chapter Twenty Six
New Beginnings
"Do you have your letter?" asked Eramus, sneaking a glance at his wife as she pulled a brush through her long, golden hair. He never grew tired of watching her. Brushing her hair, cooking, chasing the chickens—it didn't matter. Her every movement made him smile and drew him in.
"I do," she answered.
Eramus couldn't see her face with her back towards him, but he could hear the smile in her tone. He'd earn a good one if she ever finished and turned around. He played with the smooth stems behind his back, rolling them anxiously between his fingers.
"Very good. I'm sure your father will be glad to hear from you."
She moved the brush to the other side of her head. "You say it as though I haven't written to him three times this week. Aldeth may grow tired of ensuring our correspondence at this rate. I should probably cut back. I don't wish to be a burden."
As promised, Eramus had asked Aldeth if there was a way for Evree to write to her father. Human messengers from Verascene were nonexistent, but Aldeth's unique abilities held the solution. As an Elementalist, his uncle had control over wind, water, fire, and the earth. But what Eramus hadn't known was that Aldeth possessed a deep connection to nature and animals. In one wave of his hand, he'd convinced a cute, yellow-breasted warbler to make the long flight to deliver a letter to Kieran. Then the animal had waited for Kieran to respond with one of his own.
According to his first letter, it had taken Kieran a few days to understand what the insistent creature wanted. He mentioned it had pecked at his bedroom window the entire first night and made laps around his head while he worked the next day. The animal had made enough of a scene to send the entire village into an uproar of superstitions, but once Kieran realized what the bird wanted, the subsequent letters had returned much faster.
"You're not a burden to anyone, Evree. Aldeth does not mind sending your letters. It only requires a few seconds of his time. If I had the ability to do it myself, I would."
She sighed and set the brush down on the small desk in front of her. "Yes, I know. Speaking of your abilities, how did training go today?"
Eramus cleared his throat. For the last week, his cousin, Ladisias, had been training him, but today Eramus had asked to forgo practicing spells. He had a promise to keep, and he refused to let another day go by without fulfilling it. Ladisias, of course, had given him an odd look at the request, but found the whole thing amusing once Eramus explained the situation.
"It went well," he answered.
It wasn't a lie. His day had gone well, even if it had taken him and his cousin four hours to find a flower.
Evree turned to face him and his breath caught. Her green dress matched her eyes and accentuated her figure in ways that made his heart pound. Golden strands of hair fell over her shoulders, nearly down to her waist, and that smile—it made his stomach flutter. At least it did until it disappeared.
She scowled, which didn't make her any less attractive. "Must you stand there gawking at me that way? It makes me so…self conscious." She muttered the last bit, just as a rosy tint entered her cheeks.
Eramus grinned at his victory. "It's not my fault you're beautiful. And, as your husband, it is well within my rights to gawk at you whenever I wish."
She fought a smile as she stepped towards him, bringing with her the smell of lavender. "Then I suggest,husband, that you get all your gawking done now. I don't want you staring embarrassingly at me while we are at your aunt's and uncle's."
Eramus scoffed. "As if I'd be the only man fixated on his wife. Strauth and Feya are ten times worse. The way they stare at each other makes everyone in the room uncomfortable."
Evree covered her giggle with her hand. "Perhaps it is a symptom of being with child. Theyareexpecting their first. Strauth adores her, round belly and all."
His gaze dropped to his wife's stomach, and he couldn't help but imagine how adorable she would be as a walking melon. Evree whacked his arm and chided him with her eyes as though she could hear his thoughts. "Stop that right now. We've only been married for two weeks."
"Speaking of which, I hope you'll forgive me for being a little behind." He pulled a bouquet of buttercups from behind his back and flashed the most charming grin he could muster. "These were very difficult to find, I'll have you know. And my cousin may think I'm insane for requesting his help on my quest."
Evree took them from him and buried her nose into the blooms, closing her eyes as she drew in their sweet scent. "They're lovely. Thank you."
"We'll need to plant some closer to home. That hike might kill me when I'm old and decrepit."
She laughed, and Eramus took pleasure in the sound. A long hike would be worth every smile and giggle the small yellow flowers produced.
"I'll put these in a vase while you go change for dinner," she said. "Your clothes are filthy."
Eramus nodded and followed his wife's instructions. Minutes later, her arm wrapped around his as they walked the short distance to Aldeth's and Yelene's cottage. Warm, salty air filled his lungs, despite the sun having disappeared behind the lone peak in the distance. A light breeze teased at Evree's hair, and the call of crickets became the music of the night.
Light footsteps followed three taps on the door. Yelene appeared in the frame, gesturing them inside with a warm smile. Aldeth sat at a long table, Ladisias to one side and Feya the other. Strauth leaned close from her other side, whispering in her ear.
Feya's eyes rounded as she turned her attention to Eramus and Evree. "Oh! The newlyweds are finally here!"
"Good," said Ladisias. "My stomach says you're late."
