My father grinned. “I’m just a pretty face with pointy ears.”
We all laughed at that, and I raised my bare wrist to Ariyon then. “My turn.”
His hand stilled over his plate of food. Reaching out, he cupped my wrist gently, and I had to swallow a whimper. The pads of his fingers caressed my inner wrist, bringing with it a warmth that slithered down my body and settled into my gut. My heart knocked against my chest, causing a heady rush to wash over me. This touch was different than the earlier one he’d made during my father’s healing. That one had shocked me, and I wasn’t prepared. This one I waited for in anticipation and it felt so good I wanted to be completely lame and ask for a hug. I hadn’t been hugged in years, and it was always through a blanket. He had no idea what he was doing to me. He touched me tenderly, and yet he had no clue he was the first man to lay a hand on me who didn’t cause me pain. The very act carved a mark on my heart with the letters of his name.
I’d never forget him. If he left today and I never saw him again, I’d never forget this delicate pressure on my wrist, or the way he brought it to his nose and inhaled softly.
His eyes fluttered closed, and he swallowed hard. “A lot of magic. So much magic I can taste it at the back of my throat.” When his eyes opened and he looked at me, I was shocked to see the steel-grey iris practically glowing. “More magic than my aunt.”
I frowned. “Is your aunt powerful?”
He nodded. “Very.”
“What kind of powers do I have? Am I healer too?” I asked, suddenly believing him.
I had magic. I had to have. He was a healer, and he wouldn’t lie, right? What would be the point?
Ariyon shook his head. “I don’t know that. But you probably carry more than one specialty. Master Clarke will be able to tell you more and it would come out in training.”
I looked over at my dad, who shrugged. “Who knew the little, cursed girl in the basket was a powerful fae.” He chuckled.
Ariyon suddenly froze, dropping my wrist and peering at me with a sharp gaze. “Cursed girl in the basket?”
I shot my father a glare and he winced, as if apologizing for telling my story. But when I looked at Ariyon, I was startled to see anger threading into his steel-grey eyes. Maybe he was mad that I hadn’t told him about my curse because it could be contagious. It was time, anyway. I didn’t want to keep this secret any longer. I wanted him to know.
“Ariyon, I’m cursed to feel pain whenever someone touches me. Untilyoutouched me,” I told him.
He shot up so fast the little stool he sat on flipped backward.
“What did you just say?” he asked.
“Calm down, son. It’s not contagious,” my father said, trying to reassure him.
Ariyon looked at my father with a menacing snarl. “I’mnotyour son.”
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I stood and reached for him. He’d gone from friendly and carefree, to downright hostile.
“You… I can’t believe it.” He backed up towards the front flap of the hut and then suddenly he ran out of it.
I glanced at my father in shock and found no help. He appeared as stunned as I was.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Dad and ran out to see what had spooked Ariyon. Was he mad I hadn’t told him when we first met?
Was he freaked out he was the only guy in the realm I could touch? That was a lot of pressure.
When I got outside, Ariyon was already riding through the village on his horse at high speed.
“Wait!” I screamed and ran after him. He looked back at me and then yanked the reins of the horse to stop it. Some of my neighbors were out now, looking up at the Gilded City healer on horseback with fascination.
Ariyon jumped down from his horse and stormed right up into my face, startling me. There was so much hatred in his gaze, I didn’t understand it, but I felt it like a laceration on my heart.
“You’re lucky I don’t kill you. Don’t come back to The Gilded City.Ever,” he snarled and then spun, mounting his horse and riding off into the woods.
Pure shock slammed into me at his ugly words.
I’d allowed myself to dream of more touches from him, or at the very least to get information about why he could touch me and maybe learn that there were others like him, but something had gone horribly wrong, and I didn’t know what it was. Now the only chance I’d ever had at feeling normal just threatened to kill me and left.
That bastard.
