Verath the Red (Dragonwall Series #3)

Chapter 28 - A Spritely Gift

Brezen

Claire finished her last bite of dinner when the scrape of a chair brought silence to Sir Wentworth's dining room. They had all been invited to dine in Brezen's manor house. Talon stood at the head of the table. Sir Wentworth and Mistress Kayla took places of honor to his left. Bedelth sat at his right, while she and Tamara were several places down. The room was full, and it took several seconds for everyone to rise to their feet.

Talon murmured something that left Sir Wentworth's face red and bursting with pride. Then he walked around the table. Her heart stuttered when he stopped beside her chair. "Ready for our walk?" He lifted an eyebrow to inquire.

"I..." She glanced about the table, well aware of every single gaze in the room. "Now?"

"You have finished with your dinner, yes?" He motioned to her emptied plate. She gave an abrupt nod. "Good. Then let us walk."

Her stomach flipped over.

Talon's face was calm, but a subtle twitch at the corner of his mouth meant he was fighting a smile. She took his arm and they left the room, walking through the manor and out into the evening air. It was already well past dark.

"How did your day go?" he asked, making polite conversation.

"Fine, I think." It took a few long minutes for her shock to subside. Then she told him about her walk with Tamara and saying goodbye to Koldis and Jovari.

"They have grown on you, haven't they?"

A fond smile formed on her face. "They have, Koldis especially."

Talon chuckled. "Didn't you strongly dislike Koldis when you first met?"

"Dislike is putting it mildly." She cleared her throat. "But now that I have you alone, I'd like to hear more about your trip to the forest, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Ah. I was hoping you would ask." They walked along a wagon path leading through an open field. The camp was to their right, a sea of glittering torches and fires. Nothing but the horizon was to their left. Talon dropped her arm and turned to her. "I got you something while I was in Esterpine. A few somethings, actually, but this I'm particularly proud of."

"From the Sprites?" Her breath caught in her chest.

"Indeed." He fished around in his pocket for a drawstring pouch of silver fabric that shimmered as if reflecting the stars above. "I wanted to give it to you tonight."

Her eyes didn't move from his hands. Whatever was in the pouch called to her like gentle whispers on the breeze. He pulled the strings apart and upended the contents. A tiny gasp fell from her lips. He cradled a tangle of delicate chains in his palm, made of silver as fine as spun starlight. She tried to grab his hand for a closer look but he squeezed it into a fist.

"Ah-ah-ah." He clicked his tongue. "Patience." He took the first item and held it up.

"A bracelet?"

He nodded, fastening it about her wrist. "The Sprites weave magic into their jewelry. This looks like it's made of silver, but it isn't." She opened her mouth—"Don't ask me what it is. I tried asking the same question. They are secretive and wouldn't tell me."

"Oh." She lifted her wrist to examine it. "I...Talon, it's lovely." A simple chain, elegant just like the Sprites. "And the other?" She eyed his closed fist.

He slowly opened his fingers, palm up, this time allowing her to take his hand in hers to examine the contents within. She brushed a finger over the piece of jewelry. A pendant on a silver chain like her bracelet.