by Aron Lewes
“That's how most men get a girl to lower her guard and entice her into bed,” Ewald claimed. “By being kind.”
Esha sheathed his sword and addressed Sara's father in the most precious voice he could muster. “Sir, I promise you, I have no such plans for Sara. I'm a kitsune, and we only mate with our wi—”
“I don't care if you're a fart in my arse, son. You're still a man, and a man's only got one thing on his mind.”
Esha took a breath so deep, he made his lungs shudder. “Sir... I care about your daughter very much. I would never hurt her. Never. On my honor, I swear to you, this won't be the last time you see her. When she's with me, I will always take care of her. I'll watch over her. I'll—”
“I'll take care of myself!” Sara interrupted. “Everyone treats me like a baby made of glass, but they'd be surprised by what I'm capable of!”
With a roll of her eyes, she pushed her wheelchair in the direction of the hill.
Chapter Ten
DURING THEIR TELEPATHIC communications, Sara had a tendency to ramble. In the flesh, she was no different.
“Don't worry about my chair, Esha! I know it seems a bit wiggly, but I swear it's sturdier than it looks. I wish I could say my father was a bit less brutish than he looks, but his face is an accurate representation of the man inside of him. He didn't hurt you, did he? I mean... aside from your nose... which looks terrible, by the way.”
Esha lightly pinched his nose between a thumb and forefinger. He knew it was broken—he could feel the crooked cartilage under his fingers. “I'm sure it does look terrible. The blood on my shirt would indicate that.”
“I won't argue that. You've got such a ring of red around your neck, it looks like you're wearing a bib of blood.” Thrusting a thumb at Larien, Sara asked. “Who's the quiet fellow? At least... he's quiet compared to me. I know I talk a lot, and even more so when I'm nervous. And let me just say, I'm very nervous.”
“I'm King Larien, my lady,” he answered with a bow. “It's such a pleasure to meet—”
“The king?” Sara's voice squeaked with surprise. “Are you serious? I'm rubbing shoulders with the king? Well... I mean... we're not actually rubbing shoulders... it'd be kind of strange if we were. If we were actually rubbing shoulders, we'd have to be standing in a very cramped place... and he would have to be squatting down, because I'm in my chair, so...” Sara suddenly clapped a hand against her forehead. “I'm rambling again. Please stop me if I start to ramble. Especially you, Your Highness. I wouldn't want to annoy a king.”
“You're not annoying in the least,” Larien assured her. “I think it's quite cute.”
“Did you hear that?” Sara jabbed another thumb at Larien. “The king just said I was cute! Can you believe that?”
Esha replied, “No, I can't believe it... because I'm sure His Highness knows I intend to flirt with you myself.”
Sara's mouth fell open so wide, they could see all her teeth, which were straighter, whiter and more intact than the average commoners'. “You want to flirt... with me?”
“I'm not the greatest flirt in the world, but I intend to try,” Esha said. “I enjoyed our late-night chats, strange as they were.”
“If you think they were strange to you, imagine how strange they were to me! I'd never done anything like that before!” Sara, still gaping, had her eyes on Larien's hair. The honey-colored waves were tousled by a light breeze, and the highlights caught the sun. “Is his hair always so shiny?” she blurted.
“Yes!” Esha laughed. “I hate to say it, but it is.”
“It's very kingly hair, I'll tell you that,” Sara said. “Yours is shiny too. It puts mine to shame! Mine's about the same as my dad's. It looks like a moldy orange.”
Esha nearly compared her hair to a sunset, but he was afraid it would sound too trite. Instead, he replied, “I think it's a lovely shade.”
“Mine? Pfft.” She blew off his compliment with a wave of her hand. “It's kind of you to say so, but it's not kingly hair. Oh... and can we talk about your ears? They don't even look real! Can I touch one?”
Esha knelt in front of her chair, letting her flick one of his ears. It didn't stop twitching until she pulled back her finger.
“That's amazing,” Sara said. “You are amazing. So is the king. I'm amazed by all this amazingness.”
They were down the hill and halfway back to Larien's fleet, which was docked in nearby Brennick. Every few minutes, one of the wheels on Sara's chair was snagged by overgrown grass, but Esha always managed to push her out of the blades' hold.
“I know I talk too much. I do. I really do,” Sara said. “My father should be glad to be rid of me. For once, he can enjoy some peace and quiet.”
“Speaking of your father, I keep glancing over my shoulder, wondering if he's following us,” Esha confessed.
“He's not... at least, he shouldn't be. He's deathly afraid of boats,” Sara said. “He was in a boating accident when he was nine, and I think he almost drowned. Trust me, childhood accidents can put the fear in you forever. I hate fire, and I always will.” She lightly stroked her cheek, and the bumpy flesh that covered it. “But... let's stop talking gloomy stuff and focus on something nice... like...”
Sara didn't finish, so Esha suggested, “Like Larien's hair?”
“Exactly. And your hair too. Mine looks like a bug's nest.”
A few minutes later, they reached Brennick's small port, overrun by the king's many ships. As Esha steered Sara's chair up the gangplank, she cupped a hand over her eyes and cooed at the ship's sails, snapping in the wind.
“That mast is so big, I can't even see the top of it!” Sara exclaimed. “I think I could see the top if the sun wasn't blinding me.”
“Then I'll have to get you a hat, madam,” said a bowing Larien. “I will return in a moment.”
As he excused himself, the king winked at Esha, but Sara saw it too.
“He's trying to give us some alone time, isn't he?” Sara asked. “And he wasn't even subtle about it!”
“Subtlety isn't his strong suit.”
“Nor is it mine,” Sara said. “In fact, I intend to make a very direct request of you before the day's end.”
“Oh? And what request might that be?”
Esha pushed her to the bow of the ship, where there were fewer sailors scrambling around in preparation for departure. There, Sara closed her eyes and enjoyed the fresh, sea air that rarely filled her lungs.
“I've been sheltered almost my entire life. You know that, don't you?” she asked.
“I assumed as much.” Esha rubbed his nose, still pulsing with pain, though a bit less fiercely. His clothes were still covered in unsightly blood, so when Larien swung by with a hat for Sara and a clean shirt for him, he mouthed the words thank you.
Slamming the straw hat onto her head, Sara said, “I mean it, though. I'm really sheltered.”
“That's not a bad thing,” Esha replied. “And I'm hardly a worldly man myself. I was a stranger in a human city, so I didn't have many friends. Larien was kind to me, and I'm forever grateful for that kindness, but... for several years of my life, I rarely left the castle.”
“The castle,” Sara repeated with a whistle. “I can't believe you grew up in a castle. That's incredible.”
Esha shrugged. “I guess I was luckier than some.”
Sara's neck was tickled by her hat's blowing ribbons, so she tied a bow under her chin. Its brim provided a good shield against the sun, so she turned around and gaped at the ship's colossal masts.
“So, you had a request?” Esha reminded her.
“I... do. I'm getting around to it. Give me a moment.” Her thumbs, twiddling in her lap, were a telltale sign of the nerves in her stomach. “Alright, I'm ready. Here it comes. I... I want you to kiss me.”
Esha immediately leaned toward her chair, ready to grant her request.
“Not now!” she cried. “I mean... sometime soon, before this trip is over. Truth be told, I've never kissed anyone before, s
o I think it'd be nice to kiss you. But... we need to wait for a special moment, like they do in romance books.”
“What would qualify as a special moment?” Esha asked.
Sara's head tilted as she considered her perfect kissing scene. “I don't know. I think we'd need to be in a pretty place, or... or you'd have to rescue me from something.”
“I rescued you from your father... sort of,” Esha pointed out.
“That's true.” When she saw him leaning toward her again, Sara put up a hand to stop him. Giggling, she cried, “You're so eager! It's flattering, I guess. I wasn't sure you'd want to kiss a girl like me.”
Esha's eyebrow raised so high, he looked genuinely oblivious. “A girl like you? You mean, a girl who's sweet and charming?”
“No.” Sara pouted and pointed down at her legs. “I mean, a girl who's broken and scarred.”
“I don't see that,” Esha said. “I see a girl whose spirit is unbroken, with a pretty face and piercing eyes.”
Sara's pout morphed in a lopsided smile as she studied him. “Do you really mean that?”
“Of course. I always mean what I say.” He tried to match her smile, but his was a bit more mischievous. “And when you find your special moment, do let me know.”
Chapter Eleven
IT WAS A SHORT TRIP across the water to Thebes, and from there, they traveled north to Kylie. Sara tried not to talk too much, but she said more than once, “I can't believe I'm in a carriage with the king!” She was even more awed when, at her request, Esha shifted into fox form and curled up on the seat beside her. She couldn't resist the temptation to stroke his head, but he seemed a bit awkward about it, so she apologized later.
As they rode through Kylie, Sara stuck her head through the window and cried, “Lolly's! Ooo... is that a sweet shop? If it isn't a sweet shop, it should be.”
“Lolly's does sell sweets. Lollipops, naturally,” Esha said. “Sometimes I go there to buy some for the—”
Sara wiggled an eyebrow at his incomplete response. She tried to guess, “You buy some for... what? Rats? Beggars? The king with the glorious hair?”
Esha was blushing, and his lips were shut tight, so Larien solved the mystery. “Esha sometimes buys treats for the local orphans.”
“Really? Aww. Why wouldn't you want to tell me about that?” Sara asked.
“Because... I didn't want to sound like I was giving myself a pat on the back. It's nothing, really,” Esha said, then he changed the subject quickly. “Would you like to stop at Lolly's? I'd like to buy you a gift.”
Esha wanted to surprise her, so he entered the sweet shop alone and bought every flavor on display. When he returned, his arms were overflowing with twenty-one motley treats.
“Good lord!” Sara cried. “Those have to be the biggest lollipops I've ever seen! Were they made for a giant?” Holding up a bright green lollipop, she said, “Look! It's almost as big as my head!”
“I think it might be bigger than your head,” Esha said. “And that happens to be one of my favorite flavors. Lime.”
Sara started to unwrap one of her lollipops, but they were less than ten minutes away from Chika's cottage, so she decided to save it for later.
She asked Esha, “What's your sister like?”
“Chika's a few years older than me. She's kind and sarcastic... and a bit reclusive, to be honest. She used to live in the castle with me and Larien, but she wanted to be closer to nature. She moved away as soon as she was old enough to live on her own.”
“Not to sound like an arse, but... why would anyone choose a cottage over a castle?” Sara asked. “You saw my father's place. It was barely more than a hovel! I can't even imagine what castle life would be like.”
It was easier to understand Chika's decision when they reached her cottage. It was an adorable place, surrounded by rabbits and rosebushes. Even its curtains were charming, allowing in just the right amount of light.
When Chika greeted them at the door, she teased, “If I knew you were bringing the king, I would have made tea... maybe even some biscuits. Don't you think the king deserves a biscuit? Poor Larien.” Turning to her brother's second guest, she asked, “You're Sara, right?”
Sara answered bashfully, “I... am.”
“If you're surprised I know your name, you shouldn't be. Esha tells me everything... well... almost everything. He kept Kylin a secret longer than he should have.” Chika's guests brought a breeze when they entered, so with a snap of her fingers, she lit her fireplace.
Sara gasped. “How did you...?”
“Magic. Healing isn't the only thing I do,” Chika said. “I would tell you about our powers of telepathy, but... it seems you already know about that.” Chika squatted next to Sara's chair and gently took her hand. “I'll be honest with you, sweetheart. I've healed all types of wounds, gaping and slight, but I've never made someone walk again. It could be way beyond what I'm capable of.”
“That's alright.” Sara tried to force a smile, but it wavered and disappeared. “If you can't do it, you can't do it. I'll prepare myself for any outcome.”
“My brother is constantly asking for favors lately,” Chika complained. “One of these days, he needs to return one... or I'll have to start charging him like the rest of my clients.”
“I'm sorry!” Sara exclaimed. “I don't have any coin, or I'd offer to pay you myself. I can knit scarves. Maybe I can knit you a—”
“I'm joking!” Chika cried. “I wouldn't take money from you or Esha... although I wouldn't say no to a scarf.”
Chika moved closer to Sara—as close as she could get without falling into her lap. She brought her hands together, as if to pray. As her palms slid back and forth, Sara swore she could see light emanating from her hands. A moment later, she sent the light into Sara's body.
“Do you feel any different?” Chika asked. “You might feel a tingle in your legs, or perhaps a slight pinch in your back?”
Sara shook her head at both questions.
“It may take a moment,” Chika said. “If nothing happens, I can try again.”
Chika did try again, and Sara shook her head again.
“I didn't want to disappoint her...” Esha whispered to Larien. “I gave her a reason to hope, but I'll only disappoint her. Damn.”
Chika tried to heal Sara three more times, but her patient felt nothing, nor could she rise from her chair. So much frustration was burning inside Esha, he turned around the kicked the cottage door.
“I'm so sorry. It doesn't seem like it's working,” Chika stated the obvious. “Should I try to heal your scars as well, or—”
“No!” Sara pushed back her chair, away from Chika. “There's nothing wrong with my face! I'm fine!”
With tears in her eyes, she threw open the cottage door and wheeled her chair outside.
Chapter Twelve
SARA HEARD A CRUNCH of leaves before she saw Esha. She caught him tiptoeing through the foliage, as if he was afraid to approach. Sara sniffled one last time and held up her lollipop, recently unwrapped, but constantly licked. Her lips were already green.
“You're right. The lime is good,” she said. “I don't know if it'll be my favorite, but I do like it.”
“I'm so sorry, Sara,” Esha said. At the same time, his shoulders collapsed, and his hands dipped into his pockets. “I'm sorry she wasn't able to heal you. I feel terrible. I should have never made the suggestion. I—”
“I'm the one who should be apologizing... to your sister, specifically,” Sara said. “I was like a child throwing a tantrum, but... I wouldn't want to make her feel bad.”
“Chika's fine. This is hardly the first time her magic hasn't worked. Six months ago, I saw her bring a man back to life. Three weeks ago, she couldn't cure Larien's cold. Honestly, it's impossible to predict what she can and can't do.”
“Still, I should apologize. I acted like an arse!” Sara said. “At least she tried, right? Will you tell her I'm sorry? I'd do it myself, but after I yelled at her... she pr
obably doesn't want to see me again.”
“I'm sure that isn't true. But if you'd rather, I can deliver your apology.”
Without warning, Esha lifted Sara into his arms and carried her to the carriage. She was so unprepared, she nearly dropped her lollipop.
“Would you come to the castle with me?” Esha asked. “We're meeting a friend there, and I'd like you to go with me.”
“I guess I could go... if I'm not too annoying.”
Esha scoffed at her reply. “You're never annoying... silly girl. Besides, you must go with me. I haven't yet earned my kiss.” He lifted her into the carriage and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders. Her fingers were trembling, and he didn't want her to catch a chill.
“You've almost earned it with all these lollipops,” she teased him.
“If that's the case, we'll have to stop at another confectionery on the way back.” Esha gave her a wink, along with his cheekiest smile. “There's a lovely little fudge shop in Thebes. Perhaps I could secure my victory there?”
WILHELM'S MOUTH WAS full of bacon when he heard his wife giggling beside him. She was reading a letter from Rai, delivered by carrier pigeon early that morning. Kylin always enjoyed her brother's letters, but rarely did they make her so giddy.
“What is it?” Wilhelm asked, peeking at the letter in her hand. “What has you snickering and smirking like a girl with a secret?”
“My brother... he's met his Chosen!” Kylin exclaimed. “He seems quite smitten with her too. Can you believe that? A few months ago, he was teasing us for our sweet talk... and now he's going on and on about how pretty his Chosen is!”
“I never thought I'd see the day,” Wilhelm said.
“And...” Kylin held up a finger as she delivered her good news. “The oracles have approved our marriage! They're even planning our wedding.”