Trust

"And sir, if you'd like, we can offer you a warehouse and your own loading platforms near the far end…. We can manage all the necessary paperwork and hire all necessary…" The short, balding man walked with Lyonis and Theodora down the length of the dock. Lyonis had been talking all day with the insistent man who was foaming at the mouth at the prospect of doing business with a new and very profitable country.

Lyonis was barely paying attention. His feet followed the man around, but his eyes took in the sights around him. Occasionally, to the businessman's dissatisfaction, Lyonis would ask questions about the architecture, the cuisine, and the history of Ville Marais. He would stop at any shop or vendor booth he found even remotely interesting, wasting time and spending money everywhere he went.

They had been at it all day, and Lyonis was tired of the man's insistent bartering over every minute business detail. Lyonis could tell the greedy man was trying to squeeze every cent out of him, and he grew annoyed and impatient.

But he was trying to waste time and keep his mind preoccupied. He had wanted to run over to the apothecary to check on Cordelia, but there was a red-haired dragon protecting her, and he knew getting past her would be impossible. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. He wanted to finish this up quickly so he could explore the town uninterrupted. He turned to the businessman who had not stopped talking the entire time, interrupting him mid-sentence.

"Mr. Whitney, I am grateful for your time, but it seems to be getting late. Why don't you draft up some paperwork for us to look over, and we can arrange… another time…. to meet…."

His voice trailed off as he spotted a familiar face walk down the cobblestone steps. Her shiny black hair and porcelain skin glowed in the moonlight and orange lamps along the street. He turned to Theodora, who had noticed who he spotted, and spoke to her in their native tongue, "Take care of this…" and he strode away.

She responded back in their native tongue, "You owe me, Commander." Before stepping in between him and Mr. Whitney.

Mr. Whitney spoke out in protest, but Theodora was quick to intervene. "Sir, why don't you show me some of the warehouses you manage near here? I'd like to see how they operate." The businessman looked back and forth between the two of them, and as Lyonis strode away, the short man looked up at the intimidating woman and decided to continue his business bargaining with her. Without missing a beat, he continued his sales pitch peppered with subtle bragging.

Lyonis watched as Cordelia and her apprentice turned to walk the opposite way down the street. He called out to her, and the pair stopped.

"Cordelia!" Gabrielle spun around at the sound of his voice and glared at him, ready to pounce. But she restrained herself since she was with her Master and instead crossed her arms over her chest and tapped a foot aggressively against the stone road. Cordelia turned around, and her eyes met his. She glanced between Gabrielle and him, seeing her apprentice's reaction. She laughed at the young woman and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, who relaxed a bit and looked up at her.

Cordelia spoke quietly to Gabrielle, and while Lyonis was still too far to hear what she said, he could tell Gabrielle didn't like it. She looked at Lyonis and then back at Cordelia, her mouth moving aggressively, her arms moving animatedly in front of her. Cordelia laughed before turning the girl around and pushing her gently away from her down the street.

Gabrielle looked back as she started walking away apprehensively. Cordelia waved to her and watched her walk down the street. Gabrielle turned around a few more times to look at her before disappearing around the corner of a building.

By then, Lyonis strode up next to Cordelia. Her dark hair was braided delicately over one of her shoulders. She had the loose strands pinned back on either side of her head just above her ears with simple gold clasps that almost matched the gold that flecked in her eyes. He looked down at her and resisted the urge to pull her into his arms. The color had returned to her face, and she looked bright and awake - the exact opposite of when he had last seen her. Relief washed over him, and a sigh left her lips.

"Well… what did you do to my apprentice to make her so wary of you?" There was a slight tinge of anger in her voice, and he felt the tone prick his heart. He didn't know what to say.

"Ah... I think she was mad at me for not listening to her."

"Why didn't you listen to her?" She still didn't look up at him. Instead, she looked down the street, her grey-green eyes stuck to the spot where Gabrielle had disappeared around the corner.

"She asked me to stay away until you were better. But I was worried, so I stopped by a couple of times."

"Why?" Her voice was quiet. The anger still clung to her voice. He didn't understand why she seemed angry. Why wasn't she happy that he was worried for her? Why wasn't she happier that he had gone out of his way to go and see her? Any other woman would have jumped for joy at his attention, but not her. He also didn't understand what exactly she was asking about. There seemed more implied in her simple question. It wasn't just 'why he had stopped by so often?' or "why didn't he listen to Gabrielle?', it was also "why had he saved her?' and "why was he trying so hard to be involved?' The answer was… that he really didn't know.

Or maybe he did, and he was just lying to himself.

But her subtle anger and her unwillingness to look directly at him made him feel sick. Like he had been punched in the gut. So he decided to answer her as truthfully as he could.

"Why?... I like you, Cordelia… and I was worried about you. Really worried. And if I'm being honest, I can't help but feel... Connected to you somehow. Like our meeting was somehow fated.." She closed her eyes and sighed heavily.

He paused a moment before continuing, "You know, that sounds pretty creepy saying it out loud. But it's the truth…" Lyonis hated sounding so desperate and infatuated. But she deserved the truth and he knew she would probably be able to see through any lie. "You know, everyone is pretty protective of you. You've surrounded yourself with people who really care about you. I don't think they trust me."

"Should they trust you?" The witch still hadn't looked at him. She stood still as the stone cobblestones beneath her feet, her eyes closed as if deep in thought. "...Should I?"

"What do you think?"

Cordelia opened her grey-green eyes and finally looked at him. He felt his heart jump in his chest.

…

Cordelia found herself wanting to wrap her arms around the man next to her, pull him close… reach up towards his handsome face and brush the hair out of his eyes. But she resisted. Gabrielle and Benoni had both seemed wary of Lyonis, and that was enough for her to stop herself. She needed to honor their feelings and double-check her emotions, and question his actions and his intentions. They were right. There was something off about the stranger from Gresas. And even though this new and strange feeling drew her to him like bees flew instinctively to bright flowers, she needed to stop and think about it before succumbing to the tempting feeling.

Maybe she was overthinking it. The feelings were new, but they didn't feel bad. Actually, they were exciting. Her gut normally told her when something was off, and while the butterflies fluttering around her insides were unfamiliar, they somehow made her feel more alive. Wasn't that the point of living? To feel more alive, to experience new things and live life to its fullest? Didn't she promise to allow herself that when she arrived at Ville Marais?

She knew that she had been feeling unfulfilled and had a deep sense of loneliness lately. Gabrielle and Dama's wedding approaching had made it plain to her that despite the support she felt from those around her, none of them loved her in more than a platonic way. None of them saw her as a woman who needed to feel desire and be desired. She didn't want that from them, but she did want to feel that connection with someone else.

Her senses, all of them, pulled her to this man. And ever since their fated meeting at the docks, she couldn't help but find herself thinking of him constantly. Maybe, this was her chance to feel that. At the end of the day, it didn't matter much to her whether or not Lyonis stayed in Ville Marais. She knew she couldn't or wouldn't leave Ville Marais for him. He was a traveler and was destined to move on - she understood this well. And yet it did not matter; she wanted him around her, even if it was only for a short time. So why was she hesitating?

She had always chastised humans for their inability to make decisions. She never understood why they hesitated, and yet here she was… hesitating. Cordelia wanted to slap herself. What was she doing? If she felt drawn to Lyonis Tualon of Gresas, then she shouldn't deny herself anymore and act on that feeling. And if he turned out to be a snake? She had dealt with snakes before, and if it came to that, she would just deal with him just like she dealt with other snakes in the past.

She turned to look up at him. She could tell he was nervous. His manly brows were pushed together in worry, creating deep crevasses on his forehead. She wanted to reach up and smooth away the tension that was bunched up on his face away with her fingers.

"I don't know yet… but I think I'm willing to find out." She finally answered him and gave in to the desire that had been building in her chest since spotting him from across the dock. She reached up and placed a hand against his cheek, smoothing out the stress that had built between his eyes with her thumb. Her skin felt electrified the moment their skin touched, and a gentle warmth enveloped her. He closed his eyes and gently leaned against her touch. She saw him lift his arms as if he wanted to wrap them around her, but he stopped himself, placing his hands in the pockets of his pants. She couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.

Lyonis opened his eyes and stared down at her. His glowing amber eyes did not move from hers as he turned his face into her hand, pushing against her harder urging her to touch him more, gently rubbing his lips across the palm of her hand. It reminded her of how Beni would purr and rub up against her. She smiled at the thought. He looked at her with such a fierce and unapologetic desire that she felt herself grow warm under his unrelenting gaze.

Men had looked at her with want in the past, but their gazes were selfish and filled with disgusting, sometimes cruel intentions. They had smiled evilly at her pain and discomfort - it had been about power and greed for them. They never cared about her or considered her feelings. But she did not get the same feeling from Lyonis. His amber eyes were filling with desire, but his want did not yearn for just her body. The desire she felt coming from him went deeper than that - it was as if he wanted to fall into her eyes and drown in her soul. While the street around them was busy, it felt like they were the only ones standing on the dock.

The heat inside her grew and warped, enveloping her. It felt almost overwhelming, so she removed her hand and looped it next to her other arm, which held her large wicker basket. A tinge of disappointment flashed through Lyonis's eyes, but instead of protesting, like she thought he might, he just smiled. He stood beside her taking the basket from her and placing it in his opposite arm before and offering his free one to her. She linked her arm in his without thinking as if it were the most natural thing, surprising herself.

"Where are you off to this fine evening, Madame? Would you allow me to accompany you?"