He spoke a spell I didn’t know and suddenly he was laying me down on a soft bed. He must have conjured one with his magic.
I lay against the pillows breathing hard. “Woah. That was so much more intense than I expected. And painful.”
Tavlor sat down on the bed next to me, a grimace tugging at his lips. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t expect such resistance from your magic and had to push harder than I normally would. It seems that your natural wards around your mind are strong also.”
I nodded, conjuring a bottle of water, and took a sip to wet the dryness in my throat.
“Would you like one?” I asked out of respect and he laughed.
> “Ah, no. Thank you.”
I hadn’t seen him smile before. It was beautiful. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at him. I didn’t care if I was staring. I was enthralled to the point where I didn’t care about anything else but him.
I smiled in return and drank from the bottle, a strange fatigue tugging at me. Getting through his interrogation, had taken more of my strength than I’d expected.
“Did you find anything... nefarious?” I asked in a teasing tone, my eyes lighting up.
He shook his head. “No- I didn’t, and I apologise for putting you through the investigation, but I had to know.”
“I understand... it’s your job.” I twisted the cap onto the water bottle and looked down at my feet.
The interrogation had taught me more about my magic, and his. I didn’t understand how he was able to do such a spell. Could I do something like that? Or did it come with his position? Or was it something special half-breeds could do that others couldn’t do?
Tavlor was fidgeting with his clothing, and flicking invisible lint to the floor.
I frowned. Without warning, I reached out and touched his forearm. “What’s up?” I asked him.
He flinched under my touch. “What do you mean?”
“Um... I mean, what’s wrong? You seem... worried. Does this have to do with what you saw?”
He smiled and turned towards me, the blue of his eyes returning as he stared at me. “I... saw a lot more than I wanted to,” he admitted, his eyes on the floor. “Normally I am not affected by what I see in a person’s mind. I stay on task. It is an interrogation only.”
My heart plummeted. “What do you mean?” I sat up and frowned at him. “What did you see?”
He put a hand out and stroked my arm, as though he wanted to keep me close. That had to be a good sign, didn’t it? “Oh, do not worry... I only saw...” He sighed, “I saw how... lovely a person you are.”
I relaxed against the pillows and turned my hand over so that I could stroke his arm. “Why is that a problem?” I asked tentatively.
“Because I... do not wish to be attracted to you, and you’re making it very difficult.” His fingers caressed my arm, and goose bumps sprung up and down my skin.
I laughed, truly pleased with the compliment. “Well, right back at you there.”
His face became shadowed. “You mean because I am so distasteful?”
I sat upright and reached for him, grabbing onto his arms. “I have no idea how anyone, and I mean anyone, could find you anything other than beautiful.”
I didn’t understand how he didn’t know this. I didn’t understand why he kept making the assumption that I did not care for him because of what he was when the truth of the matter was that I didn’t understand the ways here. Perhaps, in that respect, it was a good thing Mother had isolated us. I didn’t have the same prejudices others seemed to have. I only saw beauty when I looked at him, nothing else.
He frowned and I closed my eyes, desperate for him to understand. “Do your thing,” I insisted. “Look in my mind and see for yourself. I’m not lying to you.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Search inside my mind for the answer then,” I said. “You’ll trust me if you see it. I know you will.”
He didn’t respond for so long that if I hadn’t been holding onto his arm, I would have worried he left the room.
Then his hands moved to cup my head and this time I opened the doors to my mind without a second thought.