17. Xax

Chapter 17

Xax

W e turned and started walking back to the village.

"Tell me more about your tea shop," I said. "What would it look like?" I'd been inside shops in the Veerenad city. Did they appear the same?

"I didn't have anything big in mind. A small, cozy place. You know." She flashed me a smile that kicked me in the chest, knocking the wind from my lungs. She was so pretty and lush, and I ached to explore her curves. But it was more than that. She was fun to be with, she lived life with full passion, and she was kind.

What would it be like if she loved me?

I was a fool to wish for something like that. This female was independent. She knew what she wanted, and she appeared determined to make sure she got it.

She didn't even need me to protect her, though I'd always stand with her, adding to her strength.

I needed to show her that being with me would make her life better. That loving someone wouldn't be a burden but a blessing. That life here could give her all she'd ever dreamed of and more.

"I imagined a counter in the back where my customers could place orders. They'd sit and sip their tea while talking with friends or reading on their phones. They'd order muffins and scones and maybe take a to-go cup and a bag of goodies with them. Others would lounge on sofas with their feet up on hassocks. They could bring laptops and work while they were there, since I'd provide free Wi-Fi and lots of outlets to plug in their devices. Some would read books. Others would savor the soft music I'd play in the background as much as they did the gourmet teas I'd handcraft for them."

"It sounds wonderful. Describe the counter in the back. Describe the chairs and tables. I can't quite picture them."

Her smile grew the more she spoke, and my heartrate thudded along with the thump of our feet on the soft ground.

"When you share it like that, I can almost see it," I said.

She tapped my arm, laughing. "It would look nothing like your shroom homes."

"You're probably right."

But this got me thinking.

When we reached the village, we rode up to the top of my shroom. She went inside the bathing area, closing the door.

"Alexa," I whispered in the living area, looking up at the ceiling. She was all around us. She was the shroom and the shroom was her. But this was how Amanda spoke with the god, and I'd decided I would too.

The god didn't reply, but she never had. I asked for various things, and if she agreed with my request, she delivered them. We didn't carry on conversations.

"I have an idea," I said. "And I need your help."

The lights bloomed overhead.

I grinned and told Alexa what I needed.