I'm proud of myself for not falling out of the tree. I didn't know kissing could go on this long, but I like it. When we finally separate, embarrassment turns my blood to ice water.
"Can we get down? I need solid footing." Why am I whispering?
He lifts me without a word, and we're on the ground in seconds. He removes his arm from under my knees and places me on my feet. But he keeps his other arm around my waist, pressing me to him, and kisses me again.
He's much taller than me, so I have to stand on my toes and lean against him. I wrap my arms around his neck. Then I realize what I'm doing and jump back. I bring my fingers to my mouth as if he punched me. "You have to stop doing that."
"Why?"
"You scramble my brain. I can't think."
He smiles at me. That's a weapon he wields well. My guard finally goes up. No one prepared me for this. "So what is this?" I ask. "What are we doing? Is this even something we should do? I mean, can this work? How does this work?"
Some of the many questions swimming around my head fall out of my mouth before I can edit them. He looks confused. "You do know how this works, right?"
Where's root up the nose when you need one? "Oh God, No! Not that. What? No. I mean," I wish my mouth would cease forming words, but it just keeps talking. "We're not even the same species."
"Oh, that," he says with a smug smile that makes me want to find the nearest hole to crawl in and die. "Faeries are compatible with elves, humans, and goblins, but none of the offspring will have wings. Elves are only compatible with faeries. And goblins are compatible with many species, except for elves."
"Stop saying compatible!" before my head bursts into flames.
He laughs as if I've said something funny. Then he walks away and unties the meat. When he comes back, he puts his arm around my shoulders. I put my arm around his waist because I like touching him.
"How did you find that place?" I ask.
"I found it when I was out with Solara. She suggested I take you there."
The sharp sting of jealousy touches my heart, but I squash it. "Is that your move?"
"Move?"
"Taking women up to your tree to enjoy the view."
He laughs. "It wouldn't be much of a move because most of the women I know can fly up there themselves. No, Solara treats me like a pet that needs training. She asked me if I would take her flying."
"You guys talk about me?"
"You're basically all we talk about. We don't have much in common."
Maybe my friends aren't so perceptive; maybe Qince just told them. A grin lights up my face. "So, what do you talk about?"
"I'm not telling you. You're going to have to wait and see." There's that smile again. Unlike Dathid, Qince knows he's good-looking.
The conversation flows to many different topics. I enjoy talking to him because of the things we don't talk about. He has never asked me about the Orb or how I lost my ear.
"What happened to your face?" I ask, pointing to the bruise by his ear. "Did Dathid hit you again?"
"I didn't explain to Goutadge how to wake me, so she threw a rock at me. Don't laugh. It was the size of my head. She knocked me clear out of the tree."
I don't feel bad for laughing because he's laughing, too. But we sober quickly when the camp comes into view. I remove my arm from his back and step out from under his arm when he doesn't remove it. Everyone is just about where we left them, except Goutadge and Dathid are gone.
