I hid behind my hands again. Taking compliments wasn’t really my thing. “I don’t know what to say,” I mumbled from behind my hands. “It’s too much pressure.”
“Then share some of that pressure.” Ranger X clasped his hands over my wrists and gently led me to a standing position. I let him peel my hands away from my face, and what I found looking back at me was a gaze filled with hope, tenderness, and confidence. “You are not alone on The Isle. Remember that. Even if you don’t want my help,” he said, pausing for a wink. “You have plenty of people on your side.”
“Thank you.” I stepped forward. Even though we were only inches apart, it still felt too far. “Thank you for everything. Come on, let’s go home. We have a busy day tomorrow, and we should both get some rest.”
“I’m sorry to see this night end.”
“Me too, but—”
“I know, you’re right.” Reaching over, he smoothed my flyaways from my face. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss so gentle against my forehead that even as he pulled away, I wondered if it’d actually happened. “Are you ready?”
This time, we dropped all pretenses of our non-date and held hands.
Chapter 14
Unfortunately, the walk home was not without incident.
As Gus had predicted, I couldn’t stop thinking about the man who’d requested The Elixir. Why had he done it? Where was he now? What was he planning to do? The later the hour of night, the more I worried.
Then, there were the thoughts of Gus’s secret past that insisted on bubbling to the surface. How many other things didn’t I know about him? The niggling warning from Poppy and Zin—to examine those closest to me—was more relevant now than ever. The more I fought the notion that Gus was involved with something, the more skeptical I became.
Ranger X and I made it halfway across The Isle, and we were just about to cross the Lower Bridge when a familiar voice drew my attention, taking me away from the thoughts swirling through my head.
“Quick!” I yanked Ranger X’s hand and pulled him to the side of the path leading up to the bridge. A small ice cream hut surrounded by bushes blooming with all shades of pink and purple flowers perched crookedly in the grass, giving us just enough protection to hide.
X began to ask a question, but I clamped a hand over his mouth before he could finish the first words. If my hand wasn’t enough to quiet him, then my blazing glare must’ve done the trick. Without further argument, he followed me behind the ice cream hut and crouched down.
“I don’t think you’ve taken me here for romantic reasons,” he said in a barely audible whisper. The two of us were cramped. We sat crouched on the ground with sticks and brush poking every exposed part of our bodies. The only pleasant aspect of the foliage was the scent. Flower upon flower bloomed across every branch, and the floral scent was almost intoxicating. “So who are we hiding from?”
I held a finger to my lips. The voice came closer and closer, along with a few sets of footsteps, and before I could inhale another breath, the visitors were upon us.
“...too many of you here. If you’re not careful, you’ll get everyone else suspicious.”
My spine stiffened. It was Gus speaking, and he spoke in a guarded tone. He didn’t want to be overheard, that much was obvious. I slowly turned my head to Ranger X and raised my eyebrows. He gave a nod of understanding, and together we sat silent as a tomb.
“Let them be suspicious. There’s no proof of anything,” a second voice said. “We have every right to be here.”
“Then be careful!” Gus said sharply. “If she sees me with you, she’s going to start asking questions. She’s smart. Too smart to be fooled by you.”
“Some might say you have a soft spot for her.” A third voice spoke, this one calm and cool and calculating. It, too, was familiar. Too familiar. It belonged to Harpin. “I thought we’d discussed this.”
Harpin owned a tea shop on the East side of The Isle, and during my first days here, he’d almost killed me. He’d said it was an accident, that he was just toying with me, but still. When he took away my breath and left me to choke without oxygen, it was hard to forgive easily. Not to mention that he had been angling for the job of Mixologist for years and was not happy to see me come to The Isle and accept it.
“You have nothing to say about her as far as I’m concerned, Harpin,” Gus spat. “What would you know about a close relationship?”
“Now boys,” the only unfamiliar voice said. “We’re all working together here, so calm down. We mustn’t fight among ourselves. We have enough of that going on outside of our control.”