to open it until the time arrives,” he said vaguely.
“You’re to be at the Commons Trade and Tax Office at
sundown tonight.”
The request didn’t make sense to
her, for everyone in the village knew the sole government office in
their small village shut down before sunset.
“But it’ll be closed.”
She accepted the scroll anyways, blinking her eyes free of sleep.
Perhaps she had simply misheard.
He tipped his wide-brimmed hat to her
and cracked a wry smile, “Be there, madam. You’re allowed
to bring one servant. That’s all I can say!” He turned
with a bit of a flourish then headed off away from her home at a
brisk pace, rounding the gates and then… his walking speed
became something of a blur as he took off down the road, as if
defying time itself.
“A servant,” she scoffed as
she shut the door. Was this some type of hazing? She put the scroll
down and let out a groan as she went to fix her hair. It seemed like
her pigtails were in a mess, and she brushed her bangs aside.
As she looked at herself in the humble
mirror the visage of her demonic companion slipped behind her, his
strong, reassuring hands resting on her shoulders, his charming smile
evident as he leaned in, inhaling her scent near her hair.
“Beautiful. You slept well?” he asked, and she was
reminded of the night’s dreams.
The jarring awakening had shaken it
from her with the urgency of the moment, but she’d dreamt all
the night through. Peacefully, somehow, but she remembered many long,
obsessive fantasies acted out in her dreamscape of her and…
and Varuj. Walking the forest paths she knew. Sharing stolen moments
at her old school house. Her guiding him through the village. Even…
It made her blush to think of it. Of
him in his original form, holding her.
She wanted to avert blame for her
fantasies onto him, but he had spent the whole night outside of her.
Even if he had wanted to… it wouldn’t have been possible
for him to influence her dreams like that. Would it?
“Yes,” she managed to
whisper, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. Not with that on her
mind.
Clearing her throat, she moved away
from him, shrugging off the gown and placing it over the back of the
chair. “I’m to go to the government office today after
sunset.”
“So you’ve received your
summons to the Academy already?” He said with a raised brow,
moving casually out into the main room, his two hands upon his exotic
robe’s belt. “They’re prompt at least. I thought
they might keep you waiting for a while,” he mused as he looked
about, his long, sleek black hair shifting with the smooth motions of
his head.
It was odd to see him wandering about
her home, odder still to see him doing it in the bright of morning.
“How about I make you some breakfast?” he said with a
cheeky smile, his ruby eyes turning back towards her.
“Sure, though I doubt there’s
anything good.” She slipped into the chair, looking at the
scroll but not opening it. “I don’t know that it’s
the summons. It feels like I’m being set up.” But maybe
it was just paranoia at work.
He held out his hand for the scroll.
“Give it to me,” he said simply, though she could read
the concern on his face as he eyed the thing.
“I’m not supposed to open
it yet. Hell, this thing might be a trap too,” she said even as
the corner of her lip pulled up into a half smile.
“Just give it to me, please,”
he reasserted, holding out his hand and giving her a pointed look. “I
won’t open it,” he insisted.
He took the scroll and held it
delicately in both hands, lifting it up to his face and inhaling
along its length with his eyes shut. He went through some series of
odd tests, holding it before the morning light that filtered through
the window. Then holding it in the shadow of his robe – which
also gave her a generous peek at his leanly muscled abs – to
give it another look over.
“It’s ensorcelled,”
he stated firmly, offering it back to her. “And
“You’re to be at the Commons Trade and Tax Office at
sundown tonight.”
The request didn’t make sense to
her, for everyone in the village knew the sole government office in
their small village shut down before sunset.
“But it’ll be closed.”
She accepted the scroll anyways, blinking her eyes free of sleep.
Perhaps she had simply misheard.
He tipped his wide-brimmed hat to her
and cracked a wry smile, “Be there, madam. You’re allowed
to bring one servant. That’s all I can say!” He turned
with a bit of a flourish then headed off away from her home at a
brisk pace, rounding the gates and then… his walking speed
became something of a blur as he took off down the road, as if
defying time itself.
“A servant,” she scoffed as
she shut the door. Was this some type of hazing? She put the scroll
down and let out a groan as she went to fix her hair. It seemed like
her pigtails were in a mess, and she brushed her bangs aside.
As she looked at herself in the humble
mirror the visage of her demonic companion slipped behind her, his
strong, reassuring hands resting on her shoulders, his charming smile
evident as he leaned in, inhaling her scent near her hair.
“Beautiful. You slept well?” he asked, and she was
reminded of the night’s dreams.
The jarring awakening had shaken it
from her with the urgency of the moment, but she’d dreamt all
the night through. Peacefully, somehow, but she remembered many long,
obsessive fantasies acted out in her dreamscape of her and…
and Varuj. Walking the forest paths she knew. Sharing stolen moments
at her old school house. Her guiding him through the village. Even…
It made her blush to think of it. Of
him in his original form, holding her.
She wanted to avert blame for her
fantasies onto him, but he had spent the whole night outside of her.
Even if he had wanted to… it wouldn’t have been possible
for him to influence her dreams like that. Would it?
“Yes,” she managed to
whisper, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. Not with that on her
mind.
Clearing her throat, she moved away
from him, shrugging off the gown and placing it over the back of the
chair. “I’m to go to the government office today after
sunset.”
“So you’ve received your
summons to the Academy already?” He said with a raised brow,
moving casually out into the main room, his two hands upon his exotic
robe’s belt. “They’re prompt at least. I thought
they might keep you waiting for a while,” he mused as he looked
about, his long, sleek black hair shifting with the smooth motions of
his head.
It was odd to see him wandering about
her home, odder still to see him doing it in the bright of morning.
“How about I make you some breakfast?” he said with a
cheeky smile, his ruby eyes turning back towards her.
“Sure, though I doubt there’s
anything good.” She slipped into the chair, looking at the
scroll but not opening it. “I don’t know that it’s
the summons. It feels like I’m being set up.” But maybe
it was just paranoia at work.
He held out his hand for the scroll.
“Give it to me,” he said simply, though she could read
the concern on his face as he eyed the thing.
“I’m not supposed to open
it yet. Hell, this thing might be a trap too,” she said even as
the corner of her lip pulled up into a half smile.
“Just give it to me, please,”
he reasserted, holding out his hand and giving her a pointed look. “I
won’t open it,” he insisted.
He took the scroll and held it
delicately in both hands, lifting it up to his face and inhaling
along its length with his eyes shut. He went through some series of
odd tests, holding it before the morning light that filtered through
the window. Then holding it in the shadow of his robe – which
also gave her a generous peek at his leanly muscled abs – to
give it another look over.
“It’s ensorcelled,”
he stated firmly, offering it back to her. “And
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