Page 9 of Bound By Stardust
A sob built in my throat, and I bit it back. My loneliness was getting the best of me. Perhaps that’s just how the Masters were outside their masks. I still needed a boon from him before he left for good. That’s what I’d focus on.
6
Drazhan
By the time Asira returned, the meat was fully cooked, juices dripping into the fire. She strode in, bringing the scent of wood with her. A basket of greenery was tucked under one arm, and her hair was loose, falling about her shoulders and softening her features. The baggy dress she wore did her no favors, but I thought her beautiful, a forest fairy who saved me.
A fleeting vision overcame me, of gathering her in my arms and burying my nose in her hair, inhaling her scent until it was painted in my memory. How was it that a woman like her had no husband? No, it was more likely she’d flat-out refused any who’d asked.
“Marry me,” I whispered under my breath.
Those sharp brown eyes flashed in my direction, then narrowed. Her nose quivered as she sniffed the air, then relented. “It smells good.”
“It will be the best meal you’ve ever had,” I boasted. Asira grunted and moved toward the fire, but I pointed to the table. “Sit. It’s my turn to serve you.”
“I don’t need to be served,” she protested, but she sat down all the same.
“True,” I agreed as I dished up the meat, along with some root vegetables I’d found while poking through her cottage. “But my desire to serve you is out of honor, not because I see any weakness in you.”
She tilted her head, looking up at me from under her long eyelashes as I slid the plate in front of her. “I think it’s because you’re too trusting.”
Now, it was my turn to snort. I moved to sit at the opposite head of the table, and then, at the last moment, I pivoted and sat down to the right of her. Elbows on the table, she frowned at my closeness, eliciting a bit of glee. “If only you knew. But I’ve made up my mind about you.”
“Have you?” Asira muttered, spearing a piece of meat with her fork. She bit into it, and her entire face changed. Her shoulders relaxed, a light crept into her eyes, and she groaned. “This is delicious. It melts in my mouth. How is that possible?”
“I made it.”
“So, the tales are true. Masters have magic.”
Magic.
The bite of that word threatened to ruin my good mood. Instead, I enjoyed the savory taste of an actual meal before responding. “Masters aren’t mortal, which is why they give off a mystical aura, and many assume it is because of magic. You, however, are refreshing, and although I don’t know you well, I get a sense of your demeanor already. You enjoy your space and privacy while priding yourself on a job well done. As a healer, you have skills that allow you to take care of yourself, and you don’t need anyone’s help, although it would be wise for you to have an assistant, at least during the time of year when you collect stardust. You are strong on your own, unafraid, and you don’t want help, because that would mean owing someone, and you absolutely do not accept charity. Except for a meal now and then, because you can’t cook. You aren’t married because it’s a sign of settling down, but you want more than what life offers down here, and that’s why you want to be chosen.”
A strained silence followed my gleeful pronouncement, and then Asira put down her fork, voice cold. “I did not ask you to read my fortune, but if this is your way of ensuring I will be chosen, I will accept it.”
I wished she was not so focused on being chosen. With a sigh, I rubbed my temples, doubting my plan to take her with me. “I am one of the Masters, and I owe you for saving my life, but, as I’ve said before, I have no control over who is chosen. What will be, will be. If it’s change or an adventure you desire, I will ensure you have it. I must admit, while I have a task to do, it’s peaceful here with you, and I believe you would benefit from kisses.”
The corner of her mouth quirked up, but she calmly finished her plate, before resting her elbows on the table and leaning closer to me. “I’ve never figured out why people are so interested in the fact that I’m not married. They should mind their own business, and that includes you. As for kisses, you’re not the first one to propose a kiss as a fair payment, and I assure you it is not, since it would benefit you more than it would benefit me.”
This was unexpected, but her calmness enticed me. I leaned closer, inhaling her intoxicating scent. “How would you know who it benefits if you’ve never tried?”
Asira stood up rather suddenly, swiping the plates off the table. “Thank you for dinner. It was delicious, but I find the conversation lacking.”
Ah. So, my words had struck a nerve. I grinned as she marched away from me and called out. “I will stay until the tithe, and then I will leave you in peace. Will you endure my presence until then?”
“If I must.”
I resisted the urge to fold her into my arms and kiss that petulant mouth. It would only earn me a slap, for she was determined to have her way.
Still, a stray thought wormed its way through my mind: what if, by some miracle, shewaschosen?
7
Asira
The morning of the tithe dawned in a haze of pale pink, the air tinged with the crisp hint of winter. I was up before the sun fully rose, my fingers trembling with anticipation as I tightened my cloak around me. When I lifted the curtain and stepped into the main room, a gust breezed into the room. The door was open, and Drazhan stood in the doorway, shirtless as always, watching the shadows fade under the impending rays of dawn.
At last.
