60 Chapter 60: Pleasures of the Flesh (1/2)
ELINA: You can always be sure about what a man is thinking. Especially after sitting next to him for three days. From morning till night. Whenever is he awake or asleep. You notice things others might not. The subtle movements of his eyes. The beat of his heart. The twitches of guilt when you mention a certain someone.
Maybe Salem thought I forgot about the honeypot village. Forgot about Anja. The way Salem blushed in front of her. How he scratched the back of his head. How he was shamefully smitten by her third-rate act.
So I reminded him. Stopped short of mentioning the fact that I had to rescue him. Because then he would ask again why I saved him. And it wasn't a question I wanted to answer. Not yet. Not now.
When should I tell him? When I implicitly have his trust.
I glanced at him. Hmm…But when can I guarantee that…
He sat there, reins in his hands, eyes ahead. Trying not to look at me. Pretending he was paying attention to the road. Like there might be some kind of danger. But there was flat nothingness for miles. A tree here. A rock there. Wind and sun and blue sky.
He was acting as though the grass were more interesting. But I was sure I'm more interesting than grass. Or maybe he feared my tongue after I mentioned Anja.
I said, ”Who do you usually talk to?”
”What do you mean?”
”During your other witch hunts. Who do you talk to while on the road?”
He shrugged. ”It's just the road.”
”You talk to the road?”
”I don't talk to anyone.”
”So you just sit here, day after day until you reach the city?”
”Yes.”
”And you don't feel lonely?”
”Every man feels lonely. Why do you think taverns were invented.”
Heh-heh~ That was a good answer. Something unexpected. I liked it.
I said, ”And do you still feel lonely?”
He said nothing. Just looked ahead. But the pace of his breathing changed.
I nudged him with my elbow. Kept nudging him. Kept my eyes on him. Made sure that he could feel the glow of magic. The power he feared most.
I said, ”Don't you feel grateful to have a beautiful witch to talk to?”
He glanced at me. Raised an eyebrow. ”You think rather highly of yourself.”
”I do have the greatest magic. Eons of wisdom flows in my vei — ”
He interrupted me. Poked my forehead.
He said, ”Then let those eons of wisdom show a little.”
”What do you mean?”