CHAPTER 24
"All of these beautiful things;
Sunlight, goodness, stars, you." ~ Butterflies Rising
JANUARY 5593AG
It had been over two weeks since Hazel's first visit to Kaatim. Now that she had portaled directly into the flower shop, she wasn't exactly sure why she was here. All she knew was that something about the boy with the sparkling green eyes had fascinated her, and she wanted to see him again.
She was well aware of the dangers of impromptu portaling to his shop; it was possible she might encounter customers during the day, maybe even Ethan's mother, who would be surprised to see a girl with silver hair appearing in an area where magic wasn't allowed.
Ethan would be shocked as well. But she was prepared to take the chance. If things went really awry, she could just use another portal to travel back home.
Luckily, there was no one inside the shop. That's why she picked the same time of day to come here as she did last time. No customers, no parents, not even Ethan. She didn't know where he was or if she'd have to wait long for him. But she really wanted to see him.
Hazel looked around at the freshly picked flowers on display. One of them was really fascinating-it was shaped like a small bird. She had never seen this flower before. The last time she was here, she had seen a majestic swan-like flower, but this one was new.
The bell above the door dinged, and Hazel's heart picked up pace. She turned on her heels and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.
Ethan.
He walked in with a bunch of flowers in his arms, and his hands were covered in dirty gardening gloves. He stopped suddenly in his tracks when he saw Hazel.
"What are you doing here?" he whispered sharply.
Hazel smiled. "Well, hello. Nice to see you too."
"I warned you not to come back. It's not safe."
"I guess I don't play it safe."
"You think this is funny? The Kral's guards are everywhere, and trust me, you don't want to run into them!"
"Well, lucky for me, I ended up in your shop then."
Ethan glanced out of the glass door and gestured for Hazel to follow him to the back of the shop.
They found themselves in a small, cluttered area resembling a broom shed. It was filled with cleaning supplies, pest control sprays, fertilisers, and black cloaks hanging by the hooks on the brick wall. The air was musty and carried a faint scent of aged paper and incense.
He carelessly dropped the flowers on the floor, which Hazel suspected he wasn't supposed to do. He yanked off his gloves and dropped them to the floor as well.
"What? Why did you bring me here?" Hazel clenched her teeth.
"So that no one sees you through the door," he replied, rolling his eyes at her, as if he thought she couldn't understand something as simple as this.
Hazel looked him straight in the eye. "I don't know why I came back. I guess I just wanted to see you..." Her voice trailed off as she studied his expression.
YOU ARE READING
WHISPERED SINS
Romance"I used your blood to bind you to me. There's no escape. You're chained to me until your last breath." She hated him so much that she wanted to poison him, rip the mask off his cruel face, and stare into his eyes as she plunged the dagger repeatedly...
