Page 72 of A Tale of Mirth & Magic

“But I didn’t—or I couldn’t—let myself see it. Or fully feel it.” I shook my head slowly, looked away. “I didn’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t.”

“And I thought you’d be happy alone. In the long term.”

“I wouldn’t be.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing—I have no idea how to be in this kind of relationship. How to deal with families, live in one place, build a life with someone, any of it. I have no fucking clue!”

“You don’t have to. We’ll do it together.”

I laughed, exasperated. “So simple, huh?”

“Simple,” he said, drawing my hand up to his mouth. He pressed a kiss into my palm, sweaty and dirt lined. “Chaotic.” He kissed my sore wrist. “Ridiculous.” His lips moved up my arm. “And lovely.” I reached for him, coming close and pressing against his stomach.

“A life together,” he said.

I went on my tiptoes and met his kiss as he leaned toward me. Our lips enveloped each other, soft and sweet.

Shiny bubbles of golden light fizzed through me, setting my senses ablaze. I pressed closer, grabbing his muscled arms tightly. Bending, Barra lifted me up, laughing softly against my lips, and spun me around. My laughter erupted out of me, joining his, and then we were just two utter fools gasping for breath through their mirth, spinning in the middle of the godsdamn road.

When we finally slowed to a stop and caught our breath, Barra regained a touch of seriousness. “El, I want to travel with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think we should go back to Nepu. It’s not right for us, not now. Maybe not ever.”

“But your whole life is there—and you can’t just leave. What about your job, what about—”

“I know it seems like a big change. But honestly, I think I’ve been needing some major change for a long time now. I’ll still work for our business on the road. Extending our customer base, sending orders back home, and doing some much-needed exploration to learn about new techniques, styles, and materials. I’ve thought it all through,” Barra explained steadily. He seemed so sure. But…

“And your family? How do you know they’d be all right with all of this? I don’t want them to resent me.”

“We won’t,” a smooth voice piped up from behind me. I whirled. It was that woman who’d arrived with Barra. I’d nearly forgotten about her in all the turmoil. She’d been so quiet, practically blending into the background as everything unfolded.

Now I took in her thoughtful face, searching for dislike or distrust and finding none. For all her seriousness, she had laugh lines around her eyes and mouth.

“This is my older sister, Telen,” Barra said. “My family was a bit, uh, concerned. So she rode out to find me.”

24

BARRA

Oh! Your sister! Um, hi. It’s so nice to meet you!” El hesitated, then threw herself at the other woman, wrapping her shorter body in a hug. “I’m Elikki.”

“I know.” Telen chuckled, returning the hug gently.

Releasing her, El turned back to me. “But why would they be concerned? Something you wrote in that letter? Was it… were they worried about me stealing you away or something?”

“No, no. Telen had already set off before that letter even arrived. When I didn’t return from Povon.” I scratched the back of my head, feeling the weight of everyone’s eyes on me. “You see, I wasn’t exactly on my way to Old Orchard like you.”

Her brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

Telen watched the two of us, looking suspiciously like she was enjoying my discomfort. I cleared my throat.

“I was only meant to be in Povon on business for a day or two and then return home. But then everything happened with that worm”—I threw a look back to Felsith, now trussed up on the road with Maerryl sitting placidly on top of him—“and we had to run out of town, and then we had that, um, morning together”—I could feel my cheeks flush at the memory—“and I just found myself lying about my travel plans so… so I wouldn’t have to say goodbye yet.”

“But why not just tell me?”