Page 121 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
I ignore the warning as Pete’s smiling mouth descends on mine.
Iawokejustbeforethe kiss and popped up in bed, clapping a hand over my thundering heart. “What the hell was that?”
I stared at the tattered yellow flag nailed to the wall ahead of me. I’d noticed it last night, but in the dark, I hadn’t made out its coiled, hissing rattlesnake. Now, bright sunlight broke through the hemp curtains beside me, highlighting the reptile, the warning beneath:Don’t tread on me.The rebel motto during the American Revolution.
My mouth fell, my eyes darting about the wagon. A framed copy of The Declaration of Independence hung above the woodstove. Another tattered flag that read “join or die” was stuck with knives into the wall behind me, proudly sporting musket ball holes and gunpowder stains. A wooden rosary hung from the haft of one of those knives. Clothes of a large male lay piled by the dining table, more stuffed into a nicked armoire beside the bed. Dusty boots and rumpled trousers cluttered the floor in various places. A high ledge trimmed the entire wagon’s perimeter, housing history books, classic novels, and references on every subject, including weaponry and wildlife of all worlds.
Breathing in the aroma of oranges and oak moss, I swore into my hands. Pete hadn’t just crashed his friends’ camp the night before. He lived in this wagon. I’d spent the night in his bed.
Loud banging signaled an intrusion. I shielded the thinness of my shift with a musty quilt as Pete bounced into view, back in his black togs, though they’d been scoured clean over the night. Rakish charm oozed from his scruffy face.
Stop it, I scolded my heart, which had accelerated at his morning dishevelment. My eyes fell right to his lips. So soft, so damn generous. They curled at the corners.
“Glad you’re awake.” His voice was still groggy from sleep.
Oh, Goddess, how sexy.
Knock it off!
Pete tossed me some type of biscuit. It bounced off my forehead and landed in my lap. “Get dressed,” he ordered, taking a bite of his own. “The road awaits.”
I sneered as he swaggered away.
An hour later, I wore my new travel gear and trusty off-brand Buggs. Pete and I hiked on either side of Bob in the sunshine across sprawling sweet pea fields.
Sionna scampered ahead of us. Having spent the night with her canine clique, she was clearly in better spirits. A good rest and friendly interaction had done likewise for Pete and me.
For the brief time we’d been back on the road, neither of us had spoken. Pete was focused on the horizon, and thoughts of home engrossed me, arousing memories of a simple ballad.
“What’s that?”
I glanced over Bob’s back at Pete. “What?”
“That melody you’re humming.”
I hadn’t realized I’d been humming.
“It’s bonny.”
His approval weirdly flattered me. “It’s just a new version of a song—‘Know My Love.’ I downloaded it just before I had to leave.”
“Sounds incredibly sugary.”
“It is. But that word describes most of the songs I love. I’m kind of a sap.”
Pete grunted, his high spirits faltering. “He’s all right, ken.”
My brows drew together.Who?
“Your fella.” I’d exasperated him again, it seemed. I was getting good at that. “Briar.”
I stared. How would he know of Briar’s welfare?
“Sedge encountered him at the Thorny Rose Tavern the morning after we met.” Pete cleared his throat. “Said he was raising Cain over your whereabouts, threatening to flood Jade’s larder with tainted water if she didn’t tell him precisely where you were and what had become of you.”
Briar can do that?“Did she tell him?”
“Not in so many words. Sedge said Jade played the fool—told Briar you were there, asking after him. She claimed she was keeping an eye out for your feyr until she saw you getting friendly with one of her patrons. She assumed him to be the chap you were waiting on and didn’t think twice when you and the unnamed patron were gone before she woke.”
