“Yeah, right,” Orchid said with a snort. “That’s how it happened. I found you.”
“She’s my friend,” Kal said, always having felt that Orchid rescued him, not the other way around. “And if you tell anyone about her, even the enclave, I will hurt everyone you care about, Trisk.”
Trisk pulled her eyes off Orchid long enough to give him a dry look, as if begging him to try. “Who would I tell?” She held out a hand, and Kal felt a stab of jealousy when Orchid flew to her, hesitating only briefly before landing. “I’m honored to make your acquaintance, Orchid. You’re the most beautiful person I think I’ve ever met.”
Orchid flushed, the dust spilling from her shifting to a faint pink. “Thank you,” she said coyly, and then her wings drooped. “You haven’t seen any bucks then, huh?”
“Give the notes we left time to work,” Kal said, and Orchid grimaced impatiently. Kal breathed easier when she came back to him and landed on his shoulder.
“Notes?” Trisk asked, and Orchid brightened.
“We left honey and notes at every rest stop between here and Florida,” the pixy woman said. “Kal promised to help me find a pixy buck. You sure you haven’t seen any?”
Trisk shook her head, the softness returning. “I’m sorry, no. Are you hungry? I’ve got a grove of young pecan trees you can safely gather in.”
“She’s fine,” Kal said. “Orchid brought her entire winter stocks with her.”
Orchid rose up, eyebrows high. “Something fresh is always appreciated. All you have is a windowsill.”
Kal stifled his pique. The two of them bonding was not exactly what he had intended. “Then how about we go to a coffee shop and you can snitch whatever you want from the back?”
Spilling a bright dust, Orchid turned to Trisk, and they both stared at her, waiting. “So,” Kal said slowly. “Coffee with scones and honey?”
“Sure.” Trisk pointed to the door, and Kal almost sang as he scooped up his singed coat, beating the ash off it before taking his hat from a counter. Orchid immediately settled atop his head, and he carefully put his hat over her before going out into the hall to wait. Trisk would likely want a moment to shut everything down. He wasn’t so vain as to think he had brought that softness back. It had been Orchid. But trust in him would come. In time.
“Sorry about forcing you out of hiding,” he said softly, and Orchid’s tiny sniff reached his ears.
“She was going to find me, anyway” floated out from under his hat. “That woman has skills. And claws.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Orchid said, voice serious. “She’ll rip your eyes out if you look at her wrong. I’ve never seen a dark elf. What did you ever do to that woman?”
The light flicked off in the lab, and he moved a few feet down the hallway. “I was mean to her, and made sure everyone else was, too.” Maybe that had been a mistake.
Trisk came out, awkwardly resetting the lock with her left hand. Kal remembered her favoring her right hand when attacking him. She probably had a burn from whatever had tried to force his way out of her circle, leaving that rime of fat on the ceiling. “I know a few places in town that have palatable tea,” she said. “It’s taken me two years to educate them on how to make it.”
I am going out for coffee with Eloytrisk Cambri, he thought in amazement as she came even with him and they headed down the hall together.
Orchid stomped on his head, the signal that they were being watched, and he caught sight of Daniel lurking in the hall far behind them. Curious.
“Is that a sensory burn?” Kal said, snagging Trisk’s hand.
“Let go,” she said, trying to tug free.
“No, let me fix it,” he said, tightening his grip to make it look more natural. “I know a healing charm, but it works better if I’m touching you. I’ll be careful,” he said, sending a gentle warmth through his hand and into hers.
“That’s nice,” she said, her tone guarded, but she hadn’t let go. Everyone at school had abused her, but she’d wanted to be one of them nevertheless. “How’s Quen?” she asked, and excitement zinged through him. Knowing Daniel was watching, he walked confidently down the hall, his hand in hers.
“I don’t know. He works for my father, not me. Do you want to go back to my hotel and order room service?” he asked loudly, then leaned in, whispering, “Orchid could join us, then.”
Trisk turned to look at his hat, but Kal was sure all Daniel would see was her enraptured look up at him, their lips inches apart. “Okay,” she whispered back.
“Okay,” he echoed, letting go of her hand just long enough to get the door for her and gallantly gesture her through.
He had six months. He only needed two weeks, and everything she had would be his.
9