The Daughter of Time (Ace of Queens #6)

Ch.32 Boundaries

Chapter 32

Maya sat under the large oak tree in the garden with her boots dug into the snow. The December air tickled her nose and sent a toe curling chill down her back. Her eyes watered as she pushed her knit scarf up and lowered her face into the scarf.

All around her, the garden was dead. The snow covered and muffled all the houses of the birds in the woods. To Maya, it felt as if the word had stopped spinning and she was the only soul left alive. Steam rose from the koi pond and the shadows of the orange fish underneath danced right below the surface.

"What are you doing out here?"

Maya's back stiffened at the voice. Heyder was the last person she was expecting to. With sudden exhaustion that covered every cell in her body, Maya looked over her shoulder.

"It's about to snow," Heyder said as he pushed his hands into the side pockets of his coat. It was left open and the thin sweater underneath didn't look as if it was doing much. He leisurely walked over to the bench Maya sat on and took a seat.

"I'm surprised they let you out of the hospital already," Maya said eyeing him.

"Sure, let's go with that," Heyder smirked, looking out at the pond.

Maya narrowed her eyes but didn't argue. She followed his gaze and turned away to look at the pond too.

"You didn't answer my question," Heyder said.

"What question?"

"What are you doing out here?"

"Just...." Maya took in a deep breath. "Thinking, I guess."

"No wonder I couldn't stay still in my room," Heyder smiled. "Your thoughts dragged me out here."

Maya turned her head to look at the jinn beside her. She scrunched up her nose and shook her head.

"That was very bad," she said.

"I thought it was excellent," Heyder replied.

Maya looked away when he started to turn his gaze. She felt the warm chocolate brown of his eyes lock onto her face. It was almost as if she could feel his touch everywhere his eyes moved. When her body betrayed her and she felt goosebumps start to rise, Maya folded her arms over her chest tightly and inhaled a long deep breath.

"It's rude to stare, you know," she said after a short while.

Heyder's lips pulled back into a smile, "Please don't ever back me a cake."

"What?" Maya looked at him in confusion.

"Don't put yourself and others through that stress."

"What others?" Maya raised a brow. "Fiza?"

"No," Heyder frowned, shaking his head.

"She's worried about you," Maya once again looked away. The wind started to toss around her little pompom on top of her head and she could feel Heyder's eyes on it. "She wanted to know how badly I had hurt you."

"What?" Heyder felt his eyes darken.

"Apparently you didn't recognize her when she went to visit you," Maya said. "So she wanted to know if I did anything to your memory or head."

Heyder shook his head, mumbling under his breath. Maya watched him from the corner of her eyes as he spun the rings on his long fingers. A part of her wanted to reach across the distance between them and take his warm hands and place it against her cheek, but the thought of it didn't sit well with Maya's heart.