Private Tales On swift wings..

[Sidereal Penumbra]

His thumb brushed beneath her eye. Swiping at the moisture that threatened to spill. Her words made something inside his chest crack. He was used to females throwing themselves at him. Easily joining him from beer to bed. And Lori. Gods, Lori was so different.

As if the words caused him pain, he began to speak. "If you don't," he breathed. FUCK. "You always have a choice with me, Lori," he spoke slowly. "You feel it too? But," his breathing turned shallow.

"You don't have to make a choice right now." Fuck that hurt to say. Even as he said it, he didn't step back. His fingers gently brushed through some of her blonde strands of hair. Sweat and the battle clinging to her. And him. "But before you walk away," he assumed. He assumed she might want to. Especially after everything she'd seen him do.

"I want to show you something. Take you somewhere that means a lot to me."

 

[Lorelei]

Lori's eyes pooled with unshed tears as she watched the pain it took for him to give her a choice. She knew what'd happen to him if she walked away, she'd seen that first hand. She just had never expected to find that one soul she was somehow bonded to, nor could she quite believe that it was the General of the army that she fought for. The General she'd seen do terrible things with his brothers, and whom she'd heard even worse stories about.. Then again, she made no move to distance herself from him or to stop the gentle hand that caressed her face and combed through her hair.

She didn't speak, too many thoughts crashed into one another in her mind that any words she might've tried to say stuck in her throat and she nodded after a moment, glad of the time he appeared to be giving her..

"Alright..." she agreed quietly, still studying his face in disbelief that he was her mate. She swallowed hard and dragged her gaze back to the blood-soaked dirt as she retrieved her blades and sheathed them. The movement reminded her of the battle they'd just fought. The iron burns, the minor slashes from blade and claw stung and bruises and tired muscles ached, not that any of it registered on her face.

"Show me." she confirmed softly as her eyes hesitantly returned to his.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

A breath he hadn't known he'd been holding finally released. He dragged his fingers away from her hair. Her face. His desire and drive to keep her close. To touch her was hard to clamp down. But he did. Even though it caused an ache to spread across his broad chest.

But she didn't say no.

She hadn't rejected him...yet.

Fuck, was this how Lorcan felt with his mate?

"Give me a few minutes," he rumbled and turned away. Fingers clenched at his side and he strode forward, purposeful steps toward the rebels main war tent. Ducking inside, his eyes darted across the table at several of the documents strewn across. Frowning, he snatched up a letter. Eyes narrowing in surprise and anger as he read the contents. Quickly tucking it inside a pocket in his leathers, he gave the tent one last sweep before exiting.

"We need to get there by air," he held out his hand, giving her a choice once again. "I promise I'll try my damndest not to crash this time."

 

[Lorelei]

She wasn't sure whether the ache she felt was his or hers or both of theirs but whatever it was, it was a mind-fuck. She felt too much, and her pulse thrummed with adrenaline and panic as he stepped away from her. Lori's gaze followed him until he was out of sight and in the tent, and her hand pulled through her messy blonde hair as she drew a deep and steadying breath..

"Just.. breathe, Lori.." she muttered to herself, letting her head tilt back as her eyes closed for a brief moment, trying and failing to clear her mind of everything, but there he was, the image of him looking at her that way and of that fucking smile. She groaned at herself..

Had she known, deep down? Was that why she'd come here with him? Her life was complicated enough without this.. Oh, but he was everything that a useless Puca like her would be lucky to have. He was smart, and strong, he was brave and beautiful and.. He seemed kind, at least to her and some people they'd met along the way.

She near jumped out of her skin when he spoke again, having failed to hear his footfalls with all of the noise in her head. His voice seemed so close,as though it were somehow in her mind and spoken right by her ear and miles away all at the same time. Lori swallowed, looking up at him with a glimmer of fear in her eyes before they dropped to look at his hand.

After a long moment of consideration and visible concentration on the matter, she stopped chewing on her lip and huffed as she took the offered hand, hers so much smaller in his. "Don't drop me, either." she warned begrudgingly, her cheeks burning hot as she tried not to look directly at his face, or any other part of him for that matter.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

A low throaty chuckle rumbled out from his chest. "Or drop you," he agreed, looking down at her. His fingers tugged her close before his other arm swooped and scooped her behind her knees. Careful of her broken wings. Careful of her even as he held her to his broad chest. His leathery wings spread behind him and with one mighty flap they were airborn and rising higher with each tug.

For a moment it reminded him of how he'd first found her. Bedraggled and bloody. He'd almost lost her before he'd ever found her. Muscles flexed around her as he flew faster. Up ahead it looked as if they were flying toward an unstable and rough sea shrouded in mists and rocks.

With nowhere to land.

"You might want to keep your eyes open for this," warm breath murmured against the sensitive shell of her ear as he suddenly took them into a dive. Straight for the mists. Straight for those rocks. The terror would only last a moment before the air shimmered around them and the rocks were replaced with open air. And waterfalls tumbling from varying heights to fall into pools only to fall from those into larger pools. Small hills of spring-green grass danced outward in all directions leading toward a coastline of sandy-beaches and azure waters.

And the greenscape was nearly overtaken with trees of pink cherry-blossoms. And in the center of it all stood a city that she'd be able to see as they made their way further from the falls and mists.

 

[Lorelei]

She didn't pretend to be happy about the fact that he was carrying her. It was the most degrading feeling, and yet he didn't seem to judge her or try to make it a show of his superiority. Still, she continued to wear her frown which softened slightly as he held her against his chest and she realised that she could feel his heart rattling in their cage of bone.

Lori drew in a silent gasp as they were both lifted into the air so effortlessly. Even when her wings had worked, they were never as strong as his were. She held on a little tighter and rested her head against his shoulder rather than look down. Not that she was afraid of heights, she was just more afraid of remembering just how much she loved to fly.. It was a bitter reminder that she would never do so herself again.

She had lost herself in her thoughts before he spoke to her and she looked up at him, and then down, confusion crossing her features as she looked down at nothing. Then he was diving toward that nothing.. Her mouth opened, about to ask what he was doing when they passed through the shimmering ward and she set her sights on the most beautiful island she'd ever seen.

"What the fuckin' shit.." she whispered to herself as she sat up straighter, her grey eyes wide and lit with astonishment and awe. "What- Where are we?.." she asked, her mouth still agape as she tried to take it all in.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

A low deep chuckle rumbled across from his chest. Even though his smile didn't reach his golden-green eyes. He'd felt something from her earlier. A deep lingering sadness through the bond that was already beginning to connect them.

"We call it, Endora," voice rumbled down to her, for a moment, his gaze unwilling to look away from her. The shock on her face. The wonder and awe. He wanted to save this moment in his memories forever. But his eyes shifted forward as his wings tilted them to a steady, gentle descent.

"And that's, Azora," his chin tipped toward the city they were flying closer to. Beautiful and varied buildings rose close to the border of a crystalline lake. Water nymphs and other aquatic creatures danced in the waters, making splashes and ripples. They all looked up as he and Lori drew closer, several blew Sid kisses.

"Lorcan, Raphael, and I built this place," he continued. If he noticed the nymphs it didn't show. "It took a long time," he continued. "But we wanted to build a safe place for those in Autumn who needed it." He began flying over the city. Strings of colorful flags decorated rooftops and courtyards. Music, laughter, and chatter filled the air. It was clear this was a place where people did feel safe and were able to celebrate.

 

[Lorelei]

Her stormy eyes brightened to reflect the island below them, the usual murky grey now glistening like crushed crystal as they filled with tears. It was so.. opposite to everything she was used to. She lived in the camps, she lived in the muck and life was grim. She was part of the forces that protected all the pretty parts of the autumn court and its residents.. But all of this wasn't for her, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she shouldn't be here.

Emotions choked her, and anything she had been about to say lodged like a stone in her throat. She had never in her life seen anything quite so beautiful, and yet her grip tightened on him. He was intimidating enough, not that she'd show it, but he was at least her own kind. Down there, she fully expected the highest sorts of fae.. The sorts that she avoided.

As he brought them closer to the ground, she couldn't help but smile at the water nymphs and colourful creatures that occupied the crystalline lake, but the smile fell immediately as the nymphs so shamelessly flirted with Sid and she felt her skin heat. Lori had never been jealous of such things for a moment in her life and yet she could feel the way she scowled down at them and how it made her body tense. She cleared her throat and gave them a discreet, rude gesture as they flew overhead.

Lorcan, Raphael and I?..

Right. His brothers. It was so easy to forget that the males generally came as a package deal and that any whisper of them struck fear into the hearts of many. Lori would never admit to being afraid, but she'd witnessed the sorts of pain the other two had inflicted on her kind and she frowned in confusion..

"A...safe, place? Built by.. You three?" she asked and winced at how it had sounded. Before she had officially met Sid, she was as afraid of him as she was the other two, but now? Now the only thing she feared was the power he had to destroy her without need for weapons or magic. She looked down at the festivities once more. There were all sorts of fae there, not just those like the Erlking and his son, but lesser sorts, like her. And Prince Lorcan had welcomed them here, for safety?

"I don't understand..."

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

There were several bubbling rivers that dropped through the city toward the lake it surrounded. Bridges and walkways arched over the flowing water in beautiful displays of architecture, weaving among the buildings and colorful terracotta rooftops. While Lorcan and Maeve lived at the palace, further from the city center, Sid owned a small townhouse right in the bustling center. He preferred the energy and convenience it provided.

He'd landed on one of the bridges not too far from the street his townhome sat nestled upon. He hesitated in letting Lori go, though. With booted feet on solid ground, he looked down at her. "We wanted a place that was free from the Erlking's reach. Free from court politics. A place where all fae, not just duanan, could thrive and just...be."

Reluctantly, his grip loosened and he gently set Lori back on her own two feet. A boyish smile briefly crossed his face as he held out his hand for her to took if she wanted it. "I'd like to show you my home if you want to see it?"

 

[Lorelei]

Lori was in no rush to be let go either, still uncertain that this place was as safe for her as he promised it to be, and yet she knew deep down that he wouldn't have brought her here if it weren't. She gazed around as he set her down, her fingers still furled into his leathers as she did so. There really were all sorts of fae folk here, some smiled at her, some called out in greeting to Sid, and many took no notice of them at all.

She looked up at him at the offer of seeing his home and she gave a slight nod before taking his hand and walking with him. There was so much to take in that it was overwhelming in the most wonderful way, now that she'd accepted that she was...well, accepted here. The streets were so vibrant, in colour and in atmosphere, that she couldn't help but smile.

"I.. I still don't understand. Why would the Prince want to provide a sanctuary from his father?" she frowned. The Prince was as awful as his father was, and everyone knew it.. didn't they?

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

Sid couldn't help a stroke of his thumb across the back of her hand as they walked. As if he wanted to assure himself that she was here. That this was real.

And damnit if she wasn't the most distracting thing he'd ever been around. She was like the sun, threatening to pull him in and burn him up.

"So," Sid hedged, leading her across the bridge and through a small market where friendly vendors waved and smiled. Many called him out by name with greetings. "Lorcan isn't as much of a dick as he lets others believe." A light shrug as he looked down at her. "But he has to keep what reputation he's built to the outsiders. There are many who would seek to destroy this place. To use it for their own means." He took a breath and lead her down a cobblestoned side street where a row of townhomes nestled together. Each slightly different and painted in different colors that still somehow seemed to work as a whole.

He paused at the third one down on the right, outside a large wooden door. A rich, warm wood with a curve at the top. Built tall enough to accomodate plenty of room for any creature with wings. There was even a few raised garden beds out front, full of flourishing herbs and plants.

"Which is why Lori, you have to swear not to ever talk about this place. To keep it a secret." Serious hazel eyes turned down to her, as he pushed the door to his townhouse wide open.

 

[Lorelei]

The brush of his thumb against her back was like a lick of flame, like his touch was a brand that left invisible marks on her skin. It both tempted and terrified her, and so she tried to keep her thoughts elsewhere. Like the absolute mindfuck that was this place, with all manner of fae living together in peace and happiness. She was half convinced it was all some elaborate hoax, an illusion or some warped mind-manipulation magic that she'd pretend to find amusing later when it all came crumbling down and broke her heart. Gods, she hoped it was real.

She followed him silently, taking an offered flower from a smiling merchant they passed, and smiling at a small group of fae children with hooves and horns as they scampered across her path. She almost walked straight into Sid as he stopped, and so she took a step back to look up at the charming home they stood in front of.

"I.." Lori frowned. She didn't have anyone to tell, but even if she had.. There was something in the way he looked at her, the way he said her name, the command.. She wondered if it were simply that he was the General, and she was so used to obeying the commands of her superiors, or whether it was... That he was...

"I won't say anything." she promised quietly, and she felt the burn of the promise in her skin across her shoulder. Her jaw clenched and she swallowed, avoiding his gaze as she stepped passed him and into the house.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

He felt the sincerity of her promise through the bridge that was being strengthened between them the more time they spent together. And he knew then that after all this. If she walked away. He'd be fucking wrecked. Stepping inside after her, he closed the door as well as the path to those thoughts.

The place smelled like cedarwood, musk, and cinnamon.

The place was minimally appointed but appointed well. Shelves lined one set of walls with leather bound books and scrolls. A narrow staircase lead to the second floor. Further back was a large wooden table that seemed almost too big for the space. Clearly he hosted for others. Beyond the table was a door that lead into a small kitchen.

Most surprising of all was perhaps the white ball of fluff that suddenly came running out, voicing little yips. It was a kitsune with four fluffy-tails.

 

[Lorelei]

His home smelled like he did, she noticed. She tried not to react to it, but she felt her nose twitch and resisted the urge to shudder. Gods, this wasn't happening. Internally she was pleading to whatever higher power might hear her and praying for some misunderstanding or mixup as she looked around his house.

It was a pretty place, far nicer than the tent she shared with five other males who now hated her more than ever. But this was Sid's life, a General's life, not the life of a soldier and certainly not of a soldier that was both female and puca. It didn't get much lower than that. Just for a moment she let herself imagine living here, but it'd been a bad idea to do so and she'd been about to say she wanted to leave when the yipping stole her attention.

For a second, she was on her guard, but in realising what it was she let out a breathy laugh and looked to Sid incredulously. He didn't strike her as the 'fluffy pet' type. His home didn't really match up with prior expectations of him either, nor had anything really..

"Hello.." she said quietly as she lowered onto one knee and reached out a hand toward the little creature. "I don't think I've ever seen a.. whatever this is, before.."

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

All four fluffy-tails stood up at once. The kitsune froze and stuck its delicate nose forward, sniffing the air around Lori's hand. Fox-like ears twitched on its white furred face.

Meorrriiiip

It chirped and bypassed Lori, and with one leap and a scurry, crawled up Sid's leg and side to perch upon his broad shoulder, pushing it's head beneath the general's chin. A low rumbling laugh left Sid's throat as his fingers scratched beneath her chin.

"She's a kitsune, takes her awhile to warm-up to strangers. I'm impressed she got that close you, actually. Wasn't for the better part of a year until she got that close to Lorcan. And she was never shy with Raph because he was with me when I found her."

Sid turned his head to the kitsune, who had decided to start cleaning its paws on his shoulder. "Misty, this is Lori. Lori, Misty." The creature looked up from its cleaning and chirped once. Sid shook his head and stepped around Lori, through the small living space to the open kitchen area beyond.

"Make yourself at home. You uh...hungry?" He frowned as he said it and began rummaging through cabinets. He'd been gone a few months and didn't have much. Bernadette had been coming to care for Misty but he hadn't thought to ask her to pick up anything. Hells, he hadn't been prepared for...well, Lori.

"We could always go out...," his voice trailed off as he rubbed the back of his neck. Misty flicked all four tails into his face before gracefully jumping down and strutting across the counters.

 

[Lorelei]

This all had to be some strange, alternate reality dream. As she watched the little creature scurry to perch itself on Sid's shoulder, she thought of three of the most notoriously terrible males in the Autumn Court pandering to it and she'd have been amused had she not been so confused by all of this. Everything was just one unexpected thing after another and she found herself almost missing the monotony and predictability of her days in the camp.. Almost.

"I.." Yes, she was hungry, but agreeing to eat with him was. Well that meant something. Her cheeks burned and she frowned, rubbing at her brow.. "I'm fine.. We've gone off course. This wasn't.." her head shook and she sighed. "I should go back. They'll be... worried." she frowned, because that was very fucking clearly not true - if anything they'd be hoping something terrible happened to her whilst she was gone.

She turned toward the door before realising the obvious. She was on an island, and now her stomach flipped over.. "Is there another way back to the mainland?"

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

Hells.

He. Was. Completely. Botching. This.

New territory. It was always easy with him and females. And by gods, was this how Raphael felt all the time? The one female that mattered most to him, he was already losing before anything began.

Hand dropped from the back of his neck. "Lori," voice rumbled out deep and low. Strong, quick strides took him to her, a gentle, but firm hand would reach out toward her waist so she would face him. While giving her plenty of room to step back. To pull away.

"If you want me to take you back right now I will. But we've been traveling a long time. Fighting. Wounds still healing." Fingers twitched at her waist, wanting to brush along her cheek. But with he didn't, with no small amount of restraint.

"I suggest you get some food and rest. And go back in the morning. In the meantime, I have a friend down the road. Dalia. She's a faun who might talk your ear off but she's a safe place to stay. Kind and generous. She can also provide you with a meal."

Did he like any of this?

No.

But if it made Lori feel comfortable. If it kept her from running away tonight.

He'd do anything, gods with her...he'd do anything.

He swallowed.

"But if that's not...I can take you back tonight."

 

[Lorelei]

His hand on her seemed to burn more than the iron in that net had, and though she still wore the welts from earlier, his touch would brand far deeper, and it was dangerous how her heart stumbled over itself each time she felt it. She stared down at it for a moment before looking up at him, listening to him skirt around outright asking her to stay, watching the frown he wore as he tried to think of anything possible to make her feel comfortable here, and yet still he offered her the freedom to choose.

She was his to command and he knew that as well as she did. Lori had fought for her right to live and fight amongst the males, and still they'd beaten her down every chance they could. They clipped her wings, they left her to die, and they got angrier every time she got back up. She had made the mistake of trusting a handful of them over the years, and each time had been another mistake. If there was one male she shouldn't trust, it was the one with the power to crush her heart in his palm the moment she accepted him.

"One night.." she agreed quietly.. "I'll be fine on the couch." she nodded.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

Her scent. Being this close to her made it hard for him to think about anything else. About anyone else. And as he peered down at her, he noticed the natural highlights in her hair. The intensity of her gaze sharper than any arrow could pierce.

He blinked. His broad chest expanding as a breath he didn't know he was holding released. She was staying here? She wasn't even going to Dalia's?

If he was understanding everything correctly.

"Okay," he breathed as his hand lingered a little longer on her side, fearful that if he stopped touching her, she wouldn't be real. "Humor me for some street vendor food?" His chin tipped to the door and he finally stepped back, removing his hand from her to move to the doorknob instead as he pushed it open.

"They have the best lamb kabobs I've ever head. And honey cakes." He hoped the casual atmosphere and food would put her more at ease. "While we eat I could show you more of the city?" He pushed the door open a little wider. "Course, I could leave you with Misty if you'd rather I come back with something?" Misty still perched on the kitchen counter, watching the pair. Four tails flickering.

 

[Lorelei]

More choices.. She wasn't used to such things. Not that she was used to any of this. His hand drawing away from her seemed to take with it a heavy weight, and it left her skin cold and her body feeling featherlight. She swallowed hard, her gaze following him to the door and her stomach clenching in mute demand for the food he tempted her with.

She glanced back at Misty and let out a quiet huff as she offered the creature a small smile. Her arms wrapped around herself and she twisted her heel into the floor, her lips pursing in thought whilst she considered.

"Sid.. I.." she frowned, turning to him with a look of consternation before she let a breath tumble out and her shoulders sag with defeat. "What are kabobs?" she asked, and moseyed on out of the door.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

He grinned as he closed the door behind them. "The most savory, tasty meat and vegetables you'll ever have on a stick." He wanted to snake his arm around her waist. Tuck her into his side as they walked down the star and moonlit streets. Plenty of lights imbued with magic clearly lighting up their path.

He settled for walking beside her, instead. Ready to offer his arm if she wanted it or showed...any interest. Gods, he was worried anything would make her bolt. Thoughts churned with uncertainty as they wound their way through the streets which opened up into a bustling square with picnic type tables set-up in the middle. Shops, vendors, carts, and string lights along the sides. All sorts of fae eating, laughing, and talking.

Fires crackling with home brews roasting on top.

A glittering river in the background.

Some looked over, noticing Sid and smiled and waved. He'd done a lot of the building of this place with his brothers. They'd made this city. So he knew almost everyone here.

"Of course," he grunted looking down at her, "You don't even have to try kabobs, there are lots of options," he spread his arm across the scene.

A much older fae with plenty of wrinkles lining her face hobbled up to them, leaning heavily on a cane. She wore a vibrant green dress and smelled strongly of a mixture of herbs. Her eyes were clouded over as if her vision was fleeing her. Pausing, she tapped her cane against Sid's boot.

"I see you finally found a good one," she said. Sid opened his mouth to protest. "Marygo-,"

"Hm, child," her full attention turned to Lori, ignoring the General. A click of her lips as she hovered a gnarled hand over her wings. Not touching them but not being shy about it either. "I sense a lot of pain here. When Sid stops hogging your time, child, come see me."

 

[Lorelei]

It really was the most beautiful place she had ever seen, particularly as the night grew darker and the lights illuminated the city as the stars lit up the skies. Everyone seemed.. harmonious? There were no looks of disdain cast in her direction, and she wasn't sure she had ever heard so much laughter and... Music. Her brows lifted at the sound and she stood on her tiptoes to seek out the source of it..

The scents of food taunted her, and she breathed them in with a quiet groan to herself.. "How do you choose? Everything smells so--herby" she blinked, turning to see the old woman approaching Her brow rose and then furrowed at the assumption she made.

"Oh.. N-" Lori quickly shook her head, about to protest before her attention landed solely on her.

She flinched as she seemed about to touch her wing, her cheeks burning furiously as she stared timidly at the crone. Her wings tucked as tightly as they could and she hugged her arms tightly around her, shame practically radiating from her as she shifted back a little.. She nodded, hoping it would appease the female, and her gaze shifted to the glittering lake, hoping the ground might swallow her rather than so much as look in Sid's direction.

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

"Marygold." Sid cut in. More General-tone than normal. The older fae looked up, blinked, innocent.

"Come see me child," she repeated, completely oblivious to the discomfort she was causing Lori. But Sid could feel it. Through a bond he couldn't turn off. And his fingers curled into fists as his body trembled at the sudden urge to rip the old female's head from her shoulders. The source of his mate's discomfort.

Tapping her cane, she turned and hobbled off.

But Sid slid in front of Lori and gently cupped her cheek in his own hand. Looking down at her, his thumb gently traced the outside curve of her cheek. "Lori," he breathed, "Look at me." His tone far different than what he'd used with the older female. Gentle.

"No one is judging you here."

He'd do anything to pull her from her own humiliation. To pull her out of pain. Discomfort.

"Unless you don't end up liking Jerry's Kabobs, then folks might judge." A lopsided grin down at her as he attempted a joke.

 

[Lorelei]

Her eyes glistened as she was forced to look up at him, letting him see the pain the woman had spoken of, and there was so much of it that she had worked so hard to beat deep down and stop from surfacing, and yet there it was, pain, physical and emotional, reminding her of what she was.

"I'm fine." she lied, and she knew he'd know it. "Y-ou don't have to comfort me.. Nor did you have to bring me here, or think about ripping that female's head from her shoulders." she laughed under her breath, though stopped when she realised that he hadn't said those words, and that it had only crossed his mind..

She didn't move as he stood there cupping her cheek, despite her words. He didn't have to, but he wanted to, and he didn't deserve the pain she'd cause by being harsh right now. His stupid grin was enough to conjure a small smile of her own, and she sighed..

"I know she meant no harm.." she frowned, swallowing hard as she considered the female's insistence that she visit her. She pocketed the invite for now, curious as to what exactly she might offer her to dull her pain. Right now, she needed food, and she let him, and the warm atmosphere around her, ease her. Her arms loosened their grip on her sides and she reached up to his wrist, letting his hand sit for a moment longer before she drew it away..

"Lets eat, then.."

 

[Sidereal Penumbra]

A hundred different things crossed his mind to say to her. How fuking beautiful she was. How strong. How he wanted to protect her but knew she didn't really need it. How he wanted to take away any pain she felt. How he would be there for her always. How he wanted to wrap her in his arms right then and there.

But he just watched her and waited.

A drop of his hand as she drew away.

"Right." He nodded, his lopsided-grin never wavering. Tucking his wings in closer to his back, he lead the way toward a row of food-carts. Those kabobs were there. But plenty of other options. Bowls with other steaming meats, fruits, and vegetables. Fresh bread wrapped around savory spices. Flat, hot morsels with sweet sauces, jams, jellies, and melted chocolate stuffed inside.

"Take your pick," Sid rumbled, crossing his arms as his stomach grumbled. The spice wafting in the air making his mouth water.