Page 3 of Starfall

“The body isn’t the problem. Guilt is your problem.”

“It isn’t a problem; it is a condition. I am half ogre, half human. My father took my mother by force. I was the result, and she didn’t make it. I have the soul of a star and the body of a halfling. I am complicated, and it is even too difficult for me to grasp sometimes.” She chuckled. “Oh, and I took my father apart yesterday, so I am really unsure of what to do. I know the council has purged ogre blood before, so I am waiting for that to happen. They were upset to find out about that family living in their midst.”

“What about Orla?”

“She’s fine. She doesn’t have ogre blood.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what will happen if they try to expel me. We are a set of stars, Orla and myself. Can she remain here if I am gone? If I die, does she die? If I am imprisoned, do I have to wait until she’s gone? It could take centuries. I don’t know, and I can’t ask the council. They freak out when I show up.”

She looked down where her scars were showing again and blinked. She was letting her defenses down, and the fact that he seemed to want the big, scary her and the little curvy her was probably working on her psyche.

Emery sighed. “Right. Sorry. I am going to try and relax now.”

He took her hand and pulled her against him. “I get it. I am in this shape right now because even though Autumn is fused into me, my mind is fixed on the thought that it could leave anytime, and I would be back in my chair, fighting to stay moving. I am giving myself the best chance if things change.”

She was lying against a lot of bare skin. She didn’t say anything. She had already done the same thing. She had prepared to have nothing and had squirrelled away as much as she could.

She breathed slowly, and to her surprise, she felt herself slipping into sleep.

She heard a soft croon and just let herself slide against him. Her aching body considered it the best idea ever.

She woke up sweaty and slippery but still wearing the towel. Rowen nuzzled her temple. “Welcome back. Feeling relaxed?”

“Yeah. My arms are feeling better. It takes more effort than I thought. All that practicing, and I nearly blew it at showtime.”

“You knew you would be facing an ogre?”

“Sure. But I didn’t want to take him down with light. He didn’t deserve my light. He got the blades that a friend made a few years ago.”

“Those. I cleaned them for you. They are still at my home.”

She tried to sit up but was already sitting up and leaning against him. “Am I a ventriloquist’s dummy?”

“Well, as enticing as the idea of sliding my hand in to see what sounds you make, I believe that it was just more convenient for me. You were sliding down my chest, and your instinct was to stop yourself with your teeth.” He chuckled. She looked over to where she had been leaning, and there was a puncture and drag mark on his right pectoral.

She covered her mouth. “I am so sorry.”

He chuckled. “It was a little surprising, but you didn’t fight when I moved you.”

Her face was on fire. “Oh, I am so sorry. I will look into how to counteract that.”

“What? Are you venomous?”

She scrambled off his lap. “No. Not like that, but your love life is about to tank until we get that taken care of. I know someone who has the antivenin.”

“Wait. You are venomous.”

She shrugged and shifted, opening her mouth. “These canines are. They are... never mind. This happened once before when they were growing. I bit a friend of mine, so my parents took me to an alchemist.” She bit her lip. “Let’s get dressed.”

He chuckled and got to his feet. “I don’t understand the fuss.”

“You will.”

Sweaty and nervous, she got dressed and sent a frantic text. When she got a response a moment later, she slumped in relief. “She has the antivenin. Can you come with me, please?”

“We could shower.”

“I don’t have a change of clothing, and I just want to get that stuff out of you.”

He grunted and got dressed. When they were both decent, he took her hand. “I am parked out back. We can go from there.”