I sat curled up against a tree, my boots digging into the ground, my thoughts rampant. Andreas had left two hours ago to get food. Yes, I was pathetic enough to actually count the seconds. I had given him my virginity without thinking. Yes, I felt closer to him, but I still didn’t know him. The thing that was bothering me most was how would he act towards me now?

I was weak. I gave in too easily. Had I not been shunned from society for magic, I would surely now be shunned for no longer being pure, innocent. 

Today also happened to be my birthday, if my estimation of time was correct which I believed it was, and as far as birthdays went, I guess I couldn’t really complain. I had turned 18 and given myself away for the first time on the same day.  Last year, my birthday had been my awful first encounter with John. There was no comparison between those, whatever might happen between Andreas and me. Andreas may not even recall me mentioning it was my birthday.  Waiting for him to return was its own exquisite kind of agony.  The troublemaking demon in my mind immediately started saying he abandoned me, because he got what he wanted.  The reason and emotion in me could not believe that, but it did nothing to silence the voice.  They only provided possible alternatives.

Maybe my first experience of what naivety really means was the gift I had given myself this year.  Happy birthday to me. I fell in head first, fully knowing this couldn’t end well. I would’ve chosen to be ignorant over knowing I willingly stepped into a situation with the only possible outcome being pain for me. My inexperience around men cost me.

Though, I had to admit that it was easier to blame Andreas for my moment of weakness than it was to admit I couldn’t say no to him. He would’ve backed off if I had been adamant about it.

Although hating to admit it, I was worried about him. Surely, it was more likely that he just decided to abandon me than it was that he was in trouble. I know that he could take care of himself, if anything, but that didn’t stop me from caring.

I had a problem.

I was sitting there fidgeting with the edge of my boots when Andreas finally returned. He looked the same as he always did, and I was surprised to feel how much I liked that.

Without a word, he handed me a loaf of bread and an apple as he sat down beside me. I nodded my thanks, choosing to stay silent for fear of the wrong word. I was curious why he had taken so long, but I didn’t ask. I had no idea how I was supposed to act around him now.

When I finished my food, in the same uncomfortable silence, Andreas rose to his feet. “We should get going. I already took too much time gathering food today, and we should still try to get to my village.” His voice was flat, devoid of emotion, and my heart unconsciously sank a little.

But I nodded crisply and rose, avoiding eye contact with him. I had imagined being this close to him again would comfort me.  I found, however, that – though I had literally bared myself to him -- I was now feeling so shy, I couldn’t even look at him. This was not how I imagined my first time would be. 

Books always made it sound so romantic and beautiful. That the first time with the hero of the story would bring you closer to him and all problems melt away. My reality was nothing like those books. Or perhaps Andreas wasn’t the hero of my story. He didn’t even show any interest in me after getting back with the food.

Did he decide he didn’t like it then? My mind was running crazy with the possibilities. Some reassurance from him would’ve been nice, but I doubted I’d get any.

I waited for him to start leading the way, but he didn’t move. I was starting to wonder if he even wanted to speak to me when he walked over to me and took my hand. “I really want to be home before nightfall, so we are going to use my alternate way of traveling.” He looked right at me and flashed his sly grin. My heart rose back up, even as I scolded it.

 “Alternate way of traveling?”

“Indeed.” And then everything around us vanished. I clutched his hand with all the strength I could muster, but, before panic could fully set in, we were standing in front of …a mansion.  I don’t know what I had imagined for a man like Andreas, but not this magnificent, ornate home with more windows and rooms that I could take in at one time.  Even as a member of the nobility, I had rarely seen anything so magnificent.  Only the king and his innermost circle of advisors had anything like this.

I blinked at Andreas. His crooked smile only increased, his eyes glinting. “Welcome to my home, Lana.”

Staring back at the mansion, I couldn’t comprehend what was going on. How had Andreas come into this house?

“You live there?” I asked, my mouth agape.

He nodded. “One does not have to come from nobility to be wealthy. My family, with its rich magical background, has other ways of acquiring possessions of worth.” The double meaning in his words wasn’t lost on me.

He started heading toward the door just as the spell wore off me. “How did you do that—bring us here?” I asked.

He shrugged, evading my question.

“If you could do that, why take days to walk through a forest?” I pressed further.

He was walking away, quickly but deliberately.  “You may want to get inside, little witch. It’s going to start raining in a couple of minutes.” He disappeared into the house.

”What—?”

  The rain started falling, turning from a gentle sprinkle to something much heavier in almost no time. So that was why he wanted to get here before nightfall. Somehow he knew. I ran to the door and ducked inside, managing to keep myself dry for the most part.

There was still so much about Andreas I didn’t know, I caught myself thinking again. I had given him myself, and I had no idea what that meant yet.  All I believed was that he had spent hours and days trundling me through the woods, when he could have just flashed us here right when he first found me.  Something was hidden from me, by someone who was an expert at hiding.  What chance did I have?

Perhaps he had been planning to seduce me after all. Why else spend days traveling through the woods when he could’ve just flashed us here? The thought sent a chill through me. If seducing me had been his goal, what was he going to do to me now?

I closed the heavy door behind me, and, with some trepidation, entered Andreas’ lair.