Page 160 of Sword & Shadow
“Oh.” She smiled. “Well, in that case, of course.”
Ethenn took his time tying up the rabbit. His expression remained tight as he finished. “That feeling we get in a fight,” he began. “The rush.”
Evylin nodded to encourage him.
“Have you ever felt it whilenotin a fight?”
Instantly, Evylin blanched. She could feel her face fall as her mouth went dry.
Ethenn met her gaze, drawn by her silence. “You have, haven’t you?”
Evylin most certainly had. But she wasn’t interested in explaining it to Ethenn. With forced casualness, she shrugged. “Once or twice.”
“With Deckard,” Ethenn stated rather than questioned.
The blood that had seeped from her head moments ago came back in a heated rush. “That’s—”
“Because he’s a Mage,” Ethenn added, seeing her attempt to distort the truth.
Evylin just stared at him.
With a slow nod, Ethenn gestured to himself. “I feel it too,” he said, “with Ilain.”
That caused Evylin’s eyes to widen. She’d known—well, they’dallknown of Ethenn’s infatuation, but she didn’t think that Ilain returned his regard. And she certainly hadn’t thought they’d been kissing.
At her surprised expression, Ethenn hurried to clarify, “It isn’t—I’m not comparing it to what you—it isn’t like Ilain and I...” He grimaced, his entire face pink.
With a heavy sigh, he tried again. “I didn’t realize it at first. But whenever we would touch—in passing or—or, you know, just in general—I would feel that spike of what I thought was nerves. With our training, I’ve gotten more familiar with the feeling, and I’ve realized...it’s magic that I feel around her. It’s drawing me to her.”
Evylin had intimate knowledge of Ethenn’s experience. But she had no more explanation for it than he did. “From my understanding, it would happen between any Warrior and Mage,” she said, giving what excuse she could to belittle the feeling.
Ethenn accepted it readily. “It isn’t like I think fate has called Ilain and me together,” he said defensively. “She doesn’t want me, even though I am a Warrior. But...it makes me wonder: What is it like? Being with a Mage.”
Evylin’s hand flexed, instinctively wanting to tug on her rings. “Ethenn,” she said, slowly and cautiously. “It’s not like that between us. I already—”
“I don’t believe you,” he said brusquely.
Evylin gaped at him.
He stared back at her, expression resolute and serious. “What you said when we split—when you pretended not to love Deckard—” He shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
Chest tightening, Evylin clamped her jaw shut. “Your opinion doesn’t matter.”
Ethenn didn’t flinch at her harsh tone. He just kept staring at her with that calm, knowing look of his. “Maybe it should,” he said flatly. He flung their strung-up catch over the root of a tree, then faced her again, determination in his dark gaze.
Evylin flinched at his expression. With his distinct Estshire appearance, broad-shouldered, boyish features, and warmly tanned skin, he reminded her too much of the man Ryen might have become. The obstinate tenacity of Ethenn’s gaze was too familiar, too similar to Hewitt and Ryen’s. Not uncanny but alike enough to cause her heartbeat to falter.
Ethenn stepped forward, pointing to his chest. “I was there, Evie,” he said. “In Dunneshead. I helped save you, too, and I saw...” Heat curled up his neck once more. “Well, I saw enough.”
“It wasn’t real,” Evylin defended instinctively. “It didn’t mean anything.”
“Like hell.”
She clenched her teeth.
“You can’t convince me that you don’t love one another,” Ethenn said firmly. “Not after seeing that kiss.”
Evylin turned away, unable to hold his knowing stare. “You’re young, Ethenn. You don’t understand.”
