Her sister’s face lit up as she approached. “Hey there. Having fun?”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s so busy. Lots of visitors for the gathering this year!” she said hurriedly, and even she noticed the slight hint of mania in her voice. Sweat was dripping down her back all of a sudden, which was to be expected given the heat of the day, but she was keenly aware of it, and quickly took a drink of her wine.
“I saw you talking to that boy over there. Who is he?” Greya asked, gesturing to the young man who had approached her, who was now over by the table of food talking to a few older men whom she also didn’t recognize.
“Oh, him? Yeah, I don’t know. A traveler, I guess. Probably a mortal from Northumbra or Tyndell. He asked me to dance.”
“Did you say yes?” Greya asked, giving her a look and smiling ear to ear.
“No, obviously not, because I’m standing here with you.”
“Oh, okay. And why didn’t you say yes?”
“I don’t know, he’s a stranger. And he just came up to me out of nowhere. I bet he’s asking every girl at the gathering.”
Dragging her gaze away from Greya, it landed on the boy once again. Well, “boy” was maybe not the right term. He looked to be close to Ena’s own age of seventeen, maybe a year or two older. She watched as his group was approached by two witches in their early twenties who were a part of the same Coven as Cris. The boy was smiling and talking to one of them. His eyes flicked up briefly to make eye contact with Ena, who was openly staring at him. She quickly looked away and refocused on Greya.
“See?” she said. “He’s already chatting up that witch from the Aquilo Coven. And besides, I told Cris I would dance with him.”
“Speaking of…” Greya’s eyes peered over Ena’s shoulder. Turning around, she saw Cris approaching her.
“Hey, Ena, ready for that dance?” he asked, smiling widely at her and extending his hand. Cris was cute. He had a friendly face, with fair blond hair cut short to his head and kind blue eyes. He was easy to talk to, and she’d always felt safe with him. Their Covens, Aquilo and Auster, were allies. They were both located along the Chasm Road, the main trade route that ran parallel to the Chasm Mountains, with Aquilo to the north, and her own Coven, Auster, to the south. Members from each Coven often visited the other, so she’d known him since she was a child.
“Sure, Cris.” Ena smiled back. Taking his hand, they moved to the space in front of the musicians that was packed with dancers. Without preamble, he grabbed her hands and spun her around. Cris was a good dancer, and Ena soon found herself laughing and stomping her feet to the music with him. Still, she couldn’t help but notice when the boy from before entered the dance floor, too, accompanied by a blonde witch from the Aquilo Coven named Lylith. Purposefully avoiding his gaze, she focused on Cris.
One song turned into the next, and the next, and soon she was drenched in sweat and in desperate need of a drink. Explaining as much to Cris, she walked away to fill her cup.
Taking a deep drink of ale and a few pieces of pork to nibble on, she surveyed the gathering again. Dusk was beginning to settle in, but the celebration would last well into the night. She tried not to look for him, but despite herself, she noticed that the boy from before was nowhere to be found. Not ready to dive back into the dance floor, and feeling a tad dizzy from the heat and ale, she wandered away from the gathering to get some quiet, cooler air by the river.
The path from the Grove to the river was well-worn, and she heard shadowed figures giggling in the woods as she walked along it. Breaking through the trees, she meandered downthe bank of the wide, crystal-clear river until she reached her favored spot: a small beach of pebbles and sand that jutted out into a large bend in the river. Hidden by poplar and ash trees, the beach was quiet, so she took off her shoes and stepped into the cool water.
The river moved slower here around the bend, and she watched as it swirled around her feet. She got so lost in the feeling of her toes squishing in the sand, and the overwhelming sense of life and possibility that always hung in the air this time of year, that again she missed the signs of someone approaching until she heard the splash of a rock skipping into the water.
“Gaia!” Ena gasped, whirling to find the boy from before standing a few feet behind her. “You scared me.”
“My apologies,” he replied, grinning in a way that said he wasn’t really sorry, but amused.
That irked Ena. As a witch, she wasn’t used to being snuck up on. Her Knowing usually prevented it.
“How do you move so quietly? It’s annoying.”
He laughed. An infectious sort of sound that tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“Just a natural talent, I guess.”
“What are you doing here? Did you follow me?” she asked incredulously.
“Oh, come on, I’m not that pathetic. I was walking along the river myself and saw this spot. It’s beautiful,” he said, staring out at the water.
“Yeah, it is, but I was here first, so it’s mine,” she replied, smiling tightly at him.
Gaia, why was she acting so childish? She felt so flustered by his presence again. She really needed to stop acting like such a fool. Gathering herself, she forced her brain to think of something somewhat nice to say.
“But… I guess I can’t fault you for having a similar sense of beauty,” she said begrudgingly.
“How gracious of you,” he drawled, picking up another flat rock and skipping it in the water. It jumped almost six times before falling in. He did it so nonchalantly, Ena thought it had to be an act.
“Is that supposed to impress me?” Ena asked, raising a brow at him.
