Chapter 5

EIRWYN WOKE TO THEsounds of birds outside the window. She yawned, feeling restored and only slightly sore from her trip to the Edge. She blinked and rubbed her eyes.

Thank goodness for the tonic from... who had given it to her? All she remembered was Knox. At a trill from a bird, she tossed back the covers and strode to the window.

She pushed open the glass and blinked. The birds settled on the window sill, each vying for her attention. But the beautiful peach, white, and blue flower bundle drew her attention first.

She picked them up and buried her face in it. The sweet scent helped her wake up with a smile. When she looked up at the birds, she pushed a question into the minds.

"Where did these come from?" she asked, glancing behind them and raising her brows. "And what is that hammock doing here?"

Almost as one, they pushed impressions back to her. The lumberjack had slept in a living hammock outside her window. He"d created it himself. He"d grown flowers and wrapped them in stems, leaving them on the windowsill.

She smiled, her heart flipping. He"d watched over her in the night and gotten her flowers? No one had ever been so thoughtful before. Not someone who wasn"t a servant anyway.

She pushed another question to them. "And where is the handsome man this morning?"

Flashes of images burst in her head. He was checking the perimeter around the cottage, searching for any threats that might lurk in the forest. She leaned her elbow on the window sill and let the wind hit her face, lazily lifting the flowers to breathe in the peaceful smell.

She sighed and thanked the birds, listening to their chirps and seeing the impressions they sent. It was all inconsequential, such as where the best worms were to be found and which nest had the most hatchlings.

She laughed and let the proud mama bird perch on her finger. "Well, congratulations then. I"m thrilled for you."

The bird"s chest puffed out, and Eirwyn stroked her feathers with a finger. A throat cleared behind her.

She turned to see Scarlet in the same clothes as yesterday, but at least her clothing was pressed now.

Eirwyn held out her finger to the window so the mama bird could fly home to her babies. Then she adjusted her own dress, wincing at the dirt and grime that made her feel so gross.

"Good morning," Eirwyn said, pasting on a smile and walking toward the bed. She spied her shoes and picked them up. "How are you today?"

Scarlet nodded and stepped away from the door, waving at Eirwyn. "Fine, thanks for asking. Olive is making breakfast, but I know Knox will want to get an early start. I was hoping you were awake."

Eirwyn went down the stairs in her stockings, shoes in one hand and flowers in the other. Helga sat by the fire with a steaming cup of coffee in her hands. She looked up, relief clear in her eyes. Then her gaze narrowed on the flowers.

Before she could open her mouth, Eirwyn said, "Oh Helga, I"m so glad you"re alright. I was worried about you when you hit your head. I"m sorry I wasn"t able to cushion us more."

Eirwyn walked to the door and set her boots down.

"It"s alright, child. I"m fine. Mistress Olive fixed me up in no time. How are you? Are you well? Where did the flowers come from?"

She turned back to Helga and tapped her chin. "I think I"m better than you. You look dreadful. Did you not sleep at all last night?"

Helga glared and pursed her lips, looking away.

But Scarlet leaned in and whispered loudly, "No, she didn"t. She watched the stairs like a hawk to make sure Knox didn"t take advantage of you."

Eirwyn"s jaw dropped open, then she giggled, turning back to Helga. "I guess you didn"t know that he slept in a hammock outside my window then, eh?"

Helga"s spine straightened, and she spilled coffee on her dress, making her curse.

Eirwyn laughed, knowing her skirts were too layered for her to get hurt. Then she turned to the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen.

She went to Olive and said, "Hello, I"m sorry I didn"t get to introduce myself last night but thank you so much for the healing potion. It was just what I needed."

Olive reached out a hand to shake and smiled. "I"m glad you"re better, dear. Knox was concerned."

Eirwyn perked up. "Have you known him long?" She went to the sink and splashed water on her face, wiping it with a clean, folded rag. Then she found a mug to put the flowers in, filling it with water and setting it in the center of the table.

Olive nodded, bustling to pour the gravy into a bowl. "Since he was born. In fact, he was born right there by the hearth."

"Oh, are you his mother, then?" Eirwyn asked, turning to the kitchen table and beginning to wipe it clean. Nerves and curiosity ate at her stomach. Who was this man who was so gruff and quiet, but fiercely protective and sweet?

"Heavens no. He"s my godson. Oh, princess, you don"t have to do that."

Olive set the bowl of gravy on the now clean table and turned back to the brick stove with a stone top and metal door on the side. The stone had perfectly circular holes bored into the top and inside the brick was a raging fire.

Olive had multiple pans on the stone top, one covering each hole. Eirwyn"s brows rose at the amount of bacon, sausage, porridge, potatoes, and vegetables.

Olive sat a new pan where the gravy had been and paused. "Excuse me, dear, do you mind? I need to make the eggs. I"m not used to so much company and wasn"t sure what you"d like for breakfast, so I made a little of everything."

"Can I help, Mistress Olive?" Eirwyn asked, stepping up to the hot stone top. She grabbed an egg and cracked it with a practiced flick of her wrist before the woman could answer. "I cook at the tavern in Demerel sometimes, but don"t tell my brother," she whispered.

Olive beamed a smile. "Oh, how lovely. Yes, I"d love some help if you"re sure you want to. But do call me Olive. Knox is the druid master warden of the forest now, so no more Mistress Olive."

Eirwyn"s eyes widened in surprise. She"d surmised that they were druids, but the lumberjack was the leader of them? She opened her mouth to ask all her questions, but Olive beat her to it.

Olive asked, "Do you cook at the tavern a lot?"

Eirwyn shrugged. "Not as often as I"d like, but I"ve been going there for a few years now."

"Well, before you should"ve been sneaking out," Helga said from by the hearth.

Eirwyn tilted her head. "Is there an appropriate age to sneak out? I thought it was forbidden no matter the age. Oh well, too late to put that bird back in the cage. How does everyone take their eggs?"

Olive flipped the bacon and said, "Scrambled but three fried for Knox."

Eirwyn nodded, grabbing a wooden spoon and spices to mix them with. "He probably needs a lot of food, as big as he is."

"Oh yes, he"s always been big for his age, even as a baby." Olive said quietly. "I raised him here, you see, and it was very hard. His magic was wild and uncontrollable for a long time. Scarlet came to visit a few times a month, and the two of them were thick as thieves, practically siblings."

Olive pulled the sausage off the hot stone and onto a tray.

Eirwyn bit her lip, not sure how to ask, so she just blurted out. "Siblings? They"re not together?"

Scarlet popped up behind her, stealing a piece of meat and laughing. "Hells no, that"s gross. Just brother and sister, thank you. The only one he likes is you, little princess."

Eirwyn blushed and put the eggs into a bowl. She took the sausage grease and poured it into her pan. "I don"t know about that. I tried flirting yesterday, and it was like flirting with a brick wall."

She didn"t mention the flowers, too afraid to read something into it.

Scarlet snorted, leaning against the counter beside them. "That"s because he"s never flirted before. Or done anything else."

Eirwyn"s eyes widened as she looked up at Scarlet. Scarlet"s green eyes were calculating and watchful.

"Are you serious?" Eirwyn whispered.

Scarlet nodded. "Yeah, he"s not one of your tavern boys, princess."

Eirwyn blushed harder, the heat on her cheeks making her groan. She looked away, cracking the eggs to fry them for Knox as her heart raced.

No wonder he hadn"t responded to her attempts to cajole him. He probably didn"t get into town much anyway.

Scarlet nodded to the flowers on the table. "He left those for you?"

Eirwyn nodded, unable to stop the smile from flowing across her face.

Scarlet continued, "Ask him on the ride why those flowers."

There was a meaning behind them? She knew the nobles often sent secret messages through presents such as flowers, but she"d never taken the time to learn what meant what. Plus, no one ever sent her flowers, presents, or messages. Her brother either intercepted everything or forbid it. She was sure he"d done something, as she had no friends of her own age and station.

Bella was the tavern owner and her only real friend. As well-read as she was, she would probably know what those flowers meant immediately.

Olive moved the meat to a tray. "Breakfast is almost ready. I"m going to get Knox. Flip the biscuits in the pan in three minutes."

She walked away, but Scarlet stayed, eying Eirwyn as she cooked. The awkward silence between them stretched, and for once in her life, Eirwyn didn"t break it with mundane chatter.

Her mind turned back to what she"d said earlier. How had a strapping young man like Knox could go his entire life without ever having sex? Hells, she hadn"t even made it fifteen years before her first time, but he"d made it—gods, how old was he?

Eirwyn bit her lip, the questions about him piling up one on top of the other. She took a deep breath to ask Scarlet, but then he walked in the door. All the air rushed out of her in a whoosh, and wind lifted her hair slightly around her head before settling.

His eyes went immediately to her, the bright green distracting her from her task at the hot stone. His presence was like a shooting star, and she wanted to turn and chase after him, leaping into his arms.

He walked to the table and sat down at the head, and she blushed, turning back to cooking. She was such a ninny, getting this nervous. He was just a man, and she"d been with her fair share of men before.

She flipped the biscuits and eggs, watching carefully as they cooked. She wiped sweat from her forehead.

So what if she was avoiding his gaze? So what if she wanted to teach this virgin lumberjack a thing or two? After today, she wouldn"t see him again. It didn"t matter what she wanted, really.

Her heart sank, heavy with disappointment. Disappointed on the missed opportunity with him, and disappointed in herself that she wanted him so much. Normally her hormones were just an itch she needed to scratch.

But Scarlet was right. He definitely wasn"t one of her tavern boy dalliances. He was all man, and just the feel of his stare on her back made her shiver with awareness. It"d take more than a quick tussle between the sheets to put out the fire he was stoking within her.

She slid his eggs onto a plate and grabbed the biscuits. She set the plate in front of him, stepping close and inhaling his earthy scent.

His hood was up yet again, but none of the others said anything. She didn"t want to point out his rude behavior, so she just turned back to the hot stone and began to clean it, moving the dishes to the sink.

"Dear, leave it until after you eat. You need a good meal for the rest of the journey through the forest," Olive said, sitting at the other end of the table.

Scarlet sat beside her on a bench and Helga sat across from her on another bench.

Eirwyn took a plate and sat beside Knox, loading her plate full of all the delicious foods she didn"t get to eat at the palace.

She bit into a piece of bacon and groaned. "Gods, this is delicious."

Knox" eyes were on her like an animal lying in wait for its prey. Still she ignored his gaze.

"What can we expect from the rest of the journey?" Helga asked.

Scarlet waved a slice of bacon and explained. Eirwyn took a bite, savoring the taste yet somehow inhaling it too. She ate faster than she should"ve, and it felt like a piece got lodged in her throat.

She reached for the pitcher of water from the center of the table and poured into the mug. Then she chugged it.

She gasped in relief when she was done and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Helga"s eyes were narrowed, and she knew she"d disappointed her.

But when she finally couldn"t take it anymore and looked up at Knox, it was to see his emerald green eyes staring at her in contemplation.

She blushed and looked back down. "Excuse me," she said, eating slower and chewing more deliberately.

A faint twitch of the lips had her staring at him more intently. "Don"t worry about it. The Edge will make anyone ravenous. Are you well this morning?"

She nodded, glancing back down in embarrassment. "Yes, thank you. And you?"

He nodded, taking another bite of his food.

Gods, she was such a ninny. She couldn"t even carry a decent conversation with him now because all she could think about was riding him for days.

It was going to be a long ride back to Demerel.