“You’re welcome,” he groused, closing the bathroom door behind him.
I quickly sat up, stretching, and did as ordered, stripping to put on his shirt. It wasn’t a strict rule for being allowed to hide out here. The long-sleeved shirt was enormous and thin on my frame, but Tristan heated me before Leric even came out of the bathroom.
I heard Leric rummaging around in the dresser, then more rustling as he changed his clothing behind me. A minute later, he flicked off the light to the bathroom before clicking on the bedside lamp. There was a slight breeze against my backside as he lifted the comforter. The feather-soft bed dipped as he got in it.
All done without a comment made.
This was what I needed.
Leric was sitting in bed comfortably with his back against the headboard. He twisted a moment before settling back, his side rubbing against mine. Every so often I heard the crinkling of a piece of paper being flipped as he, apparently, reviewed whatever documents he needed to—the ones I had noticed, but not snooped through, earlier on the table.
Leric did silence very well.
So much so, I went back to my own troubled ponderings, warmed between him and Tristan. I absently stroked under Tristan’s furry chin as I had been doing all evening, earning his adorable huffing purr, which tended to calm me.
After an undeterminable time, in a soft voice, almost hating to interrupt the peaceful quiet, I murmured, “Elder Zeller said something to me today.”
His hum was patient. “What was that?”
“He said, fear can’t stop the soul.” I ran my fingers through Tristan’s fur, feeling the strength in his jaws. “Do you believe that?”
Simple, quiet words as a page flipped. “I do.”
I huffed softly. “Not even fear that could shatter you?”
“Where the soul of the living is concerned, it’s too strong a force to be contained.”
“Huh.” I stared where my fingers now ran over Tristan’s diamond collar. “That’s what Elder Zeller believes.”
More minutes of quiet passed.
More troubled musings inside my mind thrummed.
More flipping of pages from Leric followed.
I finally interrupted him again, asking distractedly, “Did the water Elemental from the fudge shop give you her phone number?”
There was a broken silence.
“Do you mean the clerk?”
My hand stalled on the collar. “Was there another?”
“The cashier was also a water Elemental.”
And…he didn’t really answer the question. “So?”
“So what?”
“Phone numbers?”
“Ah.” A slow turn of his page. “Yes, they both slipped me their numbers, along with one fire and one air Elemental at the glass shop. It also occurred with a fire Elemental at lunch, and one water and one air Elemental at dinner.” He paused and made a thumping sound on his papers. “Oh yes, and another air Elemental when I was coming up to my room.”
I stared sightlessly at Tristan’s collar. “Oh.” I wasn’t sure what the point to my question was, but I now knew I wasn’t real receptive to the answer. My tone wasn’t as censored as it should have been. I snapped, “They should keep you busy for a while.”
A quiet hum was his reply.
I squirmed in irritation, burrowing closer to Tristan’s warmth.
A warm palm slapped my hip, gripping it tightly. Leric ordered, “Be still. You’re disrupting my order.”
“Fine,” I muttered. It was a chore to lie still.
He removed his hand from my side, and another flip of a sheet resonated.
I tapped lightly on Tristan’s collar and griped, “I may fall asleep in here.”
“Was that a question? Because it didn’t especially sound like one.”
More crabby words. “It was a question.”
Another flipping of a page. “Then, yes, you may stay.”
My words were grudgingly muttered. “Thanks.”
“Sprite, your gratitude is overwhelming.”
Reaching blindly with a groan, I smacked where I heard a phone ringing. The room was pitch-black so I fumbled with the receiver until I had it to my ear. “What?”
My ear was attacked with pronounced breathing over the line.
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
“Look, you perverted heavy-breathing-mother-fucker, it’s not even light out. Save your goddamn pranks for the waking hours.”
A feminine throat cleared before a prim voice asked, “With whom am I speaking?”
I was too tired for this shit, finally remembering what room I was in. “If Leric gave you his number, you can fuck off. He’s not interested. He’s busy with his hand on my ass.”
“Sprite, who the hell are you talking to?” Leric grumbled against my head, his voice gravelly with sleep. Our positions had somewhat changed, since I was damn near lying on top of him.
And his hand was actually on my ass.