There's an eye everywhere...
".....Ne-cro-mancy." They were both stunned the moment the last syllable left my mouth. The expression on their faces may had become similar to mine because almost for a couple of minutes we did not say anything, and just looked at each other.
None of us was ready for this. No one. This was a taboo even among the greatest of kingdoms because respecting the dead was one of the most important promises that the Five Great Kingdoms made between themselves. The crime had been punished with severe punishments. It had been an unsaid understanding between the kingdoms that using this ritual is forbidden as it has power to ruin more than one kingdoms.
But this was not enough. I needed to know more about it. I looked up to them, they were lost in thoughts. Every one of us only knew a part of things and the rest we'd probably assume so we decided to look into the matter more before getting into any conclusions. We also didn't rule out the possibility of it being bogus- what if it was just created to mislead us or perhaps, a trap.
Orion accompanied me home, he even insisted that he'd stay over just in case something happens again. I assured him that I was safe as long as I'm inside. But he was hard to convince. We were standing in front of my door, arguing about whether or not he needs to stay over at my place. Cold air blew through the shore.
I felt a chill down my spine. It was eerie standing there in the middle of the night and he had no intention of leaving. So I had no choice but to give in.
I invited him in and asked him to look for a place to make his bed. He conjured a settee for himself at the corner of my living room. "This," he declared, "will be my bed from now on."
"'Now on', what is the even supposed to mean?" I questioned him. "You are not at all welcome to ruin my precious time everyday. I decided to live alone- does that not pretty much indicate my desire to stay alone at night?"
"Pardon my intrusion to your precious solitude, oh lady of the castle of stars, but this is not your castle, no charm of yours can protect you better than I can. Until that sweet stalker of yours is leashed this is where I'm staying for the nights. I demand nothing else, I know you can protect yourself but, please, let me not stay inside my bedroom walls when you're here," he paused, looked up to my face and continued, "here fighting something unknown."
How could I even say no to him when he said it with those soft looking eyes. I knew he had a way of persuading people easily into doing things his own way and it worked every time. I agreed, of course, but I strictly limited him to the living room and advised him not to cross paths with me anytime at night.
The next morning when I woke up he wasn't there. He was gone before I woke up, I thought it was better to not have to look at him the first thing in the morning. I made my coffee, the letter from father was still at the dining table, I picked it up a took a look at it.
'DON'T YOU DARE'
It made me laugh, I could hear him say those words in one of his fabricated angry tone that did not sound of anger at all.
I put the letter back into the envelope. It had the new moon glyph seal and looking at it made me wistful. I caressed it before putting it into one of the kitchen cabinets.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Everyone in the shop seemed in good humor when I entered the store. It was a bright sunny day and everything felt good. Mr. Yates offered me a candy he bought yesterday, I thanked him and went to put on the apron. When I returned Violet arrived too. Willa was already there before any of us. She was the actual niece of Mrs. Yates and so she was there with or before them. She also had more experience of the work than us, she's the one who taught me to take care of the flowers so they'd last longer and the right method of wrapping flowers into a bouquet.
When I came back there were already few customers around and everyone was busy assisting them, I substituted for Mr. yates who then returned to the counter.
The gentleman was looking for a flower centerpiece for a family gathering, I showed him some pieces he could use but nothing satisfied him. After pondering for a while, I suggested him to try a colorful arrangement instead of a monotone and he liked the idea. I showed him the possible arrangements out of the flowers he picked, and he finally found what he was looking for.
"Thank You, Miss Blossom. I knew I can count on you to come up with something suitable. I bet Mr. Preston was most attracted to this trait of yours." He commented as he was heading to the counter for providing the details of delivery.
I smiled it off, Rumors about us were nothing new in this town. People always fabricated ideas about other people, I could not allow myself to worry for such silly affairs.
Willa came to me when she was done with hers and glared.
"You always laugh it off and that is why these rumors had grown to this point in the town."
"But there isn't really anything between us so why would I worry about anything people say?" I replied.
"Precisely because there is nothing between you that you should shut them once and for all. Your laughing it off only makes them assured of their convictions. Had you not heard how these rumors had grown, especially since yesterday?" Willa looked at me concerned.
Violet joined us, she told me that she heard something too on the way here. The town is talking about how someone saw me and Mr. Preston embracing each other in the dead of the night.
"What do you mean by talk of the town? How could something from the middle of the night spread throughout the town by the daybreak?" I already had problems to deal with and this wasn't one of the list.
"Why do you sound like it is true?" Violet glared at me.