A Thing of Beauty

Chapter 5

Zander had simply jumped off the deck and stretched his wings.

He circled the area twice where he had last seen her before spotting her small stature walking along a path on the ground.

Folding his wings back, he dove towards the ground, but managed to land without scaring the living daylights out of her.

"Hey," he said moments before Oric and two more elves arrived.

Besha smiled at all of them, but the sadness in her eyes broke his heart.

Oric stepped up and hugged her. "Let me take your pack, while we leave the two of you to talk. I will take it to the castle."

Before she could protest he had gently removed her burden and the three elves disappeared as if they had never been there.

"You came back."

She nodded and looked around. And up. "You kept your word," she said softly, referring to their parting words.

"Yes."

"The forest is happy again."

He looked about with her. "I had never thought about it that way, but I think you are right."

He stepped closer to her and lifted her chin with a gentle claw. "But you are not happy. Did you find Tran?"

Those big eyes went wider before large tears pooled and rolled down her cheeks. Cursing under his breath, Zander lifted her into her arms and took to the air.

Back at the castle keep, he shifted to his human form, clothed himself with a thought and carried Besha to the guest room on the first floor. She was clearly so upset that she didn't notice his new form. It didn't matter.

He wanted to strangle something or someone for breaking her heart like this. Completely hopeless when it came to comforting someone, Zander sat in the chair and held her on his lap. He didn't have the right words, so he basically kept his mouth shut for fear that he might say the wrong thing.

When it looked like she wasn't going to stop crying, he panicked.

"Oric!!"

Besha flinched.

Realising that he had roared almost in her ear, Zander pulled a face at his own idiocy.

"Sheesh," she groaned, "could you not have shouted any louder?"

"Sorry," he said.

Besha sat up and her swollen eyes went huge. "You're human."

He loosened his hold when she sat back, although he was surprised when she didn't remove herself from his lap.

"Sometimes," he replied.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.

He helped with gentle fingers. Her skin was so soft, he could spend the whole day touching her. Abruptly he dropped his hand at the inappropriate thought. She was not interested in him that way.

"You called," Oric said suddenly, making them both jump.

"Shit, knock next time, will you?" Zander growled. Besha giggled suddenly.

Both men looked surprised.

When her lip started trembling, Oric came closer holding out a glass. "I thought you might want some water."

Grateful that she didn't start crying again, Zander released a breath.

She seemed to be thirsty because she emptied the glass in two gulps and held it out to Oric. "More."