It turned out Theo hadn’t told anyone about going out withme, he didn’t want anyone else tagging along. His usual robes were gone, the golden paint nowhere in sight, leaving nothing to mark him as a god. My pulse quickened as we slipped down the side staircase, keeping just enough distance between us to remain proper, yet close enough that the air between us felt charged.
We were almost clear when the Abbot appeared around the corner. Theo froze and motioned for me to stay behind a pillar with him, his eyes glinting as he gauged the situation.
“I take it you don’t want him knowing you’re in the company of such a bad influence as me?” I whispered, teasing.
He tilted his head toward me, slow and deliberate, a sly grin tugging at his lips.
“Oh, youarethe worst influence, wordsmith,” he murmured, eyes locking on mine. “And I thought I’d learned my lesson from those little notes the other night… but I see I was mistaken.”
Le sigh.
We waited, barely daring to breathe, until the Abbot disappeared up the stairs. Even standing apart, the space between us crackled with unspoken tension. Neither of us wanted to move, but I eventually tore my gaze away from him and practically ran out the doors. I needed fresh air.
I didn’t know what I expected from the capital of the God realm, but I had never seen a city so vibrant and full of life before. Old and new architecture melted into one another, creating a feeling of nostalgia, but with a modern twist. The shops were full of colorful clothes and extravagant hats, cafés lined up along the street, trying to entice customers to stopfor a deliciously smelling coffee and merchants arranged their goods in the shop windows in elaborate arrangements.
Theo had been here often as a young man and knew the city by heart. We walked past tall buildings and temples, each one of them carefully cataloged in Theo’s mind. He told me stories of the beginning of the city, pointed out important landmarks and for about 30 minutes raved on about the mechanical genius behind the great fountain in the center of the grand plaza.
It was breathtaking watching him, how his behavior changed when he was not within the walls of the temple. He seemed to glow here, his eyes bright and full of energy.
He seemed happy, I realized, and in turn my own heart leapt a beat.
It was way after lunch-time when my stomach started to growl.
“Are you hungry?” Theo asked with a concerned look on his face.
“A little bit,” I admitted and looked around to see if there was a café nearby.
“We can just head back to the Celestium and have some lunch,” Theo offered, but I shook my head.
“No way, I am not going back there a minute before I have to! Let’s just find something to eat around here.”
“Are you sure? I can’t recommend any place to eat, Fates know what kind of food they serve here.” Worry lines had appeared on his forehead and he seemed rattled.
He probably hardly ever went out to eat to try new things. This situation was obviously far out of his comfort zone.
“Well, this is our chance to find out. Let’s try and find something we have both never tried before,” I said cheerily.
He didn’t seem convinced but nodded and followed me as I entered a side street filled with restaurants and cafés. I spotted a small place that had just opened for the lunch rush and where plenty of tables were still unoccupied.
“Come on, you wanted an adventure, let’s do it!” And with that I skipped off in the direction of the restaurant.
“Excuse me, we need a table for two with lots of space to try all of your dishes.”
The waiter blinked in surprise, looked me once over and was probably trying to decide if I was making fun of him. Then his eyes went up to Theo, who had walked up behind me, and something seemed to shift in him.
“Why yes, of course, your lordship.” He actually bowed and pointed us towards a table in a booth off to the left of the café. Before we even sat down, the waiter had already laid out the menus in front of us and took our drink order.
There were plenty of items on the menu, most things I had never heard of. When the waiter returned with our drinks, I asked, “Would it be possible to get everything on the menu, but smaller portions? We would like to try all of it!”
The waiter didn’t lose a beat.
“Of course, my lady. We are honored to have you.”
And with another bow, he exited.
“And here I thought nobody knew who you were.” I chuckled.
“They don’t know who I am, but Fairies have a good sixth sense and they can feel my magic. They know I am some sort of deity, but I doubt they have any idea who I am personally.”
