Cauldrons and Cat Tails (Moonvale Matches #2)

17. Kizzi

CHAPTER 17

Kizzi

T andor wasn’t the worst travel companion in the realm.

He was chatty, but he always had his wits about him. He was watchful, cautious, and controlled the horse with an impressive efficiency.

The worst part about him was how much space he took up. He easily occupied more than half of the carriage, and his thigh was firmly pressed to mine at all times. His elbow grazed my side every time he moved. I couldn’t even scoot away—I was already squished against the carriage door.

I shoved against his shoulder. “Don’t you have any more room over there?”

He shrugged lightly. “If I scoot over any further, I’ll tumble right onto the ground.”

“Maybe you should try it,” I grumbled. His proximity was making me antsy, warming my blood to levels I wasn’t happy about.

My body was far too aware of him.

His cheek twitched. “Does the princess need more personal space? We should have asked for a royal carriage.”

“I didn’t realize you were so massive. Somehow, you’re even bigger when you’re sitting down. It's absurd.”

He flexed his bicep and it strained against his sleeve. “I can’t help it. That’s four hundred pounds of orcish muscle, baby.” He patted his softer stomach. “With some pastries and ales on top.”

I rolled my eyes. “I should have invited someone else.”

He barked out a laugh. “Hush, you need my strong orc muscles, you said so yourself. Would you be more comfortable sitting on my lap?”

Warmth flushed my cheeks, seeping all the way to the tips of my ears. “Of course not!” But I couldn’t help but imagine it. It probably would be more comfortable. His thighs were muscled, but not rock hard, and his cloak looked awfully soft. And I bet his arms would cradle me in such a nice way… My cheeks flushed even hotter.

“Suit yourself, princess. The offer stands if you change your mind.” He peeked at me from the corner of his eye. His cheek lifted into a smirk when he noticed my flush. “We should stop for a break soon. Daisy is starting to slow.”

I cleared my throat. “That’s an excellent idea.”

T he Barren Lands weren’t too miserable this time of year—only moderately so.

Tandor and I sat on a tattered blanket spread over the dry, dusty stone ground as we enjoyed a small meal of bread and cheese. Most of his ass was on the stone, but that was his own fault for being so large.

I ripped my chunk of bread into smaller pieces as I ate, making sure to pop an equal amount of bread and cheese into my mouth at the same time so I had the best flavor experience possible. Tandor watched me but didn’t comment.

The horse slurped away at a small bucket of water that had been stashed below the bench in the carriage, as well as a few handfuls of oats. Her brown body shone with sweat. She would be able to eat a heartier meal when we reached the next town—Sunhaven.

If we had decided to take a roundabout route and travel through the Greenwood Forest, we could have gone straight to Tidegrove, but the carriage definitely wouldn’t have survived that journey. The forest paths were hardly maintained, and the critters of the woods gave me the heebie jeebies. I shivered just thinking about it.

Sunhaven was a lovely town. It was hot. Dry. Crowded. But lovely all the same.

Redd was from Sunhaven, and his family still lived there. Redd’s family was much more talkative than he was, though the sullen vampire was slowly opening up as time passed. That was certainly Fiella’s influence.

We would reach the town by sundown if we kept a good pace. The horse was surprisingly tough—she kept going even when I expected her to tire. She might have looked fragile, but she was tough as rocks. Still, we didn’t want to push her too hard. I should have crafted her some energizing potions to keep her endurance up…

“So, I take it your cauldron and secret ingredient aren’t available in Sunhaven?” Tandor asked conversationally.

I shook my head. “No. I don’t think so. I might as well pick up a few things while we’re here, though.”

“Of course not—that would be too easy.” He laid back on the dusty ground, shutting his eyes. The light of the dual suns danced over his moss green skin, brightening the hue to a color that resembled fresh grass. He had removed his cloak only a few hours into the journey, when the air turned from crisp and mild to heavy and warm as we got deeper into the Barren Lands. I was still wearing my cloak—the warmth wasn’t enough to bother me yet.

I kicked a small pebble aside and watched it dance over the flat, cracked land. “Are there any fruits you’d like to pick up while we’re here? Or any spices?”

He hummed in thought. “I am running low on saffron, and my lemongrass stash is shrinking too. I’ll see what I can find.”

“For a new cider flavor?”

A smile stretched across his face. “Of course you would ask that. Yes, actually.”

“See, it won’t be a total waste of time.”

He rolled over to examine my face. “No, not a waste of time at all.”

I wasn’t sure why that comment made my cheeks warm.