The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [139]
‘Please stop,’ Rosette interrupted. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’
‘Just trying to unravel a mystery.’
‘Whatever it was, it must have been more than it seemed if he was looking for evidence of me in Lividica.’
‘He claimed to be your suitor, keen to meet your family.’
‘I don’t think that was it. We never talked about the future in those terms.’ She cupped her hands around the small flame as Jarrod crouched down to blow it into life. ‘We’re lovers, sure, and he’s a friend. Very funny and bright,’ she said as the sparks leapt into flames. ‘There wasn’t any talk of suiting.’
Jarrod reached for more fuel. ‘I see.’
‘It wasn’t like what you and I had…have?’
‘You mean, like you and I and Liam had?’
Rosette lifted her head. ‘Jarrod, can you let that go too? That was years ago.’ She wrinkled her brow. ‘How is Liam? Did he…’
‘Liam’s fine,’ Jarrod snapped.
‘Working for your pa?’
‘Yes.’
‘Family yet?’
‘No.’
She studied Jarrod’s face. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘There’s always a triangle with you, Rosette. Always you, me and something, or somebody, else.’
A smile curled her lip. ‘It’s only you tonight.’
Jarrod stared at her, shaking his head and relaxing his shoulders. ‘So I guess I’d better enjoy it while I can,’ he laughed.
‘Should be delightful, as long as it doesn’t rain.’ She looked at the starless sky.
I’d be more worried about the mountain lions than the rain.
‘What mountain lions?’ Both Jarrod and Rosette spoke at once, their heads turning to Drayco.
The ones over the next ridge that are coming this way.
Rosette was awakened in the deepest part of the night by a throaty roar. It echoed around the peaks. Within ten breaths, it was answered by two others. They sounded more like bears than mountain lions and she shivered under the furs.
‘Can’t sleep?’ Jarrod rolled over to face her.
The clouds parted and she could see his eyes sparkling, black pools in the moonlight.
‘I’m scared.’
‘You’re safe with me.’
‘It’s not that kind of fear.’
‘Would you like me to distract you?’
‘Again?’
‘Why not?’
‘Because you need your strength tomorrow and so do I. We don’t know what’s ahead.’
‘I’ve a pretty good idea.’
‘You do?’
‘I had a long talk with An’ Lawrence—I get along better with him than I did with John’ra.’
‘I wish I could say the same.’ She pulled him close. ‘So what’s ahead?’
‘Box canyons, lava fields.’
‘Lava fields?’
‘Miles of obsidian, sharp as glass.’
‘You didn’t mention this when we were discussing my horse’s loose shoe.’
‘I didn’t want to alarm you.’
‘And now you do?’
He tightened his arms around her. ‘We’ll get through.’
‘And then? What’s after the box canyons and lava?’
‘The land fans out into towns and valleys. We have to cross those before we finally reach the seaport of Morzone, if we’re lucky.’
‘And if we aren’t lucky?’
‘We wander around in these arroyos for days until the horses drop dead and the bears eat us.’
She didn’t reply for the longest time. ‘I thought they sounded more like bears too.’
They both laughed and she felt Jarrod’s hand run down her back, a delightful sensation.
‘Are you going to keep me up all night?’ she asked.
‘Is that an invitation?’ Jarrod found her lips and kissed her, making her purr with delight. ‘I’ve missed you, Rosette.’
‘Me too.’
She woke with a start just before dawn. Drayco was growling, and Jarrod was on his feet, doing up his pants.
Maudi! Make the fire big, her familiar roared in her mind.
‘What’s happening?’
Bears. Three or four. Very close. Mind the horses don’t bolt.
Rosette sprang out of the covers and started snapping thin branches in two. She and Jarrod worked side by side, propping sticks together over the coals like a tent, fanning the flames to life. They hopped about, scrambling into their clothes and lacing up their boots.
‘I thought you said the mountain lions were all we should worry about,’ she whispered to Drayco.
It’s bears now.
‘What do we do?’
Keep the fire big while you pack