Page 53 of Muse

I tilted my head, caught off guard by his concerns. “What would she have warned me about?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, turning bashful. “She thinks I’m bossy and overzealous.”

“You can be both of those,” I admitted. “But you can also be encouraging and confident, and you demand a lot from others because you give so much of yourself.”

“That is true.” His eyes lightened, and he smirked. “I am a very awesome guy.”

I rolled my eyes. “Did you ask me that to trick me into complimenting you?”

“No, that was merely a wonderful side effect.”

Soren’s smile didn’t completely disappear, but a gravity had settled into his expression. “I do want to be certain that I’m not bossing you around or forcing you into things, the way…”

He trailed off, but I didn't need him to finish to know what he meant: he wanted to be sure he wasn't treating me the same way Adora had. He was making sure he had my enthusiastic participation in a way that almost no one in my life ever had.

“I love what we’ve come up with for Samonend,” I insisted. “And I don’t mind when you boss me around.”

“That’s good because I plan on telling you what to do a lot today.”

I arched my eyebrows. “What did you have in mind?”

“Are you ready to add the light today?” he asked, barely masking the zeal in his voice.

“Are we ready for that?” I asked uncertainly.

The plan was to learn the footwork, then combine my magik, and finally, incorporate Soren’s levitation. I wanted to move on to the next step but worried I wasn't good enough yet.

“I am ready, and from what I saw with you yesterday, you seem ready to me. But I’m not you. If you want more time focusing solely on footwork, we can do that, too.”

"Let's try it with the lights and see how it goes," I decided after a moment of thought, and Soren's eyes sparkled.

Chapter 33

The weeks flew by. The practices were intensive and bordered on grueling since we had such a short amount of time to perfect the routine. As the muse, our exercises were more physically taxing on me, and Soren was cautious to avoid overexertion. He insisted that I get enough rest, and I went to bed early and slept in late. It was strange to push myself so hard every day and yet wake up feeling so refreshed.

Not only that, but Soren wouldn't let me lift a finger around the house, despite the fact that he didn't even have a housekeeper. Gardeners came out a few times a week, tending to the pond and landscaping even as the season turned the greens to brown and gold.

My days started late in the morning, with a quick breakfast in the kitchen with Soren. He usually made biscuits fresh with honey and fruit he'd get early from the market.

Then, stretching and cardio before rolling into practice. The first round usually lasted a few hours, and Soren ended it based on how tired I seemed. He didn't want me burning out.

After that, we'd have lunch. When the weather was still nice – about half the time, albeit a bit chilly – we would eat outside under the willow by the pond. That meal was something quick but full of nutrients, usually hefty salads with flavorful vegetables and legumes, along with some energizing tea.

The afternoon focused more on the magik, and it was the most arduous part of the day for both of us. I exerted so much effort creating the dazzling lights, giving an illusionary form to ethereal creations. In turn, Soren channeled my magik and created music while levitating me in the air.

That continued until we were sweating, short of breath, and about to collapse. I would've pushed myself even harder because Adora had always told me to go until I literally dropped. Near exhaustion wasn't near enough.

I still felt guilty when Soren would say, "That's enough for the day." Because I knew that I could give more, that I wasn't entirely depleted yet.

“I could go a bit longer,” I told him, almost sheepishly. Samonend was approaching, and I didn’t feel good enough.

Soren combed his hair back from his face – it was always wild after practice – and his eyes were filled with a strange heat as he smiled at me.

“You are insatiable, Izzy,” he murmured, then shook his head. “But unfortunately, I am not inexhaustible. So we must break for the night.”

He turned away from me then. “I hope you worked up an appetite because I’m making supper.”

My stomach grumbled because he was an excellent cook. I’d never admit this to Heloise, but he was an even better chef than her.

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