There can be no future with him.
I will remain forever unchanged while he’ll live and move on with his life. However, that touch of spark in his eyes, so full oflife, I can’t help but be drawn in. It has forced me to hope for something I haven’t had in a long time. A future.
But it’s not meant to be. He was but a breath of fresh air to my monotony.
With a weighted sigh, I untie my leather wrap shirt and hang it on a nearby branch. The cool night breeze blows against my sweat-coated skin and makes it pebble. I force myself to focus on the work that needs to be done by pushing all thoughts of Rami aside to tend to my flowers. He’s a distraction I can’t afford. My garden is my only purpose, not worrying about how soft a stranger’s hair is. Or whether or not he made it home safely.
I groan loudly and Ludo jumps. He scurries over to my side as I pierce my fingers into the soil, standing on his hind legs. His shorter front legs brush along my forearm. I scoop him into my hand and lift him so our noses can touch. His whiskers tickle my nose as he runs his face up and down the length of my nose. The gesture is like a soothing balm through our bond and my shoulders lower from my ears.
Returning him back to the ground, I allow myself to become lost in the tedium of pulling weeds, spreading seeds, and tilling the soil. The familiarity is comforting. My finger snags on one of the larger seeds, likely blown in by the wind. Picking it up, I dust it off before feeding it to Ludo. He chitters excitedly as he takes it from me before munching it down. He’ll eat the occasional grub I find as well, but they’re not his favorite; preferring the crunch of the seeds over the squishy insects.
The air thickens, and I sit back on my heels to sense the aether. Closing my eyes, I sense the movement of life around me as if they’re swirls of color. The blues, greens, pinks, and oranges blend into a beautiful tapestry, painting a smile on my face. Mother Earth is showing off today. When I open my eyes, I clutch onto the talisman around my neck in one hand and wipe the sweat from my brow with the back of my other hand.
“Adriel.”
My name is barely a whisper on the wind. I snap my head around, searching for the source. The hair along my arms prickles, standing on end, as if the air is electrified.
My breath catches in my throat when my eyes land on Rami standing not far from where I found him last night. And where I left him. He’s dressed in a simple black linen shirt that hugs his lean frame delectably, only to be hidden by a thicker shirt over top. His legs are adorned with the same thick blue material as the night prior. However, tonight he is wearing heavy boots instead of the bizarre contraptions. His luscious golden hair is twisted up high on his head, causing several strands to fall free.
The urge to run to his side and run my fingers through those silken strands attempts to overwhelm me. But I’ve spent centuries honing my control. Yet one night with this man threatens to topple all of it.
“Rami.” My voice sounds foreign, even to my own ears. However, the delicious way his name rolls off my tongue sends a shiver down my spine.
My feet refuse to move, still kneeling in the dirt, even as he walks closer. He’s favoring his right leg, limping awkwardly as if he wishes to hide his weakness from me. His strength fuels me and I rush to grab him a chair.
I place the simple wooden seat before him as an offering, backing away from him before there’s any risk of contact. I scratch the back of my neck, wishing I had something more immaculate to present to him as I watch him grumble under his breath as he sits. But I am but a simple witch in the woods and I do not have much. Further proof that he deserves better than what I can offer him.
“Why did you risk the trek if you are injured?” I ask. I attempt to sound cordial, though my tone sounds more biting even to my untrained ear.
He shrugs as if it isn’t as big of a deal as it is. Because he chose me. It’s a horrendous decision in his condition, but I can’t truly be mad at him for it. “I had to see you again,” he says.
His words send a rush of butterflies roiling through my stomach. When he straightens out his injured leg with a subtle groan and wipes the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, the urge to care for him as if he were mine fills me to bursting. I rush into my home to grab supplies for tea to help build his strength and ease his pain. My body runs through the gestures with little thought.
The smile that tugs on my lips, though, is new.
Those intense blue eyes watch me closely as I place the misshapen wooden bowl full of my ingredients at my side. I sit with my stone bowl and mortar in my lap, mix a bit of dandelion root and mash it up before adding dried stinging nettle and bay leaves. Once they turn into a paste, I scrape its contents into a cup of water.
With a wave of my hand over the mug, I mumble an incantation. “Sanitatem.”
The magic flows through my body, igniting my nerve endings, before melding the fluid into a healing tea. The look of awe on Rami’s face forces another smile to curl up my lips. I’m not certain anyone has ever looked at my magic in such a way.
Carefully, I lift the cup and hand it to him.
“Thank you,” he mumbles, his eyes never leaving mine.
His hand reaches around the cup, brushing against my fingers. Pain like molten lava flashes across my hand at the contact, and I jerk it away with an anguished cry.
“Holy fucking shit. Are you okay?” Rami asks, shaking out the hand that touched me. Thankfully, he manages to keep hold of the cup in his other hand.
But the look of worry in his gaze drops me to my knees with my hand cupped to my bare chest. I glance down at the injuredlimb and stretch out my fingers. The ache of the tender sinew stretches and forces a hiss through my clenched teeth.
Rami reaches out to grasp my forearm; his caring nature demanding he check on me. I dip my shoulder and shuffle out of his reach before I risk him touching me again. We don’t need a repeat of what just happened.
“I-I’m sorry,” Rami stammers, pulling his hand back into his lap. “I only wanted to help.”
The agony in his voice and the glistening of his expressive blue eyes are the final straw. Something snaps in me and I can’t bear to see him suffering because of me.
Rushing to his side, I kneel before him and look up at his down-turned face. Carefully, I reach up and move one of the strands of silken blonde hair that has escaped his tie. That makes him lift his chin and meet my eyes.
