A Ruin of Roses (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #1)(48)

“No, this time… Would you just…” I twisted and spun to get away from his hold, then put up my hands. “Where will I be drying the everlass? It needs to be done in the evening tomorrow, and the leaves should be kept flat and wet—”

“We have a large station for working with the plants,” he said, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops. “You’ll have at least two of everything you need, with enough room for multiple people to work with you. If you want.”

I looked around. “And who would that be?”

Was it just me, or did his body language scream uncomfortable?

“I was hoping you’d let me shadow you. I realize we…have our differences, but I could be of use. Also, it’s been a long time since I worked with someone knowledgeable. It would be a special favor to me.” He paused for a moment. “That I would be willing to trade for.”

I nearly waved that away, rather enjoying the idea of having some help, but stopped myself. “Okay, fine, but you better hold firm on that trade, the terms to be decided later.” I immediately thought of talking to my family. “What about something to hold the leaves as we pick and then transport them back?”

“It’s all set up.”

I narrowed my eyes. “We’ll see.”

He grinned but didn’t say anything, snaking his arm back around me. I tried to wiggle out of his hold, which didn’t budge, and then decided to let it go. We were still within sight of the castle. There might be one or more demons looking out, watching their newest prey. Me.

Getting back to his other question, I said, “That demon gave the impression of someone who is attractive. His face wasn’t too attractive, though, so it must’ve been his glamor affecting me, right?”

“You’re a quick study.”

“When it comes to my survival…or chastity, yes.”

“You’re not chaste. At least, you’re not a virgin,” he said matter-of-factly as we walked down the stairs to the deadened grass beyond. His flat expression gave nothing away.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“A virgin would be a lot more nervous about what we’ve done. About things in the castle. You might not be experienced, but you’re not a virgin.” He blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “Change of subject.”

I grinned maliciously but didn’t taunt him. I knew where that would get me. It seemed our beasts were happy to stick to the background at the moment, and we needed to keep it that way.

“His magic left me feeling disgusted, though, not turned on. Same with the other one, once I realized what was going on.”

“That’s the…” He looked away. “Your animal. It’ll fight off the effects. It won’t totally null them, though. You need to make up that draught.”

“I’ve chosen the garden. I just need time outside of my tower to start working.”

“You’ll have it. Tomorrow. During the daylight.”

I wasn’t going to argue with him about that, not after tonight. I’d be a target for that oily demon, especially after it learned that Nyfain had killed the other one, and I didn’t trust myself to stick to the wilting flower routine.

“I hated not being able to talk back to that demon,” I said, looping my hand around his forearm. I just needed a little solidarity. That had been gross. I’d tolerated the demons in the village because they weren’t worse than the sickness, but this… I wasn’t going to be good at tolerating this. “There were so many things I could’ve said that would’ve knocked him off his high horse.”

“I could feel your frustration as you burrowed into my back.” A grin lit his face, transforming it. “There’s no point in it, though. They want to taunt. To get a rise out of people. Once they know what affects you, they’ll keep pushing. I say very little to them if possible. I would advise you to do the same.”

“Easier said than done.”

He chuckled softly. There he was again, the guy who allowed himself a little levity. The man who was pretty damn hard to resist.

“What has you in such a good mood?”

He took a deep breath and slowly rubbed his thumb along my hip. “Some of my fondest memories are of working the everlass fields with my mother. She loved to garden and work with plants, and I enjoyed sharing her passion for it. She didn’t have an easy life in a lot of respects, but when she was in the fields, she would smile and laugh. Being out here together lifted our spirits. It was the thing we did together. The thing no one could take from us. I miss those times.”

“I should warn you that I’m a hack. I doubt my methods are going to be anything like your mother’s.”

“You have passion for the plants. I can hear it in your voice when you speak about working with them. The method might be different, but the joy of it is the same. I can’t wait to see how you do.”

“Why haven’t you kept it up?”

He looked down at me, his face cast in shadow. I couldn’t see his eyes well enough to read the expression in them. We approached the field, but he still didn’t let me go, slowing.

“Not everyone has the gifts that my mother did. That you seem to. I know how to take care of healing plants—that’s a duty within a dragon line—and I know a few rudimentary draughts to help heal wounds. I’d be dead without those. After that, I’m a novice at best. I need guidance. Most people do. The faeries use everlass to give their potions and elixirs unparalleled strength, but what you claim to be doing with the nulling elixir sounds like the work of a master.”