Chapter 2
The house was slightly larger than my family’s house; it could fit seven or eight people comfortably. Ellery led me to the barn where we took care of Xiu and Resa before we walked to the house. We had been silent the entire trip across the village; he hadn’t even asked me about the sparks. On the journey to the house, we kept a distance of a good five feet between us. I was led into the luxurious house where my possessions had already been moved.
“This is the living room.” Ellery said, blandly giving me a brief tour before we stopped at the bedroom. “Well…” He said uselessly.
“Cricket is tired from her dancing and her panic attack and her sister’s labor and trying to speak properly.” I said. Relief flooded his features. I had given him an out. He wouldn’t be embarrassed by his friends. “Cricket would like to sleep.” He gave me a brief smile and a nod in acknowledgment of what I had just done.
“Well, then, let’s just go to bed.” He sighed. I nodded and walked to the trunk, extracting a nightgown. Without hesitating, I slipped my dress from my shoulder and slid it down my torso. My brown hair was long enough to cover my chest, but by that point I had realized what I had done. I flushed and glanced at Ellery. He had his hands on his shirt as if he was about to pull it off, but his eyes were glued to my form and his face was bright red. I tugged the nightgown over my head and tied up the front before pulling my dress the rest of the way off.
When I next looked at Ellery, his shirt was off, his gaze was deliberately on the floor and his face was still flushed. I giggled and flopped on the bed, admiring the bare skin of his chest. He sat on the bed, facing away from me and he curled on his side. His ears were still red. I considered saying something, and I even opened my mouth, but the knowledge that I would probably say something stupid shut me up before I started. I had ruined his life enough. I made myself comfortable and slipped into a dreamless sleep on the most comfortable mattress I’d ever slept on.
I woke up with my body tangled with Ellery’s. My head was tucked under his chin and my leg was wrapped around his waist. His knee was fitted between my legs and one of his arms held me close while his other hand tangled in my hair. My hands rested on his shoulders and I embraced him. It was warm and comfortable and I
really didn’t want to move. I had a happy, fluttery feeling in my gut as Ellery’s eyes fluttered open. A soft smile graced his lips and I felt myself smile in return.
“Well, this was unexpected.” He chuckled. I giggled. Abruptly, he kissed me. It was nothing like the kiss at the wedding. The passion and fire behind the kiss had intensified overnight. I could feel my skin tingle with the sparks-that-weren’t-sparks as he pushed me back on the mattress, his body trapping mine in a hot cage. I heard a squeak emerge from the back of my throat. A dark chuckle emerged from his and his fingers traced down my bare arms. I shivered and he pulled back, gold eyes molten in the early morning light. The heat from his gaze made my legs shake and my toes curl in anticipation.
I didn’t speak, because I didn’t want to break the spell. The warm, tingly, happy feeling might go away. I didn’t want that. I don’t know how long we sat there, staring at each other and considering the options, but a shadow of realization passed over Ellery’s face and suddenly, he was sitting at the edge of the bed, far away from me.
“Ellery?”
“I’m going to get cleaned up.” He said, deliberately
not looking at me. I sighed as he stood and walked into the bathing room, ears bright red. The door shut and I got up. I rummaged around in the trunk before settling on my regular trousers and shirt, wrapping several scarves around my belt. I made my way to the kitchen to make breakfast. I had always made breakfast because I was the earliest riser in a family of thirteen. I longed to go home and see my baby niece; some small part of me was excited that
finally there was someone younger and smaller than me.
“Cricket?” Ellery’s voice was shocked as he entered the kitchen to smell the coffee I had made and the bread I had toasted and the eggs I had scrambled, and the honey cakes I was pulling out of the oven. I glanced behind me at him.
“What?” I shrugged, putting the muffins in the oven.
“Um… it’s just…” Ellery was shell-shocked.
“Didn’t think Cricket could cook?” I grinned.
“Uh, no. No, I didn’t.” He took a deep whiff of the air and sighed. “It smells delicious.”
“Of course. Cricket’s Memaw was the best baker in the village as was her Mum until Da married her.” I said, proudly.
“And I grew up on your mother’s honey cakes.” Ellery laughed at himself. “I completely forgot.”
“Sit.” I ordered piling a bit of everything on a plate and taking it to… my husband. The word felt strange in my thoughts. It was odd, how little I knew of him. I gave him a mug of coffee before serving myself. I was used to eating last.
“I have to go into town today to make some last minute arrangements for winter. They say the first snow should be coming in soon.” Ellery said, taking a bite of toast. He stopped talking to scarf the rest of the food down in as few bites as possible. I laughed and gave him more food.
“Papaw said the first snow would fall today.” I said.
“Well, he’s probably right. I’d trust him over any soothsayer.” Ellery chuckled, eating more food.
“Ellery can take the rest of the honey cakes and trade them for whatever he needs.” I said, without thinking.
“Or, I could just use the money I have.” Ellery quirked an eyebrow at me, smirking. I flushed, embarrassed. When my family had the supplies to make honey cakes, we usually didn’t eat them because they were valued in the village. Memaw had a collection of secret recipes that the village adored. We usually didn’t have the supplies though.
“Not everyone is used to being rich.” I said, more than a little defensively.
“Relax, Cricket.” Ellery laughed. “You’ll get used to it, soon enough.” He downed the rest of his coffee and stood, stretching lightly.
“Cricket doesn’t think so.”
“Oh, please. Being wealthy is an easy life to slip into.”
“Only if Cricket were shallow.”
“So, you’re saying
I’m shallow?” Ellery frowned at me. I shrugged.
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand you.” He said, only slightly angry.
“Cricket doesn’t understand Ellery either.”
“Cricket needs to grow up!” Ellery snapped.
“Ellery needs to learn some patience!”
“So do you!”
“At least Cricket has useful skills!” I called to his retreating back. He swung his coat over his shoulders and glowered at me.
“Yeah, because
dancing and
sparkling are
such useful skills!” He rolled his eyes. He stormed out of the house and slammed the door shut. I frowned at his words. I was
not useless. Was I? I cleaned the kitchen for lack of anything else to do and started making stew for dinner before deciding to sit outside on the porch, wrapped in the leather coat that belong to Da’s father. I watched my breath cloud around my face and nature scurry about, trying to get ready for the first snows of winter. I practiced my sparks, trying to gain
some measure of control over my power.
The snow began to fall gently as I practiced. The snow covered the ground in a thin layer of white before it began to fall in huge clumps, coating the ground. My fingers danced with purple light when I heard hoof beats approach. I looked up to see Ellery returning on Resa, a light satchel thrown over his back. He disappeared into the barn and I continued focusing on the purple sparks and making them bigger and smaller and shape them.
“That’s really amazing.” Ellery’s voice was soft. “How do you do that?”
“Cricket just does.” I shrugged, changing the color from purple to red to gold to blue to green. Ellery smiled at my display of power. “Cricket has been able to do this since she can remember. She doesn’t understand it.”
“It’s still beautiful.” Ellery watched me focus my power for another half an hour before I noticed his slight shivering.
"Ellery should get inside before he freezes.” I said, standing and flicking my fingers before rubbing the tingling sensation away.
"I don’t freeze.” His teeth chattered.
"Ellery will if he doesn’t get inside soon.” I said, dragging him inside the house.
"You are bossy when you’re not being all shy.” Ellery chuckled. I helped him out of his coat.
"Ellery needs to take off his boots.” I ordered. The man laughed and sat on the bench next to the door, yanking on the ice-covered boots. I took off my coat and shook the snow off before hanging it on the coat rack. I picked up his coat.
"Cricket, I…” I paused in the midst of shaking snow off his coat and stared at him. He didn’t speak, nor did he seem inclined to continue with his thought.
"Ellery is cold. Cricket will go make hot chocolate.” I said, hanging his coat up and disappearing into the kitchen. I didn’t even know if he liked the stuff, but he had milk and chocolate stocked, so I made it anyway. I returned to him in the middle of his left boot and handed him the steaming mug.
"Thank you.”
"It will melt the rest of the ice off.” I offered, going back to the kitchen. I had made myself familiar and comfortable in the room and it felt good to have
something normal in a world full of uncertainties. Ellery’s ‘oh’ of surprise made me laugh to myself.
"Cricket
is smart.” I said warming a honey cake I made that morning. I took the pastry to Ellery, who was sitting by the fire, nursing the mug.
"How did you do all this?” He asked, waving at the fire. He accepted the food gratefully and ate it immediately. I offered my hand to him, palm face up. He took my hand in one of his much larger ones and I allowed the sparks to crackle merrily in my palm. Ellery gasped in surprise.
“Cricket doesn’t understand them.” I shrugged.
“So, you can make fire with it?” He was whispering. Probably in awe.
"Sometimes.” I shrugged again. “Sometimes not.”
"Can you control that?” I sat down next to him. His eyes flickered up to my face before focusing on the green sparks in my palm.
“It is one of the few things Cricket
can control.” I replied. “She was banned from using it at home.”
“Why?” His eyes shot to my face, confused and a little outraged.
“Da never told Cricket.” I shrugged.
“Can I…?” He asked, fingers dying to touch the curious sparks. I nodded.
“They’re safe.” His other hand tentatively touched the flickering lights and he gasped. I felt nothing. He wasn’t physically touching me, but even the sensation of the sparks didn’t change at all. “What does it feel like?” I asked.
“Warm.” Ellery breathed. “Tingly. Soothing.” He started laughing. “This is so
weird.” I laughed.
“Cricket agrees.”
“You should keep practicing with it.” He said, his hand cupping the sparks. He clasped our hands together and the feel of his skin on mine multiplied the sensation. We gasped and he pulled his hand back.
“Cricket will.” I agreed. “What did Ellery do in town today?” He coughed and took a long drink of his hot chocolate.
"This is very good.” He said, distractedly. “We needed salt.”
“All day for salt?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Cricket, I didn’t ask you about the intricacies of your day!” Ellery snapped. He got to his feet and stormed off, leaving the warm mug behind. I stared after him, completely confused. Wasn’t that what a husband and wife talked about? Had I said something wrong? Had I
done something wrong? I finished with the stew I had started earlier and sighed. I needed help from my family. Ellery was becoming impossible to deal with. I threw my coat back on and ran out to the barn. I saddled Xiu and set off, determined to go home, even with the approaching twilight. In an hour, I had finally reached the small house. I dismounted Xiu and run up to the porch.
I heard laughter and paused. The sky was darkening and I should have probably headed back to Ellery and my new home. I glanced into the window and saw my family. It was like nothing had happened. It was as if I had never left. It was as if I was never there in the first place. It was as if Pereira hadn’t just given birth. I felt a harsh stabbing feeling in my gut and my heart felt like it had been ripped out.
The next thing I knew, I was on Xiu, sprinting away from the house. My chest tightened and my head pounded. My stomach clenched as the familiar panic flooded my body. My vision swam as bile rose in my throat. Tears streamed down my face and I gasped for breath. The pain of getting my heart ripped out was agonizing. I slumped in the saddle, my throbbing head making my vision flicker. Blackness overtook me before I hit the ground.
"Cricket?” Heavy breathing. “Cricket! Wake up!” Who was talking to me? The blackness was nice. It kept the agony away. “Cricket!” Was that… Ellery? My eyes shot open to see the gold of his.
“Why is Ellery here?” I asked.
“Because Xiu dragged you halfway across the village!” He snapped. “When I found you, you were half-frozen and unconscious; you seized before I could touch you and sparks shot out of your skin and nearly burned the barn down and you – ” He was ranting. I focused on my surroundings and was shocked to find myself in my new home, in my new bed.
“Ellery…”
“Are you okay?” Instantly, his rant was gone and he was focused on me.
“Why… how…” I struggled with the appropriate question.
"Xiu’s a trained stallion. He wouldn’t leave his trainer behind.” Ellery said. “
Yes, I remember you, Cricket.” I had been paid to train horses for the Serannas family since I calmed Iain’s wild horse at the age of seven. Animals seemed to like me. I spent most of my days, when it
wasn’t harvest season, working in Bann’s barn. Xiu had been my pride and joy, but my family wasn’t near wealthy enough to buy him for me. I rarely saw Iain or Ellery and I
never spoke to them. I hadn’t physically
seen Ellery for over a year before our engagement.
“…confused.” I finally said.
"So am I.” Ellery sighed. “Listen, there’s a massive storm outside. You got in just before it hit. I’ll check in the gorge in the morning.” The house was cut off from the rest of the village by a high-walled gorge. The fastest around the gorge was a three-day trip. The house’s location was part of the reason I never saw Ellery. It was completely cut off during the winter months. However, it was a perfect trapper’s cabin. It was a good thing I was married to a trapper then.
“Cricket made dinner.” I said. Ellery laughed.
“I know.” He grinned. “It was delicious. You should eat some.” He disappeared. I relaxed on the bed. He returned with a bowl of the stew I spent all day making.
“Thanks.” I tentatively ate, remembering the sickness I had felt earlier. Ellery watched my motions closely and I suddenly remembered his life-debt. Even so… he deserved an explanation. “Cricket went to visit her family.” I said, gauging his reaction. His face instantly filled with understanding and pity.
“I did the same when I first moved out here. Iain and Rivaini just had Mikal and I thought it would be better if we didn’t live together anymore.” He said. “Didn’t keep it from hurting when I saw how happy they were without me.” I nodded.
“Cricket’s heart hurt.” I said. Ellery nodded sadly. He glanced at the bowl.
"You need to eat.” He said. We didn’t speak again as he practically forced the stew down my throat until I had consumed the entire bowl.
"Thanks.” I mumbled as he disappeared again.
Only because bloodravyn begged me for the next chapter.
I know how boring it is to write a review, BELIEVE ME, but it really does make the author feel loved. (HINTHINT) Enjoy! ~LP
