Page 29 of Muse

“Is that fabric from Herve Chaunter’s robe?” I asked, even though I knew that didn’t make any sense.

He turned back to face me, the wine glasses in his hands. "I suppose there is no sense in being coy. When you came here after your lucenition with Herve, I made the Muse's Elixir tea here in my workshop and imbued it with healing properties, as I said. I used fabric from Herve's robe to tie my spells to him.Essentially, I've taken back the magik he stole and returned it to you where it always belonged."

Confused, I shook my head. "But… how did you get the fabric so quickly? You were only gone for ten minutes while you brewed the tea."

"I already had some of Herve's fabric on hand," he explained. "With the way he behaves and his position, I assumed eventually it would come in useful.”

“You cursed him for me?” I asked, trying to make sense of what he’d done. “Why didn’t you tell me? Were you ever going to?”

“I did not have plans to tell you, but I wasn’t opposed to it, either. It just hadn’t really come up,” he elaborated with a sheepish shrug. “I was trying to make things right… and I thought you might be too timid to avenge yourself.”

"Have you truly avenged me if you've done something I wouldn't want you to do?" I countered.

“Fair point,” he said with a grimace. “I’m sorry. It’s not an excuse, but I couldn’t watch you suffer while I knew he was euphoric on what he’d stolen. But I should’ve talked to you before I did what I did. I overstepped.”

“Does he know what you’ve done?” I asked.

“He shouldn’t, and even if he does deduce it was me, it won’t lead back to you at all. You won’t be caught up in any repercussions, if they were to fall.”

“My placement in Lamida likely has more to do with my rejection of him than anything else,” I said. “And I am willing to accept your apology on one condition. I don’t want you using your magik on anyone else, not on my behalf. At least not without talking to me first.”

He smiled. “Deal.”

He grabbed the wine and the glasses, and the two of us strolled toward the pond. The mood had changed since Idiscovered Herve's robe, and Soren hummed softly as we walked to lighten it.

He spread the blanket out on a soft bed of clover beneath the branches of the weeping willow. We both sat down and pulled out our meal, and by the time we’d finished our first glass of wine, things between us had returned to normal.

“It’s going to be strange these next weeks without you, although I am certain you will be living it up in Lamida,” Soren commented between munching on cheese and grapes.

“How does one live it up in Lamida? I’ve never been.”

“They have a wonderful garden labyrinth that I had the pleasure to go through on one occasion, and it truly is worth the visit,” he suggested. “They also have the fluffiest cotton candy I have encountered, and it actually is quite the delicacy over there.”

“Well, I will have to try that then,” I said. “Will you miss me when I am gone?”

“Of course,” he replied without hesitation. “I’ll miss you terribly.”

“I think I’ll miss you, too.”

Soren was looking up at me with his beautiful dark eyes, and there was a hint of a wistful smile on the corner of his lips. The wine had left me lightheaded, but the warmth in my belly came from him. I was going to miss himdesperately.

I leaned over to kiss him but had misjudged my movements and practically fell into his arms. He caught me easily, and my lips crashed into his. For a wonderful moment, we kissed ardently and deeply.

But then, all at once, he stopped and turned his head away from mine. "Izzy. That isn't what this is."

"Oh." I moved away from him and stared down at my lap in confusion. "I'm sorry. I had too much wine, and I wasn't thinking."

“It wouldn’t be good for either of us,” he explained huskily. “It can corrupt our magik, and I don’t want you getting hurt. I am your enchanter, and you are my muse, but that is all we can ever be.”

“I’m sorry,” I repeated and got to my feet because I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting there with him any longer. “I will… I will see you when I return.”

"Izzy," he called after me, but I just started running and ran all the way home.

Chapter 19

My invitation to Lamida ended up being fortuitous in a few different ways. I could use the space from both Adora and Soren (admittedly for vastly different reasons), and my friend Wrenley had been placed with me in King Asmond's Court.

That also meant that we could ride together, and since xer family was much wealthier than mine, I got to ride in a much more luxurious carriage than usual. The frame was made of polished wood, the wheels had golden rims, and it was pulled by four horses with gleaming coats and braided manes.

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