Dragoncrest Cliffs Brilliance

Erzulie startled Merlin, when she seemed to materialize herself out of nowhere, though we may argue that had he not been so lost in thoughts and been more aware of his surroundings, her appearance might not have come as such a surprise. The first feeling that flooded him was embarrassment and uneasiness in her presence. He knew he liked her a great deal. Still, while his mind had a tendency to forget bits and pieces of recent past, he recalled the events of their last meeting in vivid detail. He would have felt a tad bit justified in his awkwardness, had she at least made fun of him or laughed, but she had not. And therefore he could not figure out, how and why should she like him at all. 

But then he caught a glimpse of vulnerability in the woman's demeanor, which made him momentarily forget his self-confidence issues and see a miniscule opportunity to be useful to her. "Is something wrong?" he asked her, looking down, feeling both curious and genuinely concerned.