Look Back at Me (Fleckney Fields Series, Book 1)

Romantasy AU Teaser

If you miss Viola and Rhys, and running into them in my other stories just isn't enough... give my romantasy series a chance!

Nottoofar! The land of my characters with romantic fantasy flavouring! (Link in the comment)

And here's a little teaser!

Nottoofar || Book 2: Dagger & Fist

Prolongue

Viola leaned against a tree and looked at the dark blue sky. Somehow in the North the stars always seemed bigger to her. Closer. Their light danced and twinkled on the snow around her, and she gathered lungfuls of crispy air.

She'd never admit it, but she'd been almost relieved when she'd received the invitation from the Duchess: to travel across half the world for an undisclosed contract. As sought out as Viola's services had been in the recent years, she'd been feeling quite discontented. The jobs that she'd been doing - though profitable - were just the same old 'sneak and nick' sort of gigs.

She focused and listened to the noises coming from their campfire. She could hear Will, in his bear form, shift and grumble in his sleep. Fiona whispered something, probably comforting him.

Viola smiled. She'd always liked Will. Out of all relations of Viola's former betrothed, Will was the least judgemental, although he was of Men. Oddly enough, although her own people were posh and austere, even more than Men; at the end, Viola had found the Orcish side of Rhys' family easier to deal with. Admittedly, Rhys had inherited the best - and the worst - of his two sides. When it came to her former paramour's feelings and passions, he'd been all Orc. When it came to expressing them and showing any sort of acceptance and flexibility, he had been as inadequate as any Man.

Viola heard the person approaching them right away, as soon as they stepped out of the thickest part of the woods and came up to the hill where Viola and her companions had set their camp.

Viola deftly pulled herself up onto a tall branch, and stilled.

The person was alone; and she could tell that they were either a very large Man - or an average size male Orc. Orcish women were two heads taller than their male counterparts. She corrected herself a few seconds later: if the person approaching them was a male Orc, they possibly were pretty big but had had formal training. The steps that they took were skilfully careful. Viola slid along the branch, pulling one of her knives from the scabbard and passing it into her tail.

***

He looked good. How could she have forgotten how good he looked?

Viola's eyes ran him - from the disheveled coffee-coloured curls, with one silver strand on his left temple; down along his strong neck; his exceptionally wide shoulders; his massive torso and narrow hips; and finally his long sculpted legs. Years after they'd parted ways, Viola would compare any other male's thighs and calves to his; and the latter would always surpass. She glanced over the two large battle axes strapped to his back and the short blade he carried in his hand.

Rhys slowly approached the clearing where Fiona and Will slept - or tried to, in Fiona's case - and Viola stalked him, moving from branch to branch, her gaze glued to him. She wasn't sure herself why she still hadn't made herself known.

Has he always looked so good?

And then he stepped into the light of their fire; and Viola saw Fiona's eyes widen in alarm - and Viola threw her body down, hanging off a branch above, her knees hooked to the bough. Her eyes were suddenly on the same level as his. His irises were just as bright blue and piercing as she remembered. She hadn't forgotten the hazel streak in his right eye either.

"Good evening, Rhys," she pronounced calmly - feeling anything but.

A low chuckle rumbled in his throat - and the familiar shiver trickled down her spine. She used to love his laughter, and his chortles, and his guffaws.

"Evening, Vi."

He gave her a lopsided smirk. Is he aware that his cousin is right there? Why is his gaze still locked with hers?

Will chuffed merrily near Fiona.

"The Duchess sent me to meet you. You took your time," Rhys said and finally looked at Will and Fiona. He stepped closer, sheathed his blade, and gave Fiona a courteous bow. The famous courtesy of his clan. "M'lady, Rhys, son of Theo."

Fiona rose and placed her hand into his palm. The tactile memories of the callouses and the scorching skin of his hand burst in Viola's mind.

"Fiona," the Beastfolk squeaked.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Rhys answered.

Viola jumped down on the ground, immediately reminded how much taller he was.

"I'd heard you even before you crossed the hillock," she said and walked by him to the fire. "We don't require escorting."

She knew herself that she was being prickly because of how discombobulated he made her - and how good it felt to see him again.

"Well, then consider me an uninvited guest who's here for your coffee," he answered cheekily.

Viola sat down and jerked her chin up.

"Sending you away would be... ungracious," she said and made an inviting gesture towards the other end of the fallen tree she was sitting on.

He thanked her with another of his nods and plopped his backside down. The log sharply sank under him - throwing Viola up in the air and onto him.

Oh the Moon and the Stars! He even smelled just as before - of sun-warmed pine sap and walnuts. And deep kisses, hands wandering, and smiles dancing in the corners of one's lips. Of those nights when you're too exhausted to move, but you still reach for the other person. Of the slow mornings when lips meet lips even before one is awake.

Pressed into him flush, her hands splayed on his chest, Viola couldn't hold back a raspy gasp - and his lips parted softly.

They stared at each other.

"Rhys..."