Page 168 of Castings & Curses

The more I dwelled upon the situation, the more my temper threatened to boil over. I needed a diversion. Something to take my mind off my family’s legacy. Instantly, my thoughts shifted back to Sage. Perhaps her magic and compassion would ease the bitterness that simmered within me.

CHAPTER5

Sage

I had just finished tendingto the last of the day’s visitors, a sweet old man suffering from joint pain, when I heard a knock on the door. The evening sun was setting, casting long shadows on the cobbled path outside my cottage, and I could hardly imagine who would be visiting at this hour. As I opened the door, I found myself face-to-face with the last person I expected to see.

“My lord,” I murmured, my voice a whisper beneath the evening chorus of the crickets. Cristian Lazar stood in the soft light of the setting sun, his dark hair gleaming, and his boldly handsome face smiling down at me. He seemed out of place amid the humble surroundings of my cottage. Yet I couldn’t deny a thrill of happiness danced through me as I inhaled his scent of leather and pine.

He’d haunted my thoughts since that night. I’d expected him to be cold and condescending, yet in the time we spent together, I realized he had an inquisitive mind, a sharp wit, and a seemingly sincere desire to know more about our lives here in the village. Including my life. Every time I recalled his dark eyes burning into mine as if I were the only person in the world, my body heated, as it did now. I turned my head, lest he notice my unseemly desire.

“I hope I’m not intruding, Mistress Hawthorn,” he said, leaning a hand against the doorframe. On one finger, he wore a heavy gold ring with the Lazar crest upon it.

“Not at all. Please, come in.”

As he stepped inside, bending and turning to pass my lintel, as he was exceptionally tall and broad-shouldered, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. Beneath it was an undeniable curiosity. This was my world, the world of herbs and potions, of love and healing, and seeing him in it, so out of place, was almost amusing.

“May I offer you some tea?” I asked, eager to fill the silence.

“Yes, thank you,” he replied, peering around the cottage, taking in the shelves filled with jars of herbs, the simmering pot of broth on the hearth, and the small wooden table covered with scrolls and parchment.

“You seem surprised by my visit,” he said, finally turning to face me. His gaze was steady, devoid of the arrogance I had expected. His luxurious wolf-fur-lined cloak and gold-beringed hands aside, he seemed just a man, with a man’s appreciation of a woman, one whose eyes took me in from my thin leather boots to the forest-green ribbon plaiting my hair. I felt the touch of that gaze everywhere and found my breath coming short.

“I am,” I admitted, then turned to busy myself making tea. Better that than let him see how he affected me. “What brings you here, my lord?”

He seemed to consider his words for a moment before speaking. “I want to understand,” he said simply. “Understand why people respect and love you so much.”

His words caught me off guard. Why would a man like Cristian Lazar, a man of such wealth and power, be interested in my humble world? The people’s love and respect didn’t come with authority or influence. They couldn’t be used to manipulate or control.

“You want to understand why people respect me?” I asked, trying to mask my surprise. “It’s quite simple. I care for them. I help them.”

Cristian nodded thoughtfully. “And they love you for it, don’t they?” he asked, looking at me with a strange intensity.

“They do.” I thought of all the villagers who treated me like family, who shared their joys and sorrows with me, trusted me with their lives. “They know I care for them and my magic is for them. Love reciprocates love, my lord.”

He stepped closer, appearing as humble as I’d ever seen him. “Teach me.”

His words hung in the air, his request sincere, his gaze almost pleading. I felt a strange pull toward him, a desire to show him that there was more to life than power and control. I knew his reputation as a fierce warrior, but little else about him. Could a man like Cristian Lazar learn to understand a world built on love and respect? I wasn’t sure, but his determination and sincerity ignited a spark of hope within me.

“All right,” I finally said, “I’ll try to help you understand. But remember, this isn’t a world that can be dominated or controlled. It thrives on respect and love, not power.”

He nodded. “I understand. And I’m ready to learn. If I’m to be your student, then you must call me Cristian.” His sudden grin was almost boyish, startling an answering smile from me.

“And you should call me Sage.”

He nodded solemnly, though the light of mischief still sparkled in his dark eyes. “Sage.”

The sound of my name on his lips sent a shiver through me, not of cold, but of heat. My body stirred at his closeness, and all he’d done was speak my name. Was I making a mistake? I could hardly tell the lord of the land no.

The evening shadows lengthened, blanketing my cottage in a serene calmness. As I prepared to show Cristian Lazar the world I cherished, a strange feeling of anticipation washed over me. I hoped he’d use this knowledge to be a better master over the lands upon which we all depended. For the sake of the people I cared for, and perhaps for Cristian Lazar himself.

“You’re not a witch, of course,” I began, “so magic will be beyond your grasp. But I could show you medicines and herbs that I use for the most common ailments.”

“Thank you,” he murmured. How many times in his life had this noble lord said those simple words? Perhaps this was his first time, I mused.

My pulse fluttered uncertainly as I began. “Let’s start with the simplest thing. This”—I held up a vial containing a radiant blue liquid—“is an essence of moonflower, harvested at midnight, when the flower is most potent. It is used to calm the mind, to ease anxiety and fear.”

Cristian reached out, taking the vial from my hand. He held it up to the fading sunlight, examining the liquid’s iridescent shimmer. “And people come to you for this?”

---