“Kind of,” she shrugged. “My parents were further inland, but my grandma took over raising me when I was around two or three,” she said. I wanted to know more about her parents but held back my curiosity. There would be plenty of time to learn more about her. I needed to spend this time not creeping her out.
I had to try so damn hard to at least seem normal in this world. As I shuffled in the slightly-too-small seat, I felt like it was obvious I didn’t belong, but I hoped she didn’t notice. If I could keep her busy talking about herself, she’d have less chance to talk or learn about me.
“Have you ever considered moving anywhere else?”
I took a bite of one of the bear claws and was stunned. It was better than any other breakfast bread I’d ever had. It was so soft, so sweet, and paired with the bitterness of the coffee it was a perfect breakfast.
“I’d kill to leave this town sometimes,” she confessed with a laugh. “It’s complicated, though. My grandma took care of me, so I’m sticking around to take care of her.”
“That’s very selfless of you,” I admitted.
So that’s what the seer meant when she said Mara had a strong tie to Ember Abyss.
That would complicate things, but if push came to shove, I could always hire a live-in witch to be her grandmother’s nurse and aid. I knew the legal system back to front, and there were plenty of laws concerning who could move into Crystal Glass. Her grandmother wasn’t an immediate enough family member to be allowed in.
I couldn’t break the law, even for my fated mate.
“What about you? Do you think you’re here to stay?” She made it seem like a simple question. I was distracted by the muted lipstick stain on the rim of her mug. She’d worn makeup but didn’t want to seem like she’d worn a ton.
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I was sure it meant something.
“I’m not sure. Ember Abyss has a lot of incredible qualities so far,” I said. I didn’t want to be honest and say I didn’t want to live in the city, because I worried that she’d think I saw this as just a fling. She hadn’t yet raised any objections, but my mind was already debating and searching for answers against them.
She looked like she understood, but I was already dying to tell her the truth. I couldn’t do that yet, though. I needed more time.
The rest of breakfast went smoothly; I loved listening to her talk about her dreams, watching her pretenses vanish away into joy and excitement as she described how she wanted to illustrate children’s books.
Her golden eyes lit up and color filled her face.
I wanted her to look like that and nothing else. To be that excited, to have that kind of energy about something.
It was beautiful.
She was breathtaking.
“What work are you doing today?” I asked as we left the bakery. Her face still had a little pink on it, a little nervous blush that I wanted to feel the warmth of.
“I’m doing a window design for a pet groomer,” she answered, smiling. “They’re really close to my placeandmy most prolific customers—I do a new window painting for them at least once a month.”
“That’s fantastic.” I nodded. “With caring for your grandmother and working like this, when do you have any time for yourself?” We made our way to her truck. The city traffic was fast and steady. She dashed across the road with barely a glance at what might be coming. She seemed to think Ember Abyss was a tiny town, but it didn’t seem so small to me.
“I’m lucky enough to enjoy what I do for a living, that’s my me-time.” She smiled with embarrassment.
“That is lucky,” I agreed. “Still, a job isn’t really free time.”
Mara looked confused, wrinkling her nose at me like she couldn’t really figure me out.
“I guess you’re right.”
Her smile slipped slightly and for a moment it seems like I’d lost her.
“What do you do outside of it?” I prompted.
From what I knew about Izzy and Rhuron it was important to be open and communicate. These women outside of Crystal Glass wanted to be listened to, and I could offer that much.
“I draw some on the side, y’know, illustrations and such … what about you?”
Ah. I hadn’t yet thought my story through, nor had I expected her to care.