Page 20 of Dawn to Dusk
When the girl did not answer, Esmerey held up her hand, letting flames dance around her fingers. The girl watched in awe until Esmerey snuffed the fire out, and she confessed. “Can you fix what I did to the crops?”
“No.” Esmerey told her gently. “I don’t know how. I serve the sun.”
“I can tell you how to do it yourself.” I told the girl. Esmerey looked up at me with scrunched eyebrows.
The girl led us to her backyard, her ground zero. I felt no life here. It was July, but there was no grass or flowers. I could not even sense insects or worms in the ground. The trees stood with rot all over them. She diseased everything, which was why it affected the whole village. If it was as simple as her killing the crops, I could fix that. The life goddess, Myllia, gave me that ability when she created my kind.
Regret filled the girl’s eyes. “They blamed my mom.”
I kneeled in front of the girl, grabbing her hand. “Touch the earth.”
“I can feel the ground’s pain.” She yanked back.
“You can help it.” I promised her. She finally crouched down and let me guide her hand into the loose soil. “Let your desire to heal the land flow through your soul and into your fingers.” Her hand started to glow green, and I felt her magic push into the ground.
The little girl’s brow furrowed as she concentrated. God Herth appeared behind her, a giant that always reminded me of a humanoid tree with bark skin and leaves for hair. I let the girl go so Herth could claim his servant. He reached around her, and she relaxed, encased in her god’s presence. Sobs wracked through her chest as he overwhelmed her, even tucking her face into his arm. “My god.”
Emerald green flowed from the roots of her hair all the way to the ends until all the white vanished. Her eyes turned earth brown as his magic transformed her soul.
The magic took hold, and the entire area bloomed with greenery. The trees stood straighter. Flowers bloomed around us. The previously dead crops sprang to life.
“Hello, my child.” Herth spoke to her. His deep voice relaxed her more. “I have a place for you to go and bloom.”
“Where do you want me to go?” Just like that, he was her world. No matter what he asked of her, she would follow his commands.
“Esmerey, would you take my child to Balthazar?” Herth faced her.
She bowed to him. “Of course, Herth.”
The girl turned around to see the giant god. He remained kneeling, but still made the girl look like a bug compared to his huge size. Herth gave his friendly smile to the girl. “Please follow Esmerey. She is not my servant, but she will protect you.”
We escorted her back to the compound with no issues. After we handed her over to Balthazar, we headed upstairs, and I stopped in front of her door. “Thank you for allowing me to remain at your side today.”
“How did you know this is my room?” Her eyes narrowed at me.
I walked two doors down and opened my own room’s door. She needed no further explanation and nodded her head. “That was kind of you to show her how to use her magic. Despite everything.”
“Despite what?” I walked back over to her, hoping to draw out the interaction.
“She’s a witch.” She said, like that was all the explanation I needed.
“I meant what I said earlier. I mean you no harm, and I harbor no resentment towards your kind.” I smiled down at her. “The war is a damn waste. I’ll do what I need to survive, but I refuse to waste any more energy on it.”
“That is an interesting attitude.”
I stared at her, letting my insecurities whirl around in me. I knew what I wanted, but my luck in the romance area had been lacking for quite some time. Women liked me. They were attracted to me, but in the end, things fell apart before really taking off.
Something nagged at me about this one. Everything about her entranced me. The couple times I tried to talk to her, she shot off before I could catch up. I jumped on the chance Balthazar gave me when he asked for my help that morning. This might be my only chance.
“If I may be so bold, I would like to request to have dinner with you tonight.”
Chapter 6:
Esmerey
He would offer me something that I could never agree to. My first offer since getting here and there was only one answer I could give. Mirneax barely hovered over the horizon when we came inside. “No?”
“Is that a rejection? Your tone is confusing me.”
