Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 399

Chapter 399: The details
Ford winced as the word hung in the air.

“Married?” Mia repeated as if it were a foreign language.

“I told you, I would mess up the asking. I didn’t even make it a question,” He blurted. “Of course, I should have planned something, made an event of it, I think… I don’t know! I’m sorry.”

He wanted to slap himself for being so clumsy about it. She would think he’d never talked to a woman before… well, scratch that. He’d told her as much before. She knew he’d barely ever talked to a woman in his life.

Maybe that would help her overlook what an oaf he was being.

“You’re sorry?” Mia echoed him, and he frowned. “For wanting to marry me? Do you want to?”

“What do you mean, do I want to?” He exclaimed, confused.

“Papa didn’t make you swear to, when he found out you kissed me?” Mia’s question was tentative, and Ford felt even more like a cad.

“He asked if I intended to, if that’s what you mean,” Ford told her. “The answer was easy. Of course I want to marry you, if you’ll have me.”

There was a heartbeat of silence that left Ford in terrible suspense.

“Are… you asking?” Her voice was timid. Tremulous. He panicked. He was doing this all wrong!

“No!” He cried, then flinched as her hand tried to pull from his. “I mean… not yet? I want to do it properly. And somehow this doesn’t seem… correct?”

He heard a sound, but couldn’t quite decipher it in the dark. It was terribly frustrating. Was she crying? Laughing?

Which would be worse?

“So you’re not asking me to marry you… just telling me that you want to?” The words came after so long a silence that Ford’s heart had almost collapsed within him.

“I guess so. I’m sorry, this is not how any of this was supposed to go. How did we even get on this subject? I’m supposed to be helping you get better so that we can go rescue Trace!”

“We got onto the subject because I… kissed you…” Mia reminded. “And you seem to have been apologizing ever since.”

Ford felt heat creeping up his collar. He only barely stopped himself from declaring he was sorry once more.

“If… when… I do ask,” He tentatively ventured, “do you think I’ll get the answer I want?”

A long pause made angst creep up his spine. Mia’s hand trembled in his. Was she frightened of him?

She moved, feeling along his arm in the darkness, and he held perfectly still, afraid to even breathe. Her arms came around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. His arms wrapped around her waist instinctively, holding her as his heart seemed to try to escape his chest.

Surely this wasn’t a hug of consolation. No, surely not.

“I suppose you’ll find out when you ask,” She whispered.

A nervous laugh escaped his lips, and she giggled with him, still holding onto him tightly.

A moment longer, and he couldn’t justify feeling this happy in the midst of what lay ahead, though he wanted to stay here, holding her, forever.

“Are you ready to carry on?” He asked quietly. With a deep sigh, she nodded and pulled away. Which was right.

How awkward would it be for Martin to release them while they were clutched in such an embrace?

Mia’s hand slid down his shoulder until she could interlace their fingers.

“Ready. Let’s get this over with so we can get home.” She said with more confidence in her tone than he had heard in ages.

He smiled and lifted one hand to rap firmly against the stone. Then he frowned. Would Martin be able to hear—

Ford didn’t even finish the thought before the rock seemed to melt away around them. His eyes snapped shut against the light of the forest; after utter blackness, even the gentle glow was a bit of a shock to them.

“Mia, are you all right?” Anaisa was the first to ask. “Your color is better.”

The redheaded woman lifted a finger and waved it slowly back and forth in front of Mia’s face. “Your pupils look even, and they track equally. You feel faint? Dizzy? Any hallucinations or visual disturbances?”

“When did you become a doctor?” Grandpa teased.

“Daniel reads medical books sometimes and talks about it so incessantly I can’t help but pick some up,” Anaisa continued to stare directly at Mia. “You’re all right now?”

“Are you actually going to let me answer this time?” The younger woman cut in with a wry grin.

“Oh. Yes.” Anaisa winced.

“I’m better. It was overwhelming, but I think I can control my magic a little better now, and keep it from… doing what it did.” Mia sighed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t better prepared.”

“Don’t apologize, Bug.” Grandpa reached forward to take her free hand. “You scared us, is all. How can we best move forward?”

“Anyone else find it strange there haven’t been any sentries or patrols yet?” Martin interrupted them. “We’re practically at the front door here, and no one seems to have noticed or cared. I didn’t make it near this far on my own, and I wasn’t riding… whatever that thing is.”

Webster raised a foreleg and twitched his fingers in another little imitation of a wave as Grandpa snickered. The old man quickly became serious once more as he considered the question.

“It is unusual, unnerving even.” He explained. “I can’t quite account for it, myself.”

Mia stiffened beside Ford, and he glanced at her with worry.

“Mia?”

“The guards… I’m looking for the guards… the nearest ones are inside.” She murmured, and he squeezed her hand.

“Please stop,” He whispered. “Don’t overdo it again. We can figure things out without relying on you for every little bit.”

“I can’t help it all the time, I get curious.” Her eyes cleared and she looked at him. “I’m focused now, though. Not paying attention to details.”

“Isn’t it the details that can mess everything up?” Martin frowned. “What could make all the guards lurk inside instead of out here?”