Page 28 of Immortal Bonds

"It is good to see you," the obvious head Gnome of the group said. "It has been too long, and we know you've been here long enough to come by."

Thalric dipped his head. "Yes, but I have been trying to navigate everything. My apologies."

The Gnome gave him a nod as if to assure him it would be okay, then turned to look at Creighton. "Who are you?"

Creighton's voice was completely gone. He hadn't expected to actually meet Gnomes — hadn't thought he would get a chance on this visit — so he didn't really have words.

"This is Creighton," Thalric said, squeezing his hand. "He is a big fan of yours."

The Gnome grinned wickedly. "Is he?" The others tittered with laughter.

Creighton felt warm. He cleared his throat and found his voice. "I am," he said. "It's an honor to meet you."

The head Gnome snorted. "An honor. That's new. Usually, people don't even know that we exist, and we have to explain everything to them."

Creighton shook his head quickly. "Oh no, I know everything. You don't have to tell me anything unless it's like a fun story about your life that you maybe wouldn't have had in a book or on a website or something like that."

The Gnomes stared at him with a wonder-like expression, their faces making it very clear that they were shocked to find someone so interested in them.

"Did I say something wrong?" Creighton asked after a long moment of quiet.

"No, sweetheart," Thalric answered quickly. "They’re merely surprised, is all."

The word sweetheart took a moment to register in Creighton's mind, and when it did, he blushed even deeper. Thalric stared at him for a long moment, but it was the sound of a clearing throat that had them both glancing back at the Gnomes.

"I see," said the one in charge. The others were nodding along like something had been decided while he and Thalric were looking at one another. "In that case, we welcome you, friend. Anyone who is close to Thalric is a friend of ours as well."

Creighton practically swooned. "Really?" he said, his voice just above a whisper.

"Of course. Now, would you like us to tell you more? To share stories, perhaps, like you asked?"

Creighton bobbed his head quickly and leaned forward as if somehow having his face closer to them would give him a better chance of hearing. The Gnomes chuckled but didn't comment on his enthusiasm.

"To begin, we have to go back to a time before, when things were different."

The Gnome started his story, and Creighton was riveted from the first word. Every piece and part was new information to him. Definitely nothing he could have gathered on his own. He was very thankful for each detail shared with him.

He understood intrinsically that this was a big deal, that he was getting access no one else had outside of the Saint family. And he would never tell anyone what he was told today. There would never come a time when he felt like giving away these secrets would be beneficial.

His mind became lost in all the details as he listened. It felt like being read a bedtime story, and he wanted to soak it all in. He wanted to feel connected. And that was easy to do with Thalric watching over everything.

The big man wasn't listening to the Gnomes. Creighton assumed he'd probably heard the stories before. Thalric was focused on Creighton, his gaze never leaving the side of his face. He didn't have to turn to look to know. He could feel it.

He could feel everything. Emotions warred within him, and he could feel more than he usually could. He sniffed, knowing that nothing would normally happen when he did, except there was a scent.

Just a hint of one. A sort of breeze, a gentle wind. It came over him, and he shivered.

Strange.

His blockers always worked. For him to be able to pick up a scent meant that something far more powerful was at play.

Was it the Gnomes? he wondered. Could their magic be part of what was happening? The idea died instantly, because while Gnomes did have scents, it didn't make any sense as to why he would suddenly be experiencing this. If anything, it should have happened when he first came into the room.

He sat there quietly, trying to make sense of everything while also keeping his focus on the story. He didn't think they would quiz him, of course, but it was more respectful to hear what they were willing to share than to dismiss them.

Plus, he might never get the chance to do this again. He needed the lore, needed the details to keep him company later when he was alone again.

The thought stopped him cold. Alone. That was what he would be. Without anyone else, he would be by himself.