Page 38 of A Tale of Mirth & Magic

I barked a laugh. “Neither. They lived far apart. Both found me to be too ‘difficult,’ so they were constantly shuttling me back and forth. I don’t think I ever went longer than a year at a time with either one of them.”

“Assholes,” he said.

That surprised another laugh out of me. “They were assholes. They really were.” The familiar hurt was there, that soreness on my heart whenever I thought of my childhood. But for once it felt good to talk about this, like lancing a wound I’d been ignoring for too long.

“I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to be around you,” Barra said, still running the comb through my hair.

“I don’t know. I could be a lot when I was young,” I said.

“Or maybe they just weren’t enough.”

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I blinked furiously, glad he couldn’t see my face. I swallowed hard, then said, “Thank you. For saying that.”

The comb stilled. Barra leaned in, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I meant it.”

“I think—I think I was unhappy. For a very long time.” I think I’m still unhappy a lot of the time, I thought to myself.

His arms looped around me, holding close. He didn’t say anything. Didn’t try to make it better or prod for more details. Just held me, somehow knowing what I needed in that moment. After a while, my body relaxed and he resumed his slow combing. The rhythm soothed me, though my skin felt stretched too tight.

“There,” Barra said eventually. “All done.” He gathered up the weight of my hair and smoothed it out, throwing it over one shoulder. Bending, he pressed a kiss to my bare neck. I shivered at the touch.

This all suddenly felt too intimate. I had to get moving.

Scooching from between his legs and off the bed, I said, “Thanks! I’m starving. Want to get some breakfast before we set off?”

“Oh. Sure.” Barra stood. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, of course. All good.” I took my comb from him and slipped out into the hall. “See you downstairs in a few!”

I could breathe easier once I was in my own room, the solid door closed behind me.

Where were my shoes? Focusing on hunting them down distracted me from the scramble of thoughts storming around in my head. Thoughts I couldn’t quite look at straight yet.

The boots were strewn underneath a chair where I’d apparently tossed them last night. I put them on, then gathered everything else into my hefty pack. I looked myself over in the mirror.

Gorgeous. There was a small tinge of sunburn on the bridge of my nose, but otherwise my skin was just lightly tanned from the journey yesterday. I really needed to get a new hat. My familiar face reassured me like it always did. Heart shaped, with my snub nose set below slate gray eyes. Full, plump cheeks. I particularly loved my big rosebud lips—everyone always said I had a beautiful smile. I bit them softly to bring some color out.

Forcing a smile now, I said to my reflection, “Everything is fine. You’re fine. You just need some breakfast and a good walk in the fresh air.”

Braiding a strand of auburn hair on either side of my face, I kept talking to myself. I complimented my outfit—my third and last corset, a pale lilac. It was even lighter than Barra’s skin.

I found myself thinking about the way his firm lavender muscles felt under my hands last night. He was almost shy at first, holding himself back from me. Most people I’d been with couldn’t get out of their clothes fast enough.

But he’d taken his time, slowed everything down to a pace that should have frustrated me but honestly just made it that much hotter. I was used to instant gratification—if I wanted something, I got it. If wanted someone, I got them.

But Barra only gave me small pieces of himself, bit by bit. Even his cock—usually the first thing a man wanted to get out when we were together—he’d been so hesitant that I almost thought there’d be something wrong with it. But no, he was thick, curved, and huge. Goddess, he was huge. I wondered what he would feel like inside me, pushing deep. I wanted to feel his bare chest against mine, have him cover my body with his as he slid that long cock into me.

I closed my eyes, imagining it. Maybe he was still in his room. I could go over there, see what might happen…

I shook myself. Enough. We needed to pause. I could feel myself growing attached to him. The way he looked at me, combed my hair, kissed me so sincerely, somehow got me to open up about my past—it was all too much. Too much.

Staring again at my reflection, I refocused on checking over my clothes, pushing thoughts of Barra away again. Under my corset I wore a simple ivory short-sleeve linen blouse, along with a boot-length, dark gray walking skirt and black belt. When I finished weaving the two thin braids, I pulled the long strands behind my head and tied them together with a blue ribbon.

I kept my jewelry simple, thick silver earrings that hugged my lobes and wound delicately up to the pointy tips of my ears. At the last minute I threw a few weighty silver bangles on one wrist—I always felt more secure when I had some metal to hand. Just in case. I always had a couple of daggers tucked into my boot and belt, but there was something about the solid weight of simple metal against my skin that calmed me.

I pulled on my rucksack and headed downstairs. The main room was mostly empty, with just a few sleepy folks sipping at steaming mugs. I joined Barra at his table. He pulled an Elikki-sized chair over for me, and I smiled my thanks.

“Good morning! Again,” he said, returning my smile. I didn’t reply.