*Lucas*
As expected, Sasha was early. She stood up from the bench on the platform, having waited for , and I waved a greeting.
She wore another sweater and a pair of jeans, but I still rembered what was underneath that sweater. I wondered if she was wearing another sports bra or if she’d chosen sothing more... frilly. Maybe lacy, partially see-through....
I paused and squeezed my eyes shut. We had a mission, and that mission did not include ntally undressing the delectable Sasha Wentley.
“How’s Ian?” Sasha asked when I approached.
“Fine–insubordinate, as usual,” I said with a smirk. Her hair was up today in a bouncy blond ponytail, exposing the long lines of a creamy neck. Moon Goddess help .
Sasha smiled and it went straight to my groin. “He’s funny.”
“See if you still think that after he deliberately thrashes you around so potholes,” I grumbled.
Sasha laughed, and that was even more tantalizing than her smile.
“All packed?” I asked, having to clear my throat a few tis to regain the power of speech.
Sasha looked at curiously, but nodded, indicating the large duffel sitting on the bench next to her. “All packed.”
“Great.” I lifted her duffel, swinging it up over my shoulder with my own.
“Lucas!” Sasha said. “You don’t have to—“
“Let’s go.” I cut her off.
Sasha gave an exasperated sigh and fell into step next to . I held out our tickets to the porter and he took our bags, escorting us to our compartnt.
“Ever been west before?” I asked Sasha as the porter stowed our bags over our heads.
“No,” Sasha said, sitting down across from . “Never.”
“Beautiful countryside,” I continued, settling myself so this ti our legs were not touching–close, but not touching. I was still trying to figure out what impulse had torturing myself rubbing legs with her all the way to the capital from the library site yesterday. It had been very unprofessional.
Why did I keep flirting with temptation?
Sasha noted the distance between our legs and I heard her sigh, turning her face to the window.
I didn’t bla her for ignoring . I’d have given the cold shoulder, too, for constantly sending out so many mixed signals.
We were still sitting in silence when the train started moving, Sasha staring out the window.
I tried to think of sothing to talk about but gave up after the better part of an hour and took out a book instead. It was a history of the architecture of ancient Egoren temples. I figured I could try to beef up my knowledge a bit before eting with Eliza. Maybe there would be a ntion of other White Queen temples in the Dark Realm.
“Good book?” Sasha asked after a while.
I glanced up and saw she was now looking at . “A bit dry, but yes,” I answered.
“Can I read it when you’re finished?” Sasha’s voice was hopeful.
I smiled at her. “Of course.”
If the heat in her eyes before she cast them down was anything to go by, my smile affected Sasha just as strongly as hers affected .
“Do you ever go back to the Winter Forest?” I blurted, trying to break the tension.
Sasha looked back up. “Yes, sotis. You?”
“I try to make it back for every Winter Solstice.” I imagined the trees and clean, crisp air of our holand.
Sasha looked wistful, imaging the sa, I imagined. “I don’t get back that often, but I do try to get back as often as possible.”
“You miss ho?” I asked.
“I like the bustle and innovation of the capital of the Dark Realm, but yes, sotis I miss ho,” Sasha confessed.
“It was a great place to grow up,” I said.
Sasha made a face, her eyes suddenly... angry and focused on . “For so people.”
She turned back to the window, but I put my hand on her knee. I wanted whatever this was out to rest between us once and for all. “Sasha, talk to . What did I do that was so terrible?”
Sasha looked down at my hand, then at . She sighed. “You really don’t rember, do you?”
“I don’t,” I said. “Remind .”
“You were a bully, Lucas, you and your friends. And I was an easy target. Enough said?” Sasha replied.
I shook my head. “No, not enough said. Though whatever I did that I thought was teasing and you thought was torture, I am very sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“It’s over now. We’re grown-ups. Do we really have to rehash it?” Sasha complained.
“I think we do. Well, and a sharp slap on the cheek think it might be a good idea,” I reminded her with a slight smile.
Sasha groaned, covering her face with her hands. “Don’t remind .”
“Kind of hard to forget,” I said.
“My bracelet,” she said stiffly.
I felt my brows furrow as I jogged my mind to recall a bracelet.
“I... I stepped on it,” I said, feeling my stomach drop at the mory of her crying and begging for to give it back to her. “Oh... Sasha I....”
I rembered thinking that the bracelet made of old leather and vines had to be a worthless piece of junk. But I could rember the way it crunched under my foot. It felt like glass breaking.
“I am so sorry,” I said and she wiped away a tear.
I began to imagine the true value of the bracelet that must have been a precious heirloom.
“I wish I could go back and be a better kid,” I mumbled.
“ too,” she agreed.
“Did you get in trouble for that?” I asked and watched her jaw tighten.
I didn’t rember much about her mother, but she never seed like a harsh parent. I swallowed as the air around us seed to thin out, so I changed the subject.
“So... I’ve always wanted to ask... how do your dream dancer powers work?”
Sasha picked up on trying to alleviate the tension between us, but still did not remove her hand from mine. “I see visions,” Sasha said, “not that you didn’t know that already. And I can manipulate water and air.”
“Really?” I said.
Sasha wiggled the fingers of her free hand in the air, and a breeze blew over my book, turning the pages.
I stared, the oddest feeling coming over . “Wow. I had no idea you were that powerful. I an, I know your mother’s kind of a seer... but she doesn’t seem to be as strong as you. You’re more like my Aunt Hannah.”
“Mom’s not as powerful as I am,” Sasha confird. She looked uncomfortable all of a sudden.
“What? Is sothing wrong?” I asked, placing my other hand over hers so her smaller hand was sandwiched between my two larger ones.
“I just don’t... really like... using or talking about my powers, because of how I got them,” Sasha said haltingly.
Ah. Yes, the rumors. Sasha’s father was a Lycannian man nad Slate. Her mother had the misfortune of eting him when she was sixteen, and he assaulted her.
It was the Lycennian line that was known to carry the sa powers Sasha had, dating back to Carl, who would have been Sasha’s grandfather.
Lycennian n were also known for their heartless brutality, and I could see why Sasha would want nothing to do with that connection.
“I understand,” I responded softly. I tilted her chin up, seeing tears shimr in her eyes. “Hey, none of it is your fault. And you use your powers or don’t use them, when and how you want, as far as I’m concerned. As soon as we’re done with that damned orb, you can decide never to use them again, if you want. I wouldn’t bla you at all.”
“Thank you, Lucas,” Sasha whispered.
I wanted to kiss her. Every molecule in my body wanted to sway toward her and press my lips to those pouty, plump rosy red lips of hers.
Sohow, I managed to hold back.
We lapsed into silence, Sasha looking back out the window, and I went back to my book. But I flipped my hand over on her knee and threaded my fingers through hers so our hands were joined for the rest of the journey. I couldn’t be any more professional than that.
When the train stopped, it was pelting rain. I took my button-down jacket off before taking up our bags, holding the shirt over our heads as we ran from the shabby platform and into the dirt streets of Leviss. This was just the first leg of our journey, so we couldn’t rely on finding any friends or relatives here.
An inn, the Moon Howl, squatted on one of the side streets, and we ducked inside the downstairs tavern.
Nostalgia looked just like this. Only Nostalgia was cultivated to be this way. The Moon Howl was the real deal. We were definitely not anywhere near the capital anymore.
A man who must have been the innkeeper ca out from behind the bar. “Table for two?” he asked, an apron stretched tight over his roly-poly gut.
“Yes, sir,” I replied. “And two rooms for the night, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” the innkeeper said slowly, “it’s just that this rain has driven everyone inside. I only have one room left.” He glanced at Sasha. “With the one bed.”
“I see.” I looked at the door, wondering if Sasha would catch her death if we ventured back out into the rain and made for another inn.
“Only inn in town,” the innkeeper said as though reading my mind. He was smiling at Sasha and now in a way I didn’t like at all.
I put a rain-soaked arm around Sasha, pulling her against my wet T-shirt. “I guess we’ll have to make do, then,” I replied politely, though there was a warning growl in my tone.
The innkeeper wisely stopped undressing Sasha with his eyes and nad a price.
I knew it was at least double what the room was worth, but with this rain going on, it wasn’t as though I had much of a choice. I handed over a few gold coins, and the innkeeper gave a rusty key.
“Enjoy,” he winked as he waved over a buxom barmaid to show us to a table.
I looked at Sasha, who’d huddled closer into when the innkeeper’s gaze fell on her again. The growl I gave this ti was the last warning that man was going to get, and he knew it.
Prudently, he returned to his post behind the bar.
I kept my arm around Sasha as we followed the waitress to a small table in the corner of the crowded tavern. Like the room, it was the only one that was open.
“I’ll get you the stew,” the waitress said once we sat down. She tried shoving her boobs in my face but realized quickly there was only one woman in this place who could hold my attention. “Will you be wanting ale?”
“Yes,” Sasha and I both said together.
The waitress nodded and headed back to the kitchen.
“So... no nu choices?” Sasha tried breaking the tension.
“Not this far away from the city,” I said.
Sasha nodded and we fell silent again.
I stared into her eyes.
She stared into mine.
The air burned between us.
I had no idea how we were going to keep this professional anymore.
#
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