One for each piece of paper tied to the Wishing Tree. “I wonder which one is mine…” her voice was a whisper into the cool breeze that tugged at the ends of her ridiculously long raspberry-colored hair as she continued to climb the grassy hill.
She hadn’t meant to come out this far away from Destiny City. But something pulled at her, guiding her steps, and she let it.
Maybe it was the hope that the meteors would stir something in her again. Or perhaps it was simply that she didn’t want to be alone at home with her thoughts tonight. But they came anyway, whispering a name in her mind before she could stop it.
Zinkenite
She touched her lips with a gentle brush of her fingertips, a memory of their last shared kiss lingering in her mind. How long had it been since she’d last seen him? She wondered as a heavy weight settled in her chest.
Meridiana slowed, distracted, frowning as the air around her shifted subtly. It didn’t feel electric like the Calamitous Hollow’s prison, but it did feel alive with magic. Something hummed faintly against her skin and rippled in her peripheral vision as she seemed to step over an unseen threshold. She paused, brows knitting in mild concern as she looked up at what had been an open area.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Only a couple of yards away sat a man surrounded by multiple tables, each draped in purple fabric that shifted ever so slightly in the light breeze . He did not seem the least bit surprised by her unintentional intrusion in the way he leaned forward, fingers laced atop the table as he watched her approach with an unnerving smile.
Although she could sense no signature, he did not present himself as a threat.
With caution, she stepped forward slowly, wary but drawn in by curiosity, stopping just shy of the closest table. The arrangement looked like it belonged to a traveling caravan, items of unique make and pristine quality that would fetch a high price at an auction or a museum, not tucked away in the woods atop a hill.
The man spoke words of welcome, and Meridiana fought the urge to take a step back when she caught sight of the pointed teeth behind his amused, if not sinister, smile. If she didn’t know any better she might have mistaken him for a youma based on his physical appearance ,but the lack of aura made her that much more confused.
“Hello,” she greeted, even gripping a handful of her skirt, and offered a small curtsey in a show of respect. “Might I ask what you are doing out here alone?”
xxThe Space Cauldron
