Charmed By The Fox's Heart: Superhero Reverse Harem Romance (Cosmic Guardians Book 1), стр. 18

“What do you mean?”

He shrugs. “I gained his super hearing and acute sense of sight and smell.”

“Anything else?” I ask, as I scan him from head to toe, half expecting to see a furry tail or maybe even some fox ears peeking out from his head.

He laughs. “Not that I know of… yet.” He scans me in return. “What about you? Do you feel like you… gained anything after meeting Astra?”

I frown. “I don’t feel any different. Did it happen right away for you with Lynx?”

“No.”

I softly bite my lower lip as I consider what kinds of abilities I could gain from a cat. To be honest, it has me a bit worried. Well, that and everything else I suppose. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all this past life stuff, and now we’re being chased by strangers as well.

Drawing in a deep and steeling breath, I turn back to Cael. “Let’s work on finding civilization—a town or a city. Maybe we can find somewhere safe to stay while we wait for Lynx and Astra to find us.”

He nods, but I note that his attention is only half on me as his eyes continually scan the forest around us as if searching for any sign of danger. I don’t complain though. With his foxlike gained abilities, he’ll be able to alert us early of anyone coming our way. Hopefully that can help us avoid any unwanted company.

Cael suggests following the river and I agree. If this place is anything like where we came from, cities and towns seem to spring up near places with water.

Sure enough, it doesn’t take long to find a city. Several buildings made of white and gray colored stone with dark gray slate tiled roofs line either side of the river. Several bridges span across the water. This place looks like something straight out of a medieval fantasy.

A castle sits in the center, on a hill, making it stand out in sharp contrast to the structures that surround it. With high walls and guards posted along the four watch towers, it’s a rather impressive sight to behold.

As we draw closer, I note all the streets and walkways made of neatly kept cobblestone that wind throughout the city. I’m surprised by how much it looks like some sort of medieval town straight out of a fairytale book.

Cael and I stay just at the edge of it all, remaining in the shadows beneath the thick canopy of trees as we observe. Several people dressed in simple dresses or tunics and pants gather in what looks like a marketplace, checking out the various shops and stands with vendors touting their food and wares. I note some of the people appear to be a bit more finely dressed in elegant gowns and clothing, indicating they are probably among the wealthy citizens of this place.

The smell of meat, spice, and something sweet I cannot quite place permeates the air, and my stomach begins growling. How long has it been since I’ve had anything to eat?

As hungry as I am however, there’s no way we can just stroll into a place like this and not stand out. The way we’re dressed, it’s obvious we’re not from around here. With those men trailing us, the last thing we need is to draw attention to ourselves.

As if reading my thoughts, Cael looks to me. “We need to find some new clothes, so we can blend in.”

I scan the crowd. “How are we supposed to do that?” I reach into the pockets of my pants and come out empty. “I don’t have any money, and even if I did, it’s probably not any good here.”

“We’ll figure something out,” he replies as he scans the area.

Across the way, near the edge of the city, lies a small house. It sits behind one of the larger buildings. Made of white and gray stone, I notice the roof is thatched instead of slate tiles. There are a few spots that appear to have been damaged from one too many storms, so I imagine these residents probably do not have very much money.

The garden behind the house is neatly kept and full of flowering plants and what look like vegetables, but I cannot be sure since there is no equivalent for them back on Earth.

A line of clothes hangs out to dry and I note that there are at least two pairs of pants and tunics in the bunch. When Cael turns to me, I know exactly what’s going on behind those mischievous teal eyes. The same thought crossed my mind for all of a second before I decided it’s too risky.

“No,” I tell him. “We can’t steal anything.”

He arches a brow. “Normally, I would agree, but right now, we don’t have a choice. Even if we were to try to barter these,” he says, gesturing to our clothing, “we would still be noticed, which is the last thing we want. We need to blend in, Kyra.”

I sigh heavily. He’s right. “I just… I hate the idea of stealing.”

He places his hands on my shoulders and meets my eyes evenly.

“I don’t like it either.” He gives me a faint smile. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll do it. You wait here.”

“What if you get caught?”

His gaze sweeps to the house once more. “Then, be my lookout. Give me a signal. Some kind of bird call or something if you notice anyone coming. All right?”

“Bird call?” I give him an incredulous look.

“You know… like: Caw-caw.” He chuckles. “Or… something like that.

Amusement dances behind his eyes as I purse my lips. “Are you serious?”

He laughs softly. “Think of something else then… like a meow or—”

“I get it,” I roll my eyes in mock frustration. “Just be careful, okay?”

“My familiar is a fox and I inherited some of his abilities.” He winks. “In my past life I was your guard. And foxes are sly. With those two powers combined, I