The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 35

"Char, what happened to your hand?"

Iris looked from the angry red marks on Char's proffered palm to his eyes, and Char wished he could have hidden it longer. He didn't like the furrow in her brow or the concern filling her dark brown eyes. Not for what amounted to minor aches and pains compared to whatever that mage had put her through.

"It's nothing. Just a little burn. I hardly feel it at all."

"I could—"

"No." He grabbed her right wrist before her hand touched the amulet. "Don't you dare. It isn't that bad, and you're still healing. I'm fine."

"Char—"

He leaned in and kissed her. She made a small sound of protest, but she soon yielded, and the kiss he'd meant only to silence her lasted longer than he'd intended. He couldn't resist. Not when her lips tasted of honey and herbal tea and she was so beautiful, inside and out. Even now, she still thought of others first.

Then someone cleared their throat.

Char pulled back and shot a glare at Rath, leaning against the doorway with a wide smirk on his face.

"If you're done with breakfast, Kelnor's getting impatient. But if you want me to stall a bit longer..."

"We'll be right there," Char snapped.

Rath left, snickering, and Char turned back to Iris. The flustered, embarrassed look suited her much better than the worried look. Her face was bright red, and she couldn't even meet his eyes now.

He grinned and offered her his hand again, and when she took it, he hauled her to her feet and into his arms for another kiss.

"Char!"

"You know how cute you are when you're embarrassed like this?"

She pursed her lips, trying not to smile. "You're impossible."

"Yep."

"Kelnor is waiting."

"Mm hm."

"Char..."

He gave her one last kiss and examined his work. Flushed to the tips of her ears, shy smile, flecks of gold dancing in dark, half-lidded eyes—this was an even better look for her. A look he wanted to see more of, but that would have to wait until later.

"Hey, Iris."

"Yes?"

He brushed his thumb across her cheek. Her thick brown hair was still damp between his fingers, and her hands rested on his chest as his arm pressed into her back. He didn't want to let her go, and he didn't want to hear the truth of what happened to her over the past three weeks. "If it gets to be too much, I can tell Kelnor you need a break."

She shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll be fine. I've been trying to get as much information out of Micah as I could so I could tell somebody when I escaped, and it really can't wait."

And that was another reason he loved her. She was stronger than she looked.

On the inside. On the outside, at least for now, she was stiff, slow, and weak, leaning into Char as he helped her into the living room, where Kelnor and Rath had left the sofa open for them.

Rath's smirk faltered. His blue eyes narrowed. The ever-present scowl Kelnor wore around the brothers deepened.

The fairies were the only ones who didn't seem to feel the sudden tension in the room. They flitted after Iris with another cup of stolen tea, their movements light and frivolous, and Char made a mental note to ask around the barracks about the tea so he could replace it.