magic in you. But you can disappear.”
There was silence, and Kayla almost drifted off to sleep waiting for his answer.
“I’m no sorcerer. But I have access to magical objects.”
“Mmm?”
“I find magical objects. I sell them.”
“That’s how you make your living?” She finally opened her eyes, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was busy with the fire again.
“I trained as a knight for Jasper, but we…couldn’t see eye to eye, and I went back to my family’s business. I’m a woodsman.”
“And you find magical objects while you’re cutting down trees?” She could not help the disbelief in her voice.
“You saw what wild magic can do.” He looked across at her. “It can make beautiful things as well as terrible. Imbue them with the most amazing powers.”
“So you hunt for these things in the woods?” She sat up, looking at him over the flames.
He nodded and her heart picked up its pace. She didn’t feel as tired any more.
“You find them, and some you sell?”
He lifted his head. “Most I sell.”
He was warning her. Reminding her he was a working man. No prince. And one with a strange employment, at that.
“So what is it that turns you invisible?”
He put his hand in his pouch and drew out a shimmering moonstone, flat on one side, rounded on the other. It glowed like moonlight on his palm.
“If I close my hand over it, and rub it with my thumb, I disappear.” He made a fist and she saw his thumb move and suddenly he wasn’t there. Then he was back, stone sitting once more on his open palm. “It comes in useful.”
“So you’re not a knight of Jasper’s stronghold.” She paused a moment. “Or his secretary. You’re a magic hunter.” It made sense now. “And the magic you were hunting this time was the golden apple.”
He said nothing, but he looked straight into her eyes.
She held her breath and everything else fell away. For a moment, it was just him and her, and an ocean of unspoken words between them. Of kisses not yet given, touches not yet felt.
She blinked, and tried to remember what they were talking about. He had no right to look at her like that. So full of regret and desire.
“I am sorry.” He lifted an arm, as if to touch her, but dropped it back at his side.
She wanted to cry, to rage, to accuse, but she refused to do it again. Her father had wearied her of that game when he’d put her up as a prize to be won.
She found a place of calm within. Found the strength to be steady and unaffected. She had used him, too. Had had her own agenda that night. And although she had been honest in her motives, where he had not, she would not point fingers.
“How does your brother fit into this?” Her voice came out as she wanted. Cool.
She would not lay herself open and vulnerable to him again so easily.
She saw a look on his face—pain. It should have made her feel better, but it didn’t.
“Jasper has my brother prisoner. His ransom is the golden apple.”
“And you are sure Jasper will harm him?”
He laughed, the laugh of the wind through bare winter trees. “Jasper will kill him with relish if I give him even the slightest excuse.”
“Why?”
Rane’s eyes narrowed. “It’s a long story. Believe me, Jasper hates Soren. He hates me, too, just not quite as much. And he knows I won’t work for him any more. The only way he could get me to acquire the apple was to force me.”
“But why you? Why not use someone else, and still kill your brother, if he wants to so badly?”
“Because magic is drawn to me. If anyone could have gotten that apple it was me.” He closed his eyes. “Or Soren. Magic comes to him, too.”
“So you can do this? Get the jewel for Eric?”
He shrugged. “If the jewel were hidden in the forest, or was part of a challenge, I would definitely get it. But the jewel belongs to someone. I have never stolen before.”
Ah, but that was not true. She thought of what he’d stolen from her. Her trust. She breathed deep
There was silence, and Kayla almost drifted off to sleep waiting for his answer.
“I’m no sorcerer. But I have access to magical objects.”
“Mmm?”
“I find magical objects. I sell them.”
“That’s how you make your living?” She finally opened her eyes, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was busy with the fire again.
“I trained as a knight for Jasper, but we…couldn’t see eye to eye, and I went back to my family’s business. I’m a woodsman.”
“And you find magical objects while you’re cutting down trees?” She could not help the disbelief in her voice.
“You saw what wild magic can do.” He looked across at her. “It can make beautiful things as well as terrible. Imbue them with the most amazing powers.”
“So you hunt for these things in the woods?” She sat up, looking at him over the flames.
He nodded and her heart picked up its pace. She didn’t feel as tired any more.
“You find them, and some you sell?”
He lifted his head. “Most I sell.”
He was warning her. Reminding her he was a working man. No prince. And one with a strange employment, at that.
“So what is it that turns you invisible?”
He put his hand in his pouch and drew out a shimmering moonstone, flat on one side, rounded on the other. It glowed like moonlight on his palm.
“If I close my hand over it, and rub it with my thumb, I disappear.” He made a fist and she saw his thumb move and suddenly he wasn’t there. Then he was back, stone sitting once more on his open palm. “It comes in useful.”
“So you’re not a knight of Jasper’s stronghold.” She paused a moment. “Or his secretary. You’re a magic hunter.” It made sense now. “And the magic you were hunting this time was the golden apple.”
He said nothing, but he looked straight into her eyes.
She held her breath and everything else fell away. For a moment, it was just him and her, and an ocean of unspoken words between them. Of kisses not yet given, touches not yet felt.
She blinked, and tried to remember what they were talking about. He had no right to look at her like that. So full of regret and desire.
“I am sorry.” He lifted an arm, as if to touch her, but dropped it back at his side.
She wanted to cry, to rage, to accuse, but she refused to do it again. Her father had wearied her of that game when he’d put her up as a prize to be won.
She found a place of calm within. Found the strength to be steady and unaffected. She had used him, too. Had had her own agenda that night. And although she had been honest in her motives, where he had not, she would not point fingers.
“How does your brother fit into this?” Her voice came out as she wanted. Cool.
She would not lay herself open and vulnerable to him again so easily.
She saw a look on his face—pain. It should have made her feel better, but it didn’t.
“Jasper has my brother prisoner. His ransom is the golden apple.”
“And you are sure Jasper will harm him?”
He laughed, the laugh of the wind through bare winter trees. “Jasper will kill him with relish if I give him even the slightest excuse.”
“Why?”
Rane’s eyes narrowed. “It’s a long story. Believe me, Jasper hates Soren. He hates me, too, just not quite as much. And he knows I won’t work for him any more. The only way he could get me to acquire the apple was to force me.”
“But why you? Why not use someone else, and still kill your brother, if he wants to so badly?”
“Because magic is drawn to me. If anyone could have gotten that apple it was me.” He closed his eyes. “Or Soren. Magic comes to him, too.”
“So you can do this? Get the jewel for Eric?”
He shrugged. “If the jewel were hidden in the forest, or was part of a challenge, I would definitely get it. But the jewel belongs to someone. I have never stolen before.”
Ah, but that was not true. She thought of what he’d stolen from her. Her trust. She breathed deep
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