Sixteen - Alan
Sixteen
Alan
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I sat with my back against the willow’s trunk, Mina at my side, tucked under my arm. It wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind when I suggested we sit. I had been thinking more along the lines of keeping space between us, making it so I couldn’t shift closer without noticing. But I hadn’t protested when she sat next to me.
My fingers brushed up and down along her arm, no matter how often I tried to still them. In the shadows, I could convince myself that the world beyond us didn’t exist. That sense of seclusion made it hard to remember that our actions had consequences.
I wanted to indulge in the smooth satin of Mina’s skin, to coax free more of the soft moans she made when I kissed her. But if I started again, I wouldn’t want to stop. I hadn’t exaggerated when I told her that I had never felt this way before. Mina might have intrigued me at first because she treated me differently, but that had quickly morphed into something more.
I hadn’t spent much time with her yet, but I knew her. She was the type of person to entrust a fortune to a stranger with nothing more than a vague hope he might be able to do what she wanted. She was generous, optimistic, and honorable. Stubborn and determined. I knew the essence of her, but I wanted to learn the details, too .
I shifted, angling my body slightly so I could look at her without putting any extra space between us. “I’m curious. What brought you to Skorsa?”
Her eyes went wide, her hand pressing against her collarbone. An odd reaction to such a simple question. She slowly dropped her hand back into her lap and I wondered if she simply hadn’t expected a question at all. “I’m visiting my aunt and her family.”
“But why now? I don’t remember you visiting the village ever before.” I was certain I’d remember Mina if she had come to Skorsa in the past.
“No, I’ve never visited before. This summer seemed like the right time.” She paused for a moment, weighing her words. “I wanted to see the differences between village and city life.”
“How do they compare?”
She smiled. “It is much more peaceful here.”
“Boring, in other words.”
Her laughter was the only response for several heartbeats. “Peaceful does not mean boring. And I’d argue that finding Powell using a charm against you is the opposite of boring.”
“No evil stepfathers in Haiwella to keep you entertained?”
Her expression sobered. “Sadly, I’m certain there are some in the city, too. But life is different there. You don’t know most people.”
I understood that life must be different in a city packed with thousands of people, but it was hard for me to imagine. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live in a place where you could walk past people and they’d have no idea who you were. That sort of anonymity could be peaceful, too.”
Mina shrugged, looking away. I expected her to argue, but she was done with the topic. “My turn. What do you do when you aren’t in the forge?”
I felt my cheeks heat. Before, I had spent my free time doing a few different things, but since Powell’s interference, I had given up most activities. Which meant there was only one answer I could give Mina. “I sketch. ”
She raised a brow. “What types of things do you draw?”
“Jewelry mostly.” At least half of my sketches were designs. Most of the rest were different views in and around Skorsa. But the most recent sketch, the one I had worked on the past two evenings when I couldn’t risk leaving the house with Powell still at home, was of Mina.
“Ooh, I want to see those. Your work is amazing. Have you made anything else with the gold I gave you?”
“Not yet. Making the ring without risking Powell seeing me handling the gold was hard enough. I’ll wait until his next trip into Haiwella to bring it out again.”
She frowned. “How closely does he monitor you?”
“When nothing has aroused his suspicions? Not very. But he is erratic enough that bringing the gold out is a risk. He’ll check what I’m doing at the oddest times. And the past few days, he’s been checking more often than usual.”
“We need to find the charm and break it. Or turn it over to the authorities.”
Mina’s outrage made me smile. Now that I wasn’t giving up, I agreed that I needed to address the problem of the charm, but I wasn’t in a rush. “I thought we agreed that telling the authorities wouldn’t help. They’d be under the influence of the charm.”
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Mina shifted, dislodging my arm as she turned to face me fully. “If we brought someone in from Haiwella, and made sure they came with a magic-breaking charm to protect themselves, we could catch Powell.”
“I wouldn’t even know how to contact the authorities in Haiwella, let alone convince them to come here with a charm like that.” Magic-breakers were almost as rare as mind-benders. The charms they made to nullify all magic were understandably expensive.
Mina glanced away. “I could manage it. I have the connections needed, but I’d have to return to Haiwella.”
“Don’t.” My denial came without hesitation. Her eyes snapped up to mine, and a protest formed on her lips, but I cut her off. “Don’t go back to Haiwella early. You only have a little time left in Skorsa as it is. If I can’t find the charm and break it before you need to leave, then you can use your connections, but I’d rather have more time with you than escape Powell’s machinations a few days earlier.”
“Alan.” My name was a soft exhalation, equal parts exasperated and delighted.
I gave into the need coursing through me and cupped her cheek in my hand. I kissed her, careful to keep the contact soft and brief. “Don’t run off to Haiwella early. Certainly don’t do so on my account. I’d rather have more time with you than less.”
So long as I had Mina, I didn’t care if Powell controlled the rest of the village.