Zlu chuckled again. "I hope there is a big animal and not just a squirrel."

Anastasia laughed. "I hope so too."

Darla's gaze slid to her and her teeth clenched. "I have never seen people eager to meet death!"

"You are really too much Darla!" Anastasia lashed. "You are the one who is igniting fire. Almost every logic says that the smoke is going to invite animals, and when are joking about it, you are passing stupid remarks. In fact you are the one who is eager to-" Anastasia cut off herself. "You know what-just serve this princess dinner as soon as it is ready!" She rose to her feet and then walked to where Ileus was, leaving a wide-eyed, wide mouthed, Darla. She heard Zlu and Carrick laughing.

Ileus was tying the last rope to the peg. They had only two tents, which were erected pretty fast. "I heard what you said to Darla," he said when he walked behind him.

"I am not sorry for what I said," Anastasia muttered.

"I think you gave her a brilliant answer!" He tied the last knot and got up. He walked close to her and she craned her neck to look into his warm eyes that flickered golden in the light of the fire. His lips had tugged up. He smoothed her hair and then curled his hands around her back. He brushed his hands till he reached her hips and cupped them in that possessive way. Pulling closer to him, he said, "I am glad you went to help them. It is their fault if they don't want your help."

Anastasia put her hands on his chest as her eyes became wide. She was surprised because she hadn't expected Ileus to side with her, especially when it came to Darla. She was pretty tense with what Darla did out there. It wasn't needed, but she knew where her jealousy stemmed from. Darla needed to set her priorities right in life. If Ileus wasn't interested in her, then she should have moved on. But the girl was stuck upon him. Sometimes she felt that she should talk to Ileus about her, but then he must be knowing about it. Moreover, she was embarrassed to bring up the topic.

"I hope I can help her..."

He placed a finger on her lips to silence her and then slid his hand back to her hip. "There's no point in brooding over it," he said.

Her heart thudded against her chest, as she continued to look in his eyes. His woodsy and misty smell surrounded her. World receded in the background and she felt she could never stop getting so spellbound by him.

"Thank you," she said in a husky voice.

"You don't have to thank me. She deserved that answer and you gave her that, that's it," he replied with a shrug and a faint smile, showing just a hint of his fangs.

She felt that he was doing a lot for her. Did she even deserve it? His sweetness overwhelmed him.

"I can see that you are stressed, Ana."

"I think I am tired," she replied.

"I know a perfect way of making you lose that tension," he replied in a sexy voice.

She pursed her lips at the hint he was giving. A nest of butterflies with large wings fluttered in her belly. Her cheeks became red.

"I love the blush you get every time I talk to you," he whispered, tilting his head near her ear. "Do I take that as a yes?"

"That isn't necessary," she said, flustered as hell. "I am pretty capable of handling my tension!"

"So you do agree that you are stressed?"

"Who wouldn't be in these conditions?"

"I get relaxed when I see you or I am with you," he said as if that was the most natural thing to say.

Anastasia was... speechless. Her mind and her body-they all froze. Eternity passed as they looked into each other's eyes. When she found some semblance of mind, she broke the trance saying, "Don't get used to this situation, Ileus... We are together only till Óraid. After that I will go on my way and you on yours..."

His expressions became taut. A muscle feathered in his jaw. "There is nothing to get used to here, Anastasia. I said what I felt."

She immediately felt she shouldn't have said it. It was wrong in all ways.

"Anastasia, relax, okay? Don't get things in that little mind of yours. You will get a headache," he poked her forehead with his finger and she giggled.

He stared at her for long and said, "Looking at you is... painful"

She frowned. "And why is that?"

"Something is better left unsaid..." He replied in a mysterious way. "Shall we have food?"

She nodded. Together they walked up to where food was being heated on the fire. Darla had chosen a nice place. She had made a pit, thrown dry twigs and logs in it and had burned the hearth. There were about five stumps that surrounded the pit, which meant that it had been used earlier also.

She was sitting on a stump with a plate heaped with food along with Zlu whose shoulders were wrapped in Carrick's arm. She looked at Ileus and gave him a warm smile. Clearing the snow from the stump that was next to her, she patted it. "Come here and sit!" she said excitedly.

Ileus made his way to her and sat on the stump. Others joined them soon. Not knowing what to do Anastasia stood there watching Darla offering her plate to him. "You have lost a lot of weight Ileus," said Darla, as she gave him another cube of cheese wrapped in bread. "Do take care of yourself also."

Kaizan rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt he has lost his weight, Darla."

Darla rubbed his arms with her hands and chided Kaizan. "Can't you see that he has. It is just those clothes that make him look heavy!"

"Such a mother hen you are!"

Carrick laughed aloud and placed his head on Zlu's shoulder.