Queen Of Stars

Chapter two.

I groaned at the sound of a knock on the door the next day. I froze, resisting the urge to open my eyes. I didn't hear breathing next to me on the bed. No warmth of another body. My eyes slowly peeked open and I sighed out of relief when I found there was no one next to me.

Memories of the previous night flashed through my mind. Alister and I tumbling out onto the streets, half drunk and stupid. Or at least I was. We sat on the rusted old swings of First School while talking and flirting. When he asked where the best place to see the ocean in this village, I instantly grabbed his hand and dragged him across the village, pointing out my favorite spots. I said how they really shouldn't be calling it a village anymore. It was getting larger and better constructed by the day. I'm sure one day it would be considered a city. But not like Anthea. Nothing was like Anthea.

We hadn't slept together. And thank The Goddesses he had some sense left in him. Because I'm almost positive my drunken self would have done it. But I had brought him back the cabin after standing on the large stone bridge over looking the harbor for what felt like hours. I had fallen asleep in his arms on the sofa, after doing some... Mouth to mouth contact. He must have put me into bed before leaving.

My eyes frantically searched the room, for a note, a message of any kind. To know that this meant anything at all. I sighed out of disappointment and trudged to the door, still in the clothes from the night before. Another knock rapped against the door. "I'm coming!" I called, making my way across the small cabin.

I threw open the door to find Erik, his thicket of brown hair a handsome mess, his eyes frantic. Before I could say anything, he enveloped me in a hug, his strong arms wrapping around my back. It took me a couple stunned moments to realize what was happening, before I wrapped my arms around his torso. He murmured into my hair, "You're alright."

I laughed into his chest. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" I asked and he pulled back, inspecting my face for wounds. I looked up at him in confusion. "Erik, what's going on?"

He sighed when he was satisfied that I wasn't hurt, he still looked a little paranoid though, looking around, even though no one was around this early in the morning, all asleep in their beds. "Here, come inside," I said, pulling him inside the threshold and away from the mist of rain falling from above.

Once the door was closed tight, I went around turning on lamps and opening curtains. The rain started to fall harder, plinking against the windows. "I'm sure you're hungry." I looked through my cupboards and actually found a bag of oatmeal. I made sure I had some butter and sugar before putting a pot of water on the stove. As the water heated, I turned to Eric, throwing him a towel. "Are you going to tell me what this is about now?"

He plopped down into one of the two chairs at the small table, rubbing the towel over his head to get the rain out of his hair. "I saw you with that man in the tavern," he said and I froze, gripping the counter behind me. "At first I was happy that you were talking to someone other than myself," he went on. "I also hoped you wouldn't make another drunken bet. You know what the last one did." He chuckled and the corner of my mouth tugged upwards.

I vaguely remembered having to jump into the harbor naked for losing. I thanked The Goddesses he wasn't actually there to see it.

"I continued." A pause. "Talking with Sally," he said carefully. So that was her name. I hadn't bothered to learn it. "But then I spotted you two leaving and when he went to grab his jacket from his table, I saw it." He swallowed. "The tattoo on his wrists."

I glared at him in confusion before turning to pour oats into the pots. "Yes, I saw it too. What about his tattoo?" I said as I stirred the pot, brushing back my disheveled hair. The memory of Alister running his hands through it went through my mind and I blushed, keeping my back to him.