Page 89 of When Roses Burn

“Who doesn’t?”

“So true.”

“We have plenty of books for you to choose from.”

“I’ll get dressed, and we can go to the library,” she said.

“Wouldn’t you rather eat first? It’s been a few days.”

“Oh, yeah…. Ah, no. No, I wouldn’t.”

I frowned at her as she gazed back at me hopefully. The weight she’d lost was evident in her hollower cheeks; the bones in her hands stood out more sharply against her skin as she clutched the robe closed, and shadows rimmed her eyes.

“We can eat after,” she said. “I want to see the library! I want to smell it and run my fingers over the books.”

She needed food, but she was a grown woman who could make her own decisions.

“Library first, then,” I agreed.

For a second, I believed she might run across the room and fling herself into my arms like she used to. Instead, she swayed briefly toward me before her smile faltered.

Then, her grin returned, and she raced over to the wardrobe. She yanked clothes out so fast she couldn’t have any idea what she’d grabbed before she fled into the bathroom.

When she was gone, I strode over to the bed and lifted one of the pillows. A pair of big, nearly black eyes stared back at me from a tiny gray face.

“Where did you come from?” I inquired.

The creature’s nose twitched, but, of course, it didn’t answer me. How long has it been with Briar?

I’d been so caught up in her scent whenever I was near her that I hadn’t detected this creature until today. Its faint, musky aroma caught my attention when I first entered, but I still might not have noticed over her scent, if its claws hadn’t grazed the wall when it retreated under the pillow.

The creature’s nose twitched again as water turned on in the bathroom. I should take this thing and throw it outside where it belonged, but when it shrank away from me and lowered its head like it was begging me not to, I didn’t reach for it.

“Shit,” I hissed.

Briar must have found a way to take care of it if it hadn’t starved to death, and I didn’t smell shit and urine all over the room. If she wanted a pet, I wouldn’t take it from her… yet. I couldn’t let it live here forever.

I set the pillow carefully back over the creature and retreated to the door. If anyone in No Man’s Land had seen me do such a thing, they would have seen it as a sign of weakness. Perhaps it was, but Briar still had little happiness in her life; I wouldn’t take that thing from her.

I tried not to think about what that said about me and my feelings for her, but they were shifting. She wasn’t like the other casters. That didn’t mean I could let her get close again, but maybe I didn’t have to hate her.

When the bathroom door opened and she stepped out, my eyebrows shot up. I’d been right, she hadn’t paid any attention to what she grabbed from the wardrobe, as she wore a vivid red shirt that was far too big on her. She’d rolled the sleeves up to her elbows, but one of them was already sliding down.

She had on green hunting pants, and while the shirt was too big, the pants were too small. They were almost two inches above her ankles, which was more than enough to reveal her fluffy blue socks.

She’d brushed her hair and smelled of the mint from her teeth cleanser, but her ponytail was haphazard, and a bit of tooth powder stuck to her bottom lip. “I’m ready!” she announced.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing as I took in her awful ensemble. This woman was determined to get to the library.

“Then let’s go,” I said.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

Briar

I bounced on my toes and practically skipped down the stairs ahead of Knox. I kept turning back to make sure he was coming while we descended the steps. When he looked at me, I couldn’t tell if he was amused or annoyed, and I didn’t care if it meant getting to see the library.

“How many books do you have?” I asked excitedly.