Free Born of Stone by Missy Jane

knew it was a weak attempt. “Nothing important. Just thinking of the past.”
    He finished cleaning her hands and dropped the cloth into the bowl. He set it aside then sat beside her.
    “Was it so bad? I imagine so if you found Simon’s offer tempting.”
    She shrugged but couldn’t hold his gaze. “I was born in the village of Keto to the West. My mother was never one to care much of what I did or where I was. I never knew my father.”
    “Keto is over seventy-five leagues from here, Astrid. How long did you travel? Were you alone? And on foot?”
    She chewed on her lip then caught herself when his gaze tracked the motion. Was he angry? Disbelieving? She didn’t think so but he was guarding his thoughts too well to know for certain.
    “Um, yes…to both. I ran from Keto in the dead of night and found myself in Nerthus three days later. I was terrified of being alone but my mother had moved us into the home of a horrible man. I couldn’t stay there. In Nerthus, I tried to find work. A man offered to take me in…I only stayed with him a night before running away again.”
    Shame filled her and her face heated. She turned away from his knowing gaze. How had he found her useful in his bed when she had been so worthless in Nerthus?
    “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You didn’t steal or harm anyone in what you did to survive. You’re better than most.”
    This time the tears fell before she could stop them. She didn’t want to cry in front of him again because it seemed to distress him so, but thoughts of her past still frightened her.
    He took her into his arms and rocked her before pulling back to wipe away her tears.
    “Sorry. You must think I’m such a baby.”
    He smiled. “Not at all. I think you’ve had too hard a life for one so young. How old are you?”
    She had to think about it, which was embarrassing. He didn’t seem to mind her hesitation while she considered the answer.
    “Um…twenty summers at least. My mother said I was born in summer. Just after Beltane.”
    “Only twenty?”
    She couldn’t help her spurt of annoyance at the disappointment in his voice. “Well, I haven’t been counting. Could be more but for certain not less.”
      He looked at her with surprise before chuckling and placing a swift kiss on her lips. “No need to get upset.”
    “I’m not upset.”
    “All right. Do you have any idea how old I am?”
    “Uh…”
    “Well, I have no real age, I suppose, since I was formed fully as I am and not as a babe.”
    “I’d heard that was so.”
    “Yes. The same for my brothers. We’ve protected the realm for nearly seventy summers.”
    “Seventy?”
    She couldn’t hide her shock but he just grinned. “I look pretty good for my age, eh?”
    That made her laugh. “Well…yes.”
    He kissed her again. “And you are absolutely delectable, my little star.”
    She really liked it when he called her that. It warmed something inside her she’d thought would always be left cold by the harshness of her life. It also reminded her of when she was very small and some of her earliest memories. They were good ones, back when her mother acted like one and not some wanton woman who couldn’t care less for her only child. She would take Astrid out to the fields and they would lie in the grass. Her mother had told her she was named after the stars and they twinkled just for her as if to say hello to one of their own.
    “There you go again,” Orestes murmured.
    “What?”
    “I lost you again for a moment. But that time it wasn’t a sad memory, was it?”
    “No, it wasn’t.”
    He kissed her again. Her body warmed while he held her tightly to his bare chest. They were both naked and excitement speared through her at the thought of what he might do to her. But then her thighs rubbed together and an involuntary gasp escaped her lips.
    Orestes immediately pulled back, concern clear in his gaze. “What is it?” he asked.
    “I’m just a little sore still. But it’s not so