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“I’m not sure I have the words.”
They’re likefalling stars…
The very sight of them brings back memories of the books Asmo would read to me. The ones that take place in a world vastly different than our own–a place void of monsters and magic. I always imagined escaping to those places, where I could pretend to be anything or anyone. I’ve sat for hours before, trying to picture the sky there, this empty void of darkness, filled with small twinkling lights, but this… This is what I’d imagine the stars would look like if they fell. Tiny little balls of light.
The orbs are closer now, swaying through the air. My breath catches as I reach out to touch one and it explodes into a tiny cloud of fluorescent dust. Loric chuckles, watching me. He doesn’t push me to keep walking toward the festivities like everyone else, he just lets me be, lets me take it in, almost fascinated by my curiosity.
When I’ve had my fill, he leads me toward the center of the village, where elves are gathered, playing music on drums and some sort of stringed instruments. Other’s hold metal tubes thattwist in weird ways to their mouths, blowing into them. I’ve never heard anything like it.
Every now and then, when my father would host an event or a gathering, the village that lined the cliffside near the castle would play music, or people would sing loud enough for me to hear. I used to listen so closely, cherishing the moment like it would never come again.
Being up close to it, feeling the vibrations of the music in my chest, it’s nothing like I expected it to be. I shut my eyes, feeling every beat thrum, my heart fluttering like it’s trying to get in sync with it.
A zing races down my spine as Loric’s knuckles brush against my cheek. His metal rings are cool against my skin for just a second before the warmth of his fingers traces the same path, and when I open my eyes, I find his gaze locked on mine, filled with an intensity that steals my breath away.
"What are you doing to me?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
Heat creeps into my cheeks as I blink at him, not quite understanding the question.
"Had I known you’d be this mesmerized, I would’ve agreed in a heartbeat, just for the chance to watch you take it all in," he admits, pushing a rogue chunk of hair behind my ear. His knuckles linger on my jaw, and I swallow hard.
I'm speechless, my heart pounding in my chest.
He leans closer to press his lips to my forehead, and intertwines my fingers with his. “Come on. I can’t let you miss the best part.” Tugging me along, he leads me through the crowd toward the white tents that line the outer rim of the village center.
The merchant at the entrance hands Loric a bowl of silver paint and nods for us to go inside one. Lifting the flap door, weenter, finding a small table and two chairs, but it’s otherwise empty.
"What is this?" I ask, running my hands over the woodgrain of the table.
"It's where we'll take a blood oath." Loric's silver eyes pierce through the dim light, making my nerves come alive as he quietly takes in the sight of me. "Mira told you about it, right? The paint?"
I nod, remembering our conversation. "She mentioned it."
Loric smiles, something dark and mischievous flickering in his gaze. "Once one of the maidens finds someone that could be their mate, they come into a tent like this, add their blood to the paint, and then put it on each other’s body. It binds them for the night, and their feelings become mirrored."
As he speaks, he slices open his palm with the dagger on his hip, his blood oozing from the wound and dripping into the metallic silver paint. I lift slightly, trying to watch from afar. With a sure step, he closes the gap between us, holding out his hand, beckoning for mine, and I give it to him without a second thought.
“Just so you know, your other half will be suppressed until the paint is gone. She won’t be able to talk to you or influence you in any way.”
“See yeah, Jekyll. Have fun.”If she could wink at me, I feel like she would’ve just now and I fight the smile that pulls at my lips.
Loric glances at my mouth. “I take it she’s okay with that.”
“Yeah, which surprises me. I didn’t think she would after…” I trail off, not wanting to bring up my father tonight. “Aftereverything.”
His eyebrows raise. “That's a good thing. It means she trusts me to keep you safe.”
The cold steel of the dagger bites into my palm, and I hiss at the sharp pain that follows. He lets my blood trickle into thebowl, mixing with his, and then kisses my hand, using his magic to seal the wound in an instant.
I can’t help but watch him, admiring how he moves, relishing how I feel when he touches me… It’s overwhelming in the sweetest way. I’m not sure how I’m ever going to get myself to leave him.
This is temporary and I know that. If I choose to go to the moons, he won’t stay with me, there’s no changing his mind either. I saw it in his eyes, felt it in the way he spoke. Now, we’re both just pretending to be in one of those other worlds from my books, where happily ever afters are guaranteed… Where I won’t have to choose between falling helplessly for him and honoring my mother’s wishes for me to see the dragon realm, to uphold her legacy…
Meg told me those stories for a reason. It’s like she was preparing me for this. Why else would she repeat the stories of the furies over and over, to want me to paint them and the world they lived in. I feel like I know every inch of that kingdom and I’ve never stepped foot in it.
She wanted us to go there–for me to see it. And finding out that she was my mother, that she was their queen… How could I not? Yet, doing so might mean never seeing Loric again, feeling his hands on my skin, and maybe he’s right. Maybe this is just some crush and I’ve managed to conjure up this pull I feel towards him in my imagination, but I'm not sure I’m ready to give it up.
“Where does the paint go?” I ask, straightening my spine.
