LOREN
The look in Rexanna’s bright blue eyes as she looked at the phoenix and the tone in her voice filled Loren with equal parts pride, pleasure, and joy. It had been a long, long time since anything he’d done had made someone else happy, and he’d somehow forgotten how good it felt. ”I still don’t think it can compare to your fireworks, but you’re welcome.” His eyes glanced upwards again, and he set the phoenix to dancing among the stars now that the last of the Rexanna's sparks had faded. Already, his energy was drained, and rapidly draining, but after her reaction Loren wanted to give her, give them both, a few more moments of wonder.So the summoner kept up the dance until he was completely out of magic and the moon had made a great deal of progress in her cycle and the night crept on and exhaustion tugged at his limbs. Only then did he dismiss the bird of fire with a final flourish, and it called out to them one last time before fading to nothingness. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he turned to the woman beside him, a sudden shyness stealing upon him. ”I should probably sleep. But we should meet soon to figure out if we can both summon the Spark Bird.” What he wanted to say in that moment was that he’d also like to see her again, maybe just as friends if that's what they were now, but one night of revelry—for that’s what this had been to him, though she might not know it—had to be enough. He’d have offered to do the test now, but he was still scared. And, more selfishly, he didn’t want to mar the memory of tonight with his own shortcomings.
Unless the blue-eyed woman needed him for some reason, he’d bid her goodnight, and make his way back to the cold manor, where no one wanted him but everyone needed him.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
