SWNOVELS Chapter What About Luca?
Tev tried again the next day. Determined to not let her goad him. He found her walking to Greenway village. Her bag of potions over her shoulder and a lump of butter wrapped in linens under her other arm.
No Luca? Why isn’t he with her?
“Going to the village?” He stepped from the trees to walk next to her.
We’ll see if she sends me off.
“Yes, to sell my wares.”
“Do you like visiting the village?”
She gave him a quick look. “No.”
Not in the least. He realized.
Understandable due to the dramatic reactions she gets from the villagers. He recalled them bowing to her and making snide remarks to her when he’d seen her there last.
“Why do you go alone?”
“Usually my friend meets me there.” She remarked.
Luca. Tev guessed. Annoyance making his nose wrinkle briefly.
“You spent all that time away with no desire to talk to me. Why are you now?” She queried.
Because the Captain is making me.
I’ve no wish to see with you Luca or hear about him from your lips.
“I need you to hunt someone for me.”
“Oh?” She turned fully to him. Intrigued brows lifting. “Who’s that?”
“His name is Chavias Derenoe.”
“And who is he?”
Tev considered how much information to give her. She knows our world. Not telling her any piece of it could put her in danger.
“He’s Radix’s warlord.”
“The black-hearted bastard?” She asked. Quoting what Teverius had called him when he’d spoken of him years ago.
He cringed. I shouldn’t have said that.
What was I thinking? I was thinking she wouldn’t recall me saying it!
How does she remember that? She was so young then.
Teverius cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Yes.”
“Sounds like a fascinating prospect.”
“It’s a dangerous one.” He corrected.
“That’s what I said.” Her turquoise eyes were bright with interest.
You don’t fully understand the danger. He worried.
“Chavias isn’t one to be trifled with, Serdephe.”
“Ser.” She corrected softly.
His lips whitened. “Ser.” He acknowledged. “Will you do it?”
“What do I get?” Her teal eyes narrowed on him.
“What do you want?”
“You.” She answered so fast his blonde brows shot up his forehead.
Still?
One man isn’t enough for you? Disgust washed through him.
Seeing the clear disdain on his face, she commenced walking toward Greenway. “Goodbye, Teverius.”
No, ‘My Wolf’? He hadn’t realized they were now entering the village.
Elders lowered to a knee as she went by.
Women made the same low comments.
Men reached to touch her but Teverius batted away their cloying hands.
“How do you stand it?” He demanded harshly.
“I ignore it.” She shrugged. “I do what I’m here to do and get back home.”
“Why do they want to touch you?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Why do women wish to touch your Sebastian?”
It was a fair question. Haven’t I wondered just such a thing?
“I’ve no idea.” He admitted.
“Me neither.” As she neared a woman who was giving her a particularly ugly look, the woman lurched forward and spit on Serdephe.
“Dread Wench!” The woman charged.
Serdephe stopped and faced her.
Tempted to beat her, probably. Teverius was looking at the hag. Covered in large moles and was considering it, himself.
“I’m sorry, Miss.” The woman’s husband was forcefully dragging her down the road away from Serdephe.
“Here.” Tev retrieved a kerchief from his pocket and wiped the sputum from her brow and cheek. “Why do you let them do that?” He asked thoughtfully as he mopped it away.
“Would you have me strike her down?” Serdephe asked him in surprise. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
How could she not?
“She seemed very coherent when she slandered you.”
“She has no idea what I am. She only knows her fear.”
You’re right. He gave her an assessing look.
“What?” Serdephe tilted her head to expose her slim neck so he could wipe a bit that’d landed under her earlobe.
A very delicate, appealing little earlobe.
He complied. “You’ve grown wise.”
She harrumphed as he finished his ministrations. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He folded his sullied kerchief and fell back into step aside her. “Why did you clean my hut?”
I’ve wanted to know and cannot contrive a single theory.
She stared forward. “So, you’d want to come back.”
She thinks I’ve stayed away because my home was dirty? The logic in that escaped him.
“Is that why you stocked the honey?”
“I thought we might share it when you returned. I didn’t know you’d hide from me after you did.”
Hardly hiding.
“I wasn’t hiding from you.”
“You didn’t greet me.”
You have Luca who offers you plenty of greeting, I’m certain.
“I didn’t know you wanted me to.” He countered just as fast.
“Of course, I did.” Bitterness touched her voice.
“What about Luca?”
“Luca?” Her dark brows nearly shot off her forehead. “What about Luca?”
“Would he appreciate me spending time with you?”
“He’d hardly have a say in it!”
Why wouldn’t he? Does she hold that much sway over the poor, sot? Tev grunted and dropped the subject.
When she tried to return to it he made it clear he’d no wish to discuss Luca.
Ever.