Sleight of Hand: The Final Card

Chapter 15

Aivilo laid still, her eyes darting around to see if she could spot something amiss in their lightless room. The subtle glow of her eyes illuminated the wall she faced. She held her breath, straining her ears to hear something that would alert her of any danger nearby.

Had the Mage and Hali found them?

Were they in trouble?

Aivilo was just about to raise her head a few inches when a swishing sound caught her ears.

Something moved again—this time she caught it in the periphery of her vision—and it started toward her. She inhaled sharply, and the scream that built in her throat was smothered by a warm hand that clapped over her mouth.

"Shh, Aiv! It's me!" Trebor's voice whispered, and Aivilo couldn't help the agonized groan she hummed against his hand as a result of her heart restart­ing. She slumped against her pillows, waiting for her body to calm down.

"What is wrong with you?!" she hissed at him when she could speak again and he removed his hand. "I thought you were... I don't know, someone the Mage sent to kill us or something!"

"I'm sorry," he murmured, and the shame in his voice made Aivilo immediately forgive him. She could imagine his guilty expression, but it was too dark to really see anything.

"What's wrong?" Aivilo asked, and it was silent for a few seconds.

Then Trebor's voice said, "I couldn't sleep. And I kept hearing you moving so I figured you couldn't sleep either or you were having nightmares."

Aivilo was taken aback by the concern she could practically feel radiating off him. She threw back her covers, fighting off a shiver as she slipped to the floor where Trebor was.

"Why can't you sleep?" she asked softly, feeling around in the dark. Trebor's hand grazed her arm, guid­ing her. She found his arm and let her fingers trail up his skin lightly until she reached his shoulder. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she felt him shiver under her touch. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her into his lap. The place was so familiar and so com­forting, but it also made her cheeks warm. She bet if she blushed any more, they would glow in the dark.

"Well, unlike me," Trebor said in her ear, making her jump as his warm breath caressed her neck. "Kurtis snores. Loudly."

Aivilo couldn't help but giggle, and she slapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet. Trebor snickered, knowing she was still embarrassed about earlier.

"I moved to the floor because it was right in my ear," he explained, "but the floor is kind of uncomfortable."

When Aivilo didn't say anything, he continued, "What's on your mind?" 

As if he knew exactly what she'd been thinking.

Aivilo shrugged, still shivering. The air had really cooled down since darkness had set in over Kansas.

Before she said anything, Trebor stood with her in his arms and he carried her over to where he'd made a makeshift bed on the floor. He snatched one of the blankets and her pillows off her side of the bed, too, and added to his pile. Then he sat and placed Aivilo back in his lap, and cocooned them both with the blankets.

"Better?" he whispered, and Aivilo nodded. He and no idea how much better it was, since body heat radi­ated off him and enveloped her. That and his dark, woody scent limned with something sweet. It took conscious effort for Aivilo to not breathe him in.

"So... what's on your mind?" he prompted again. So Aivilo told him. She was worried about this trip and what they would find once they got to Colorado, and what they would do if Hali and the Mage were ahead of them. Trebor listened silently, and squeezed her when she stopped to breathe.