I hoped that meant they weren’t due to anytime soon. At least, not within the next two or three days.
“Sounds impressive.”
Gerard shrugged, “They are needed more against the north. The north most town in the kingdom is really a keep that guards the pass between Jendas and here, they also have large stone walls. Humans as ever, have never had problems assembling large armies, not like the southern monsters where a simple palisade of enchanted wood is enough to stop them.”
“Enchanted?” I grinned impishly, I felt like a kid, every time he answered a question I had ten more.
Gerard nodded, “It wouldn’t be much of a barrier, if a mage or a witch could just set it on fire.”
I wondered if that would stop me from setting it afire, since I used mind power and not magic, and then decided I’d probably never know.
“Is there a mage that does that?”
Gerard shook his head, “Protection from fire ward is a cleric spell, gifted from the gods. There is a cleric in Southwater responsible for keeping up with the wards. Though the town does have a local mage as well.”
I nodded, and bit my lip to prevent another question.
We arrived at the gates before sundown, and went straight to the inn. The town itself was laid out exactly the same, the main road led from the south gate to the north gate, and everything from the inn, blacksmith, general store, farrier, armorer, and the food market was all on that main street. To the east and west were all the houses, both big and small, for the villagers to live in when they weren’t running their stores. The only difference really was the wall height, and that the village was almost twice the size.
We went straight to the inn, and put the horses in the stables. I took the time to unsaddle and brush down Stormy, and thanked her for such a smooth ride. I felt a bit guilty too. I’d rescued the horse from a depression because her mistress had died, and here I was going to abandon the horse again in just a couple of days, three at the most. Which was typical for me, the guilt I mean, and why I’d made such a terrible supervillain.
I smiled when I thought about taking her with me. Not sure that would work out very well.
I grabbed my saddlebags, and we got two rooms, and went up to clean off the road dust. I was a little more thorough, being able to heat the water, and even collect more from the air. I found I could even vibrate the water against my skin and even my hair to get as clean as a shower back home, perhaps even cleaner. Then I smiled and pulled my satchel out, and instead of wearing the riding clothes, I pulled out a dark blue dress that clung to my upper body, and flared out at my waist.
In my world it would be hopelessly old fashioned, but here the hint of cleavage, and my daringly bared ankles would draw men’s eyes. Daringly bared ankles? I giggled. Although, there was only one man I was interested in. I wasn’t sure what was going on in my mind, but my thoughts were far more daring than usual when it came to my paladin.
My paladin?
He wasn’t mine. I was leaving, I just thought maybe we could… connect before I did leave. Did that make me wicked? I wasn’t sure, but I also didn’t think I cared any longer. It was obvious the attraction wasn’t merely one sided. I tried not to overthink it, or I’d talk myself out of the idea of seducing him.
I left everything in the room but my money, which was in a hidden pocket inside the dress, and locked the door before I went down to meet Gerard for dinner.
I smiled shyly when I saw his eyes widen, as I flowed across the inn’s floor to our table. I’d always been told I was graceful, part of being a super I supposed. I sat down just as the barmaid returned with two meals, he must have ordered mine for me.
There was also a couple of ales.
“I feel much better with that road dirt off,” I commented softly.
He nodded in agreement, “That dress is rather fetching on you Katrina.”
“Thanks,” I smiled brightly at him, and then we started to eat. I wasn’t in a rush this time to eat quickly, and I felt my stomach flutter each time his eyes caressed my face, neck, and upper body.
I could feel the tension between us, and I reveled in it, the anticipation, and the delicious way he looked at me. That’s when I found out this place had a minstrel here, and he started playing a lively song on some stringed instrument that looked sort of like a guitar, but not. When we finished eating, he asked me if I wanted to dance.
I had a blast, and it didn’t take me long to learn the simple but fun dance steps. I’m not sure what came over me then, the song had ended, and we were staring into each other’s eyes. Our heads were so close together and I could feel his desire for me.
I just had to kiss him.
It didn’t go how I’d thought or even hoped it would though, he didn’t kiss me back. He grasped me by the shoulders and pushed me back. His face had a fierce scowl on it, and he looked almost pained.
He said coldly, “Good night Katrina, we have a long ride tomorrow, you should get some rest.”
It felt like he’d thrown ice water in my face, and I could feel his anger and frustration beating at my mind. What the hell just happened?
He released me, turned on his heels, and retreated up the stairs, while I stared up them with hurt and confusion in my heart, which quickly grew to anger. Actually, I felt pissed off and betrayed, why would he do that when he so clearly wanted me? And after I’d practically thrown myself at him like that! I was absolutely mortified.
I stomped up the stairs and locked myself in my room while I tried to calm down. It took a while, as I laid in bed all alone and stared at the ceiling in confusion, before the embarrassed anger died down enough so that I could fall asleep.
I was back in my riding clothes the next morning as I went down to the common room for breakfast. There was no sign of Gerard at all, so I sat at an empty table. I blushed as I remembered how foolish and stupid he’d made me feel last night, and wasn’t really hungry, but I knew I had to eat, so I tucked in anyway.
Men!
I didn’t get them at all.
He still wasn’t down when I finished the plate, so I searched for him with my mind, and found him out back by the stables. I growled, picked up my saddle bags, and went out back. He stood stiffly next to our horses, and he’d saddled them both already.
His face was stony as I secured the saddle bags, and then he handed me Stormy’s reigns, mounted up without a word, and left at a walk.
I gaped at his back, he didn’t even look at me. What the hell?
I mounted and followed, and then stewed in anger and discontent from behind as we went up the escarpment. The view was amazing of the plains behind us, with small patches of forest, and the nearby farms. It all looked a bit small from up here, and I paused for a moment when I reached the top.
I just wished I’d been in a mood to enjoy such a picturesque view.
Then I followed after the silent paladin. The area here was a bit rocky, but it opened up into gentle hills, and more flatland, as we continued north toward Linmoor. I was tempted to peak in his mind for the reason he was acting like an ass, but decided against it.
Finally, when lunch rolled around and he still hadn’t spoken one word to me, I demanded an explanation.
“What the hell is this about Gerard, why won’t you talk to me, or look at me.”
He sighed in exasperation, and looked up at me, then demanded, “Is this a game to you? My world?”
I frowned in confusion, “What do you mean?”
He shook his head in disgust, at what I wasn’t sure, “You’re a beautiful young woman, powerful, and any man would be lucky to share your heart and bed. You’re brave, caring, and concerned about others around you, and that makes you very attractive to me, all of that in one beautiful package. You have no idea just how much you tempt both my heart and my body.
“But I won’t be seduced and toyed with so you can have some fun before leaving me behind and going home. Did you ever consider I’m already trying my hardest not to fall for you? Yo
u’re like a comet across my sky, here just long enough to burn me and leave me behind. Did you even consider what that would do to me? Share my bed, seduce me, and then head on home as if it were a great diversion but nothing more? I am not a rake that sleeps with every woman that crosses my path, it is not so easy for me.”
Oh. My. God.
I was such a selfish bitch. Some empath I was. I thought about our conversations, and what he’d left out of them in light of this new information. He wanted me to stay here, with him, and he’d been disappointed when I’d said I had to go home. I’d done more than that, and been disgusted with the very idea of staying here, and he’d seen my disgust. My judgement of his world, a world he cared about and loved.
I’d just met him a few days ago, but we’d spent a lot of time together. Adding up all the consecutive time, it probably worked out to several months of getting to know someone while dating once or twice a week in my old world. I guessed I’d made quite an impression on him, more than I’d thought I had. I’d felt the attraction from him, the lust, but not the thoughts or subtleties behind it.
I sat down and ate, I needed to think. He was right, I never even gave him a second thought in my meaningless fling with the hot paladin on a different world plan. I never considered that he might have felt differently, or so strongly about it.
I felt small, and a little guilty. He’d said I cared about others, but was that true? How could it be if I didn’t even notice my one companion on this world struggled with his feelings for me? He probably could have handled it better than running off, but I could forgive him that, now that I understood. I felt… stupid. Maybe I was still a child that still needed to grow up, eighteen or not.
I said softly, “I’m sorry. It wasn’t a game, and I didn’t mean to hurt you. It was just… selfish and thoughtless. I won’t tease you further.”
It was ironic, there had been any number of men on my world that would have taken my offer of a short but hopefully hot affair, and the only man I’d ever wanted to offer it to, was too enamored of me to take it, because he already wanted more.
I smiled a bit sadly. That only made me want him more now as well. I’d have to get over it though, just a day and a half left, in theory, and mom and dad will ground me until I’m thirty-one. Thank god I have college in a few months, so I can escape that horrid fate.
He cleared his throat, “So am I. I’ve been wishing all day I could just take a small piece of you and then let you go but…”
I smiled shyly and said perversely as I knew it was true, “It wouldn’t have been that easy. If you were a womanizer, I would have shut you down hard, and wouldn’t have wanted you anyway. What that says about me… I don’t know.”
Hypocrite much?
Isn’t that exactly what I was going to do to him? To be fair though, this world had me off balance, it was out of character for me as well. I kind of wished I could go back to last night and take it all back. I’d just been swept up in my own… desires, and in a world where I’d soon be forgotten. It had seemed harmless at the time. I’d wanted the comfort, and for a moment to forget all that had happened.
We finished up lunch in silence, though it wasn’t oppressive and awkward any longer, and got back on the road. At least he started to talk to me again, and looked at me. By the time we caught sight of Linmoor late that afternoon, we were almost back to where we’d been at before, as friends of sorts.
Almost. There was a bit of awkwardness that hadn’t been there before.
Linmoor was larger than I’d expected, and it was nestled in a valley, so I was able to see the whole thing in a rather scenic view from the top of a hill a few miles off. There were no walls, and it was surrounded by hundreds of small farms and farm houses. The houses grew closer together as it reached the town, both to the East and West.
It was similar to the smaller towns, as the housing surrounded the business district. But for Linmoor there were three main streets of businesses to support the small city. One whole street was nothing but food, eateries, and market stalls. There were a couple of inns in this city as well, one at the north side, and one in the south.
The other two streets had the same kinds of shops as the smaller towns, just much bigger. There were also specialty shops that weren’t in the smaller towns, like a book store, and the temples were also larger to support more people. Another thing Linmoor had the other two towns didn’t was a nicer section of the city, which had mansion sized houses, instead of the smaller cottages and shacks in other parts of the city.
The jail looked bigger as well.
Gerard said as the horses walked down the hill, “Be watchful, this city is big enough to have their fair share of thieves. Although most of those sort avoid paladins, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. Something about human nature I suppose, this city is safe from the Jendas and Chilik, and like I said earlier, the dwarves and elves don’t bother us any, so some humans can’t help but cause mischief of their own when there’s none to be found otherwise.”
I suppressed a smile and just nodded agreement. I’d been constantly rethinking every smile or a head tilt I felt the urge to convey, and wondered if it would be too flirtatious or not. As far as thieves, I wasn’t too worried, I was hardly helpless against a common thief. Even if I wasn’t actively scanning with my telepathy, which I don’t normally do unless a need presents itself, my empathy would pick up that sort easily.
“I will, I don’t really plan on going anywhere though. Just food and sleep at the inn.”
He smiled at me, “Stores aren’t tempting at all?”
I shrugged demurely, “I admit I’m a little curious, but I can live with not knowing.”
He nodded, “If you change your mind, let me come with you?”
I agreed easily enough, even if it annoyed me at the same time. I knew he didn’t mean I was helpless without him, and was just being polite.
We rode into the street at a slow walk, the main street, one of the three at least, was packed. He led us all the way through the city to the other end to make it easier to head out in the morning. I dismounted at the Inn’s stable, and took the saddle off, and brushed Stormy down. I made sure she got some fresh oats and hay before we went inside.
The common room in the tavern was huge, and full of people. It wasn’t nearly as quiet as the inns in the smaller villages. There was already some entertainment, and I dropped my saddle bags next to one of the last few empty tables, to claim it while Gerard got our rooms. He came back shortly with a pained look on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
He cleared his throat, and said softly, “They only had one room left.”
I giggled, couldn’t help it, and then I said with exasperation, “Of course they did,” because we both needed to torture ourselves a bit more before I went home.
He smiled ruefully at my reaction, and shook his head as the barmaid came over with a couple of meals and drinks.
He explained, “There’s the summer solstice coming up, apparently a lot of farmers stayed after hauling in their crops and selling them at the market to join the celebration. We can try the other inn if you want?”
I shook my head, “It’ll be fine, I can control myself.”
By the expression on his face, I realized it wasn’t my control he was worried about. I started to eat the food and ignored how pleased that made me feel. There was obviously something wrong with me…
Chapter 8
We finally gave in to our animalistic passions and…
No, we didn’t. That was just the lurid fantasy going through my mind, while I stared at the ceiling trying to fall asleep while I wore a dress as a nightgown. I usually slept in my birthday suit, but obviously that wasn’t going to happen tonight.
I could smell his scent right next to me, but refused to look over at him. I also knew he was not asleep either, and what wasn’t fair about being an empath is I was fighting both my own, and his lust, at the same time. I was beyond irritated.
We heard
the lock jiggle on the door and then looked at each other, and then back toward the door which jiggled again. Is it absurd that my first thought was to thank god for a thief in the night to break the tension?
Then a third jiggle followed by a snick as the lock gave way. I covered my mouth and held in a giggle, as the door opened and a man dressed in black tried to sneak in the room. It was really sad, because he had no idea his sleeping victims weren’t asleep at all, but instead we’d both been staring up at the ceiling in frustration.
Sexual frustration.
Honestly I’d been willing to give in, actually willing might be a bit of an understatement. I worried about how much I was falling for him now, how was it even possible in just a few days? But after his impassioned speech on the road, I wasn’t going to be the one to initiate it, not when I’d be leaving him in just a day, or maybe a little longer.
So far that night he’d been nothing but a gentleman, to my intense disappointment.
I let the thief make it all the way across the mostly dark room to our belongings, before I picked him up telekinetically, slammed his back into the wall, and held him there pinned. He shouted in alarm, and I lit the candle with an absent thought as I ripped his face mask off. I kind of impressed myself using pyro-kinesis at the same time I held the thief, and with so little effort.
It was amazing what a little confidence could do, and the knowledge that I wasn’t the bad guy meant I had no guilt or conflicted emotions, which gave me the surety of control.
Gerard chuckled, “You decided to rob the wrong room my friend,” and he started to put on his armor.
The thief yelled, “Let me go!”
Gerard punched him with a metal gauntlet and knocked him out.
“You can let him go angel, I’ll carry him over to the jail and be back in a little while.”
Angel? I blushed, is that how he thought of me?
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