forgot to start the blaze earlier."
Asha looked to the High Lord and knew he was responsible. "It is fine. I remember how to do it and the bread needs to rise again anyway."
A small scoop of the dust in the bottom of the bread oven made the wood ignite with a whoosh. She puttered around under the watchful eye of the High Lord and the housekeeper and cook. With practiced ease, she moved the coals aside to line the walls and created the necessary heat.
As a precaution, she warded the pans against overheating before she slid them into the waiting bread oven before setting the door into place.
"What is next, Carrag?"
"Uh. I have no duties for you. The laundry was done this afternoon, so there is nothing else for you to do today." Carrag tried to dodge Tuartha's glare.
"Then I will wait for the bread and put myself at your disposal, High Lord." She bowed low, not using the name that was on the tip of her tongue.
When she looked up at him, she saw a flicker of pain on his features. The last time she had been in the city, she had lived with his people for two years before he had taken her into one of the few spots of light and kissed her. As his lips had touched hers, he had slipped the ring on her finger and she had wished for nothing more than to be back home so she could share the excitement with her family.
She had pictured home as she last saw it, her body as it had been and the day as she remembered it. When she woke from the kiss to find the rainbow in front of her and the gold shamrock in her hand, she thought that the two years with the leprechauns had been a dream. The spirit ring on her finger was the only proof that anything had actually occurred and no one else could see or feel it.
She had gone from sixteen to eighteen to sixteen in an instant and it was only when she had spoken to a warlock at one of the family gatherings that she had found out she could have sent her soul to Realm and snapped it back two years later.
No one had come looking for her because she had never been gone. It was all horribly complicated, but it seemed that the only two folk who even knew anything had occurred were Asha and the man glaring down at her, his bruised soul in his eyes.
Her mental timer went off and she grabbed and folded a cloth to remove the pans of bread from the oven. Each loaf was flipped onto a cooling rack and she looked at her efforts proudly. "Do they meet with your approval, High Lord?"
He looked from the bread to her and back again. "They will do. Now, run me a bath. It has been a long day. Carrag, I will take dinner in my rooms."
"Yes, High Lord." Carrag nodded and returned to watching over the stove.
Nodding, Asha left to run a bath for the High Lord of the leprechaun society. The only man she had ever loved.
Chapter Four
The coursing of water distracted her. She was leaning over and checking the temperature in the huge tub when hands cupped her buttocks. She nearly pitched into the tub.
"What the hell?"
Tuartha chuckled. "Any service I request. Now, I am requesting that you let me touch you. I have dreamed of this day for years."
She turned and stared into his forest green eyes, looking at her own dark-haired reflection in their gleaming surfaces. "You really do remember?"
"That I slipped my ring on your finger, kissed you and you disappeared? Yes."
"Do you know that I wasn't really here?" She bit her lip and watched his gaze focus on her mouth.
"Your soul was here which is why my ring will not come off your finger. We are bound, Asha, no matter what anyone thinks." He wrapped his arms around her and hauled her in for a kiss.
She leaned up eagerly and wrapped her arms around his neck, the relief that he still wanted her burning in her mind. Even if he simply wanted use of her body in exchange for healing Elhara, she would take it if it meant she could touch him again. He was not the only one who had suffered in the passing years.
Asha could taste the wild magic in him. It was in every inch of
Asha looked to the High Lord and knew he was responsible. "It is fine. I remember how to do it and the bread needs to rise again anyway."
A small scoop of the dust in the bottom of the bread oven made the wood ignite with a whoosh. She puttered around under the watchful eye of the High Lord and the housekeeper and cook. With practiced ease, she moved the coals aside to line the walls and created the necessary heat.
As a precaution, she warded the pans against overheating before she slid them into the waiting bread oven before setting the door into place.
"What is next, Carrag?"
"Uh. I have no duties for you. The laundry was done this afternoon, so there is nothing else for you to do today." Carrag tried to dodge Tuartha's glare.
"Then I will wait for the bread and put myself at your disposal, High Lord." She bowed low, not using the name that was on the tip of her tongue.
When she looked up at him, she saw a flicker of pain on his features. The last time she had been in the city, she had lived with his people for two years before he had taken her into one of the few spots of light and kissed her. As his lips had touched hers, he had slipped the ring on her finger and she had wished for nothing more than to be back home so she could share the excitement with her family.
She had pictured home as she last saw it, her body as it had been and the day as she remembered it. When she woke from the kiss to find the rainbow in front of her and the gold shamrock in her hand, she thought that the two years with the leprechauns had been a dream. The spirit ring on her finger was the only proof that anything had actually occurred and no one else could see or feel it.
She had gone from sixteen to eighteen to sixteen in an instant and it was only when she had spoken to a warlock at one of the family gatherings that she had found out she could have sent her soul to Realm and snapped it back two years later.
No one had come looking for her because she had never been gone. It was all horribly complicated, but it seemed that the only two folk who even knew anything had occurred were Asha and the man glaring down at her, his bruised soul in his eyes.
Her mental timer went off and she grabbed and folded a cloth to remove the pans of bread from the oven. Each loaf was flipped onto a cooling rack and she looked at her efforts proudly. "Do they meet with your approval, High Lord?"
He looked from the bread to her and back again. "They will do. Now, run me a bath. It has been a long day. Carrag, I will take dinner in my rooms."
"Yes, High Lord." Carrag nodded and returned to watching over the stove.
Nodding, Asha left to run a bath for the High Lord of the leprechaun society. The only man she had ever loved.
Chapter Four
The coursing of water distracted her. She was leaning over and checking the temperature in the huge tub when hands cupped her buttocks. She nearly pitched into the tub.
"What the hell?"
Tuartha chuckled. "Any service I request. Now, I am requesting that you let me touch you. I have dreamed of this day for years."
She turned and stared into his forest green eyes, looking at her own dark-haired reflection in their gleaming surfaces. "You really do remember?"
"That I slipped my ring on your finger, kissed you and you disappeared? Yes."
"Do you know that I wasn't really here?" She bit her lip and watched his gaze focus on her mouth.
"Your soul was here which is why my ring will not come off your finger. We are bound, Asha, no matter what anyone thinks." He wrapped his arms around her and hauled her in for a kiss.
She leaned up eagerly and wrapped her arms around his neck, the relief that he still wanted her burning in her mind. Even if he simply wanted use of her body in exchange for healing Elhara, she would take it if it meant she could touch him again. He was not the only one who had suffered in the passing years.
Asha could taste the wild magic in him. It was in every inch of
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