My mouth fell open. He was right. I hadn’t realized it, but it was true. I wasn’t thinking about leaving anymore. In fact, I was thinking about how to make everything work. He laughed again and kissed my cheek, since my mouth was still hanging open.
“Are you okay, Evalia?”
“Yeah.” I said it slowly, savoring the idea. But, yeah, I was okay. I was more than okay. I laughed and threw my arms around his neck. “Yeah, I am okay.” I kissed him again. This time, he didn’t let me go, changing the kiss from a sweet peck to a deep, sensual one. We were exploring each other, both with our hands, and with the kiss. I was sitting in his lap, beginning to move my hips against him, when Cassy shrieked and bounded into the clearing.
Travis broke the kiss to rest his forehead against mine. “Now what?”he whispered, as Cassy jumped into the air, glided past us and landed near the opposite edge of the meadow. She shrieked at the woods again.
A cloaked being stepped out, hands in the air. “I am a friend. Travis, please call her off.”
“Hunter, is that you?” Travis looked stunned.
“Yes.” The man pushed his hood back, and I recognized him from the paintball war that had started this whole thing.
“What are you doing here? How did you find us?”
“My family has been part of the Svikari for a while. I am risking everything coming here. Listen, the King is planning an ambush. You can’t let Evalia meet with him.” Cassy shrieked loudly at him, causing him to flinch. “I’m trying to help here, you stupid griffin!”
“Are you the one that tipped them off to Evalia in the first place?” Travis's voice was hard.
“No. How would I have known she wasn’t registered? I don’t know who saw her. It wasn’t anyone I know. I gave you my warning. What you do with it is up to you.” He put the hood back on. “Don’t tell anyone, and I mean anyone, that I came here. Okay?” Travis nodded as Hunter backed back into the woods. After a moment, Cassy finally relaxed.
I looked at Travis. He was staring at me, concern on his handsome face. “We need to tell Kait. Come on.”
We gathered the picnic supplies and started to walk back. “You told Hunter that you wouldn’t tell Kait he was here.”
Travis nodded. “I did, and I won’t. I am going to tell Kait that a source that I trust gave us this information. Hunter is a friend. I didn’t know his family was part of the Svikari, but that doesn’t make me trust him less. He can’t control the family he was born into.”
I shrugged. I didn’t trust Hunter, but I didn’t know him, so that wasn’t completely fair. I can be a bit suspicious sometimes. I mean, I didn’t trust David for a while there, and look how that worked out. I still felt bad about that.
Travis had pulled out his phone and was texting as he walked. A few minutes later, the phone rang. I could hear Kait’s voice. He sounded angry, and I heard him say my name along with “do something stupid”. I wrapped an arm around myself as Travis tried to assure him I had been in no danger. My other hand found my braid and began to spin it.
I was getting angry. I felt helpless and I didn’t like the feeling. Once Travis hung up, I stopped walking, forcing him to stop as well.
“What’s wrong?” Travis was searching the woods with his eyes, but when he saw that Cassy was relaxed enough that she was cleaning her feathers, he turned to me. “Why did you stop?”
“Why doesn’t Kait trust me? I could hear some of what he said, and it feels like the security detail is as much to keep an eye on me as it is to keep me safe.” Travis grimaced a little. “Ah ha! I knew it!”
Travis held his hands out. “Its not that he doesn’t trust you. Its … You know what? You need to ask him. I’m not going to explain his thought process.” He reached for me, but I stepped away.
“But, you are going along with his plans, so you agree with him.” I narrowed my eyes at him as I thought that through.
“No, that’s not true. Ugh, it’s hard to explain. He is the leader of my security detail, and very much like a father to me. It has kinda been ingrained in me to do as he says. When it makes sense, I’m not going to argue with him. Plus, I want to spend time with you. It’s not like I don’t enjoy it.”
I turned away from him. I didn’t want to talk anymore. I couldn’t believe they didn’t trust me not to do something stupid. I stalked toward the safe house. Travis just sighed and followed me. When we got home, I went straight to my room and slammed the door. I don’t know long I laid there, staring at the wall, but eventually, I heard the front door slam. Kait’s voice called out, and Travis answered him. I ignored it all.
Probably about fifteen minutes later, there was a tap on the door. I ignored that as well. Another tap came, this one slightly harder than the last. I put the pillow over my head. A muffled voice came through the door. I sighed.
“What?” My voice was sharp. Apparently, Kait didn’t care because he just opened the door and came right in. I rolled over and glared at him. “Does my privacy not matter to you at all?”
“In some cases, no, it doesn’t. For instance, when your safety is involved, or when you are pouting.”
I sat up. “I’m pouting?” Venom dripped from my voice. “We keep having these discussions, Kait. It seems like every day. I WANT TO BE
