"He left me with a threat, but nothing I would consider more than fatherly protectiveness." He stepped closer to her. "And nothing that would scare me away."
"I'm relieved to hear that."
She gathered her skirts and plopped down on the ground. Eramus sat down beside her. For several minutes, they were both quiet, then Evree took his hand and traced the lines in his palms. He forgot how to breathe.
"What does your power feel like?" she asked.
Her touch had his thoughts so befuddled it took him several seconds to form words. "Warm. It feels…warm." Much in the way he felt right now.
"Would you show me?"
Eramus hesitated. He didn't want to scare her, but her soft expression eased his concerns. He pulled his hand away and focused until an orb of blue light hovered above his palm.
Evree gasped. "It's beautiful!"
She leaned in closer and the light reflected off her face. Evree wasn't afraid of his magic, her reaction more one of fascination. He smiled and pushed the orb into the air. They both watched it ascend until the light dispersed into the sky.
"Amazing," she whispered.
Eramus stared down at the ground, his forehead furrowed. "Not everyone believes so."
Evree shrugged. "You should not care what everyone thinks."
"Perhaps, but this is a complicated situation. They almost forced me to leave. This is my home. I don't want to lose it or the people I care about."
"Am I on that list? Of people you care about?"
Heat flooded his face. "I think you know you are."
She bit her lip and scooted closer, her shoulder brushing against his. "I'm glad that I am."
For several hours, Eramus enjoyed her company. They discussed everything from his powers to the way Roderick cursed when his neighbor's sheep ate his flowers. With time, his pounding heart eased, and their shared laughter made him forget his concerns.
Evree plucked a small white flower from the ground and held it in front of her face. She studied it for a moment before pulling it close to her nose. Seconds later, her dainty sneeze made him chuckle.
“Oh, dear,” she said, rubbing her watery eyes. “I should know better than to sniff the flowers. They always make me sneeze, but I admire them so much that I can’t break the habit.”
Eramus took the white flower from her hand and twirled it between his fingers. “Which ones are your favorite?”
“I quite like the clovers, but I believe daisies are my favorite.”
He made a mental note. One day, he would surprise her with a full bouquet of daisies. Perhaps flowers were the key to earning more kisses. He’d bring her a bouquet everyday if it meant—
“Which one is your favorite?”
“What?”
She giggled. “Flowers? I was wondering which was your favorite.”
His favorite? Eramus ran his fingers through his hair. He’d never really given flowers much thought, let alone taken a fancy to any kind in particular. His eyes bounced between her and the meadow. “The yellow ones.”
“Buttercups? A wonderful choice. They are lovely, aren’t they?”
She plucked one from the ground and handed it to him.
Lovely. He supposed they were, but he chose them because the bright yellow reminded him of Evree. Golden hair and a warm smile—nothing could be lovelier than that.
Evree glanced up at the clouds and sighed. "It's nearly noon. I told Papa I would be back by then." Her lips pursed into a pout. "I wish I could stay."
