”
Rhea quickly glanced at Sid, who opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Thankfully, Twila was too busy to notice, gushing with a group of fairies over how incredibly romantic Rhea’s new husband was and how much they wanted to have one of their own.
~*~
Dagan watched the fairies working below from the balcony with Rowan, who was stitching up a gash on his own arm.
“You do know I can heal that for you, right?” Dagan asked.
“I do.”
“Then why don’t you ask me to? Look, it’s simple. Just say, ‘Dagan, heal my arm.’ It’s that easy.”
“I’ve seen enough magic recently to last me a lifetime. So I think I will pass.”
“Suit yourself. But when that cut turns green, don’t come crying for my help.”
“I won’t,” Rowan said, smirking. “I’ll go to Sidonie.”
Dagan scowled. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I would,” he said, laughing. “She’s more powerful than you are anyway.”
Dagan looked down to where Sid was standing and talking to the fairies.
Rowan wasn’t wrong. She was definitely more powerful, but she was also much more dangerous.
Seeing her last night was terrifying. The intense sense of lifelessness that had been in her eyes still made his skin crawl.
For a moment, he’d thought he had lost her to the power.
It just proved how easily she could be consumed by the darkness in her magic. The darkness that would never go away. He already had to protect her from whatever the realm might throw at them, but now he feared he may also have to protect her from herself.
~*~
Later that day, Rhea found Reeve waiting outside the stables with two horses. She recognized them both from their traveling together. Even though she still didn’t love riding horses, she would do it in order to spend time with him. If that made her silly, she would embrace it.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“I am.”
He lowered his arms to let her step her foot into them then he gave her a gentle boost to help her onto the horse. Once he mounted his own, they rode slowly past the ruins of the outer wall. She tried not to look at it, because her heart clenched when she remembered that night.
“Let’s go this way,” Reeve said, sensing her sadness because of their surroundings. “We can take the forest trail.”
“Alright.”
He led her away from the castle and down the wooded path. They were quiet for a while. He didn’t mind. It wasn’t very different from when they’d rode together before. Just being there with her was better than anywhere else without her. He would take whatever she offered.
After a few more moments, she spoke, asking him about where he’d grown up.
Reeve was glad to hear her voice and he answered.
Their conversation might have started slowly but it didn’t stop once it did.
She questioned him about his mother and how Gabby had been born so late in his life.
Rhea seemed to want to know him and he was glad.
He liked to think a woman who didn’t care wouldn’t ask so many questions. It was a good sign, right?
At the end of their ride, when they returned to the stables, he took her by the waist and lowered her to the ground.
He wanted so badly to kiss her. She was right there in front of him.
Just a hairsbreadth away… but he didn’t want to pressure her into moving too quickly.
Stepping back, he lifted her hand and kissed that instead.
Laying on his pillow that night, he couldn’t wait to ask her to ride again tomorrow.