Chapter 19
Maeve was surprised to find that, in the handful of days off she had from her position to attend the spring festivals, she quickly began to miss not just Soren but also her students and Briseis.
Without much of an excuse to leave the estate, she was soon commandeered to help her family prepare for the festival.
Dresses needed hemming, flower crowns needed braiding, and of course her mother had volunteered to bake an exorbitant amount of pastry. From the moment Soren set her down at the property line after taking her flying until late the next morning, Maeve was run off her feet.
Keeping busy helped distract her from missing him.
She was usually excited for these annual festivals; they were a good excuse to see and be seen by others.
Maeve had indulged in her fair share of festival dalliances.
The celebrations were separate from normal time and rules; things that mattered before and after didn’t in those magical few days when the air was thick with blooming flowers and music.
Still, whenever her mind got a moment to itself, she couldn’t help thinking about Soren and what he might be doing. He also had familial obligations; he’d said he was being put to work helping set up as well as minding Imogen Ahearn’s herd of prize goats.
As she donned her flower crown late that morning, redolent in sweet jasmine and bright peonies, she wondered if she might get a moment to speak with him.
Even just a moment. She was curious to know what he thought of all the festivities.
And wouldn’t it be something if she could lure him into a dance—
The swish of dark pink past her door caught her eye, and Maeve turned away from the mirror to call, “Blaire?”
After a moment, her sister’s head appeared around the doorframe, her expression wary.
“Yes?”
“Isn’t that one of my gowns?”
Blaire stepped into the threshold, revealing that, yes, she was wearing one of Maeve’s older gowns. It wasn’t a festival dress, and she didn’t recall seeing Blaire wear it before.
“Yes,” Blaire told the floor, “mama thought it would be all right.”
Their mother thought a lot of things would be all right.
Maeve waggled her finger, calling her sister further into the room.
Blaire came, her face pinched, as though she awaited a tongue-lashing.
The expression gave Maeve pause. Did Blaire think she’d mind so much about her wearing an old gown?
Maeve did actually like that one, had been wondering where it’d gone from her closet, but the reason she’d stopped Blaire was to advise, “That hue of pink doesn’t suit you. Let’s try something else.”
Blaire blinked in surprise as Maeve opened her wardrobe and hunted at the back for what she sought. “Ah-ha!” she crowed, pulling out a cornflower blue festival dress from a few years ago. She’d worn it only the once, but now that she thought about it, this color was much better suited to Blaire.
“Oh, but…are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Now, turn around, I’ll untie you.”
Doing as she was told, Blaire turned and allowed Maeve to loosen her stays and pull the pink gown over her head.
She replaced it with the blue, pleased already with how it looked against Blaire’s dark hair.
She tied the ribbons tighter than she would for herself, she and Blaire of a similar height but her sister far lankier.
Turning her around, Maeve adjusted the sleeves before placing Blaire before the mirror and grabbing a blue ribbon to tie up some of her sister’s hair.
Maeve smiled to see Blaire’s wide-eyed look. “Oh, Maeve, it’s too nice, I can’t wear this.”
“We’re going to a festival, you should wear a festival gown.”
“Mama won’t like the neckline,” said Blaire, even as she traced the delicate embroidery along the bodice.
True, it was a bit more revealing of a gown than Blaire usually wore, and much more colorful, with its bright blue skirts and green and gold embroidery, but this was what special occasions were for.
“You let me worry about mama,” Maeve declared. To finish, she tied a matching ribbon with a gold pendant around Blaire’s slender neck. “You’re young and beautiful and deserve to feel pretty.”
Blaire’s cheeks stained pink. “Thank you, Maeve,” she muttered.
“Good,” said Maeve with a nod, linking their arms together. “Now, let’s go make everyone wildly jealous of you.” And despite Blaire’s sounds of protest, Maeve hustled her down the stairs and out to the festival.
She surprised herself again by walking with Blaire most of that morning. Her shy sister didn’t enjoy large crowds, and the extra attention from wearing such a bright, beautiful gown wasn’t something she knew how to handle. So Maeve stayed close.
It was the most time she’d spent with Blaire in…
years, probably. Once she’d gotten over the initial shock of newness, as well as some treats in her belly, Blaire became chattier.
She whispered the new gossip from the estate and Granach, and Maeve was interested to find that, being a quiet person, Blaire often went unnoticed and therefore learned and heard things others might not.
She provided plenty of warning about which of Maeve’s friends were now married.
It proved useful when they ran into many of them.
Maeve was pleased to see them and exchanged hearty greetings; she was even happier to find not all of them hustled their new husbands away from her as soon as they could.
Just a few of them did, but Maeve decided not to be offended.
“No one’s quite sure how they ended up together,” Blaire remarked about the last couple they ran into.
“No, indeed. I could’ve warned her against it if I’d known.”
“It must be strange.” Blaire turned to look out into the mulling crowd. “Going away for so long to come back to things being so different.”
“Yes and no,” said Maeve. “So much hasn’t changed. Mama and papa really haven’t. The house is the same. The fields and the hills.”
“The otherly village must’ve been at least a small surprise.”
“Honestly, nothing was surprising after Sorcha brought home Orek.”
Blaire grinned. “That’s true.”
Sensing her sister had something more to say, Maeve waited patiently, directing them around the north side of the festival grounds. She hadn’t seen a single manticore yet, although she hoped she wasn’t being too obvious about it.
Who they had run into already was Aunt Sofie, and Maeve had quickly redirected Blaire away from Sofie’s pointed smirk. Within all the harried hours of preparation, Maeve had managed to slip away yesterday evening to visit Sofie and ask for a pouch of her most potent silphium.
Her auntie had arched her brows in surprise, but Maeve refused to take questions. Sofie shrugged after a while and said, “Just be responsible.”
It wasn’t that Maeve and Soren were keeping their tryst a secret per se, more that they were sharing it just between the two of them.
They didn’t need to bother with the speculation and curiosity of others—what they did and felt was entirely their own business.
And, well…the sneaking around did excite Maeve.
She wanted to keep seeing him. What it all meant, well, that was for later.
And she was being responsible, taking silphium to stop the chance of pregnancy.
She didn’t know how compatible humans and manticore truly were—his brother Balar had been with Imogen Ahearn for months now, and as far as Maeve knew, they weren’t expecting. Still—responsible. That was Maeve.
When Blaire was ready to say what she needed to, she tugged Maeve’s arm, bringing them to a stop. Although she spoke to the ground, Maeve was impressed when Blaire said, “I really do want to go to university, like you did.”
Maeve smiled, squeezing Blaire’s hand. “You’ll love it! There’s so much to learn and so many people to meet who like the things you do. There’s a whole world out there for you, Blaire.”
Her sister nodded, beginning to smile, before it fell again with worry. “Mama and Sorcha won’t like it, though. They’re hoping I stay close.”
“Mama and Sorcha can’t live your life for you. I support you completely, and I’m sure papa will, too. As well as Niall and Calum.”
“I don’t want to split the family.”
Maeve patted her hand. “You won’t. Don’t worry about mama and Sorcha. Study for your exam, and I’ll help you all that I can to choose the right university.”
Finally Blaire smiled. “Will you really?”
“Of course!”
She squeezed Maeve’s hand back. “Will you be with me when I tell mama?”
“Anything you need,” Maeve promised.
Drawing in a big breath, Blaire seemed to exhale a million worries. Looking lighter and happier, she peered around them at the merriment of the festival as if seeing it for the first time. Her attention stopped and focused over Maeve’s left shoulder.
“Oh, there’s your Mister Soren and the others.”
Maeve spun around to see, and, yes, there he was by a makeshift pen full of goats.
When Maeve faced Blaire again, she found her sister looking far too smug.
“He’s a nice man,” said Blaire. “I’m happy for you, sister.”
Maeve stuck out her tongue. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said before grabbing Blaire’s arm and hauling her toward the manticores.
She slowed their pace before they came too close, not wanting to seem too eager. Ignoring the snickers Blaire hid behind her hand, Maeve smiled as she met Soren’s gaze.
The big man stood a little straighter when he saw her, his wings bobbing and his ears flicking. Oh, he was happy to see her, too.
Blushing, Maeve stopped before him. “Hello, Mister Soren.”
“Good day, Miss Maeve. Miss Blaire.”
“Hello,” said Blaire, and like the good sister she was, promptly began to wander around the goat pen and pretend she couldn’t hear them.
“How are you enjoying the festival?”
“It’s very lively.”
Maeve waited for more, but nothing came. She bit back her laugh. That was Soren.
“Indeed, it is. It’s a wonder to see everyone you know in one place all at once.”
Soren nodded, and Maeve didn’t think she imagined the way he observed her. His nostrils flared slightly and his whiskers rippled.
“You look lovely,” he said, much lower than before.
Her blush deepening, Maeve batted her lashes. “Thank you. I was hoping you’d think so.”
Ears swiveling in surprise, Soren said, likely without thinking, “You’re always lovely.”
Fates, this man. She couldn’t take his sweetness.
Stepping into his space, Maeve said quietly, “I hope I can convince you to dance with me at least once.”
That lost her his gaze, and he shifted nervously from foot to foot. “I don’t know your human dances.”
“What about mantii dances?”
He nodded jerkily. “You need wings for that, though.”
“Hmm.” Running her hand up his chest to straighten his already straight collar, Maeve said, “Well, we’ll have to see if I can tempt you, then.”
She felt the vibration of his low purr in her fingers. “You tempt me plenty, eremi.”
Tingling excitement fizzed through her, concentrating low in her belly. Fates, if she wasn’t careful, she’d talk her way into kissing this man silly right there in front of the goats.
“The festivities often become…loud in the late afternoons. Too much alcohol, not enough food. I like to slip away then. Go find a place to read.”
“Do you?” he breathed, pupils dilating.
“Yes. My favorite place is down by the east stream. There’s a big willow tree there. Do you know it?”
“I’ve walked past once or twice.”
Her lips curled in a coy smile. “Well, then. I hope I see you again today, Mister Soren.”
“Enjoy your day, Miss Maeve.”
She winked up at him. “I know I will now.”