Page 21 of Stitches
“You handle the friend-making, Levi. I’ll continue my experiments. Don’t neglect your draught now.”
“Y-yes, Master.” Levi bowed, and then went to retrieve the draught. “I made tea for you as well. Would you like some?”
“Is it the bitter stuff you made for Ash?”
“No, Master. Your herbal tea.”
“Then yes, thank you.”
Levi poured the draught, then poured some tea for Braxton, drinking his even as he moved to hand Braxton his cup.
Braxton turned away without further comment, but the last few words between them echoed in Levi’s mind.
Yes, Master.
No, Master.
“Must I call you Master?”
“Excuse me?” Braxton turned before exiting into his workshop.
Levi hadn’t meant to say it, but now that he had, he didn’t want to lose his momentum. “May I call you Braxton as others do? I’m more than a servant, aren’t I?”
It was clear that Braxton hadn’t expected the request. He looked unreadable again but didn’t seem angry. “I suppose you can call me what you like so long as you do as you’re told.”
“Yes, Ma—” Levi stopped himself, taking a breath before correcting. “Braxton.” He smiled in gratitude.
Braxton nodded and went on his way.
Levi downed the rest of his draught, eager to be on his way as well. His desire to see Ashmedai only grew stronger.
And see Ashmedai he did—for a few moments with barely a good morning passing between them. Levi was all too quickly ushered into the wood to accompany Grillo again. Kenner didn’t join them this time, but he did stop by to say hello to Levi before they left.
In some ways, the day went much as the one before. The shadows still seemed to be watching Levi, but he chose to ignore the feeling and enjoyed working in a way that wasn’t focused on the tower.
The best repeat of the day before was when Ashmedai offered to walk Levi home.
“Would you have any interest in joining the hunt next week?” Ashmedai asked.
“Would I be of use?”
“Your illusion magic—do you have limitations, or can you make anything appear?”
Levi didn’t mean to blush, but he felt heat fill his cheeks, thinking of the many times he had conjured a vision of Ashmedai. “I-I can make anything.”
“Then you may be more useful than you’d think. And I’d have an excuse to spend more time with you outside a brief stroll.”
Ashmedai took Levi’s hand, also echoing the day before, only this time, it was the hand he had healed, and he ran his thumb across Levi’s smooth wrist.
“I-I’d like that,” Levi said with a shudder. He wanted to ask for more stitches to be cleansed, to feel more of Ashmedai’s skin on his, and the pleasant scratch of his clawlike nails, but it felt too intimate to do so outside the tower. “Tomorrow?”
Ashmedai smiled, gently squeezing Levi’s wrist. “Tomorrow.”
The hunt was days away, but the first thing Levi did when tomorrow came was leave even earlier than the day before to stop by Daedlys’s shop.
“Stitches! I hear you’re the talk of the town,” Daedlys said as he floated over upon Levi’s entrance. “Well, some people have mentionedseeingyou at least, which is a good start. I told you your stitches were nothing to be wary about.”
Levi had worn his hood up when entering the market, like usual, but he hadn’t felt quite as much of a need to keep his face obscured. He’d even met eyes with a few people along the way, who smiled at him or nodded in greeting—and his eyes had been what worried him most. Like Ashmedai had guessed, because he was a creation of Braxton’s, no one seemed to mind.
