Chapter 39
Emmeric
Emmeric lounged on a luxuriously soft blue velvet couch with a large tome in his hands. The room he had claimed as his was pleasantly warm, a fire roaring in the hearth. His eyelids continued to flutter closed despite a good night of sleep. The book startled him awake by hitting him in the face. Scrubbing his face with a hand, he tossed the book onto a nearby table; the thunk woke up the leopard sleeping on the rug. She shifted—still naked from the night before. Emmeric’s lip curled into a small smile. Kaz really was gorgeous. If he wasn’t carrying such a torch for a certain Aztia…
Kaz crawled across the floor towards him on all fours, still in human form. She climbed onto the couch, straddling Emmeric. His hands automatically found her waist, where his thumbs rubbed against her smooth skin.
“You look like you could use a break from studying,” Kaz purred.
Emmeric agreed. They had been at the library for three days already, and nobody really seemed to know what they were searching for. Everyone would grab a book, head somewhere secluded, and see if there was any information on the Aztia and Kanaliza or the astmina. So far, they had found nothing. Nothing at all.
Kaz was not interested in helping, instead only wanting to fuck or sleep. Altair had been keeping to himself since his episode on their first day, and they didn’t see him much. Emmeric normally wouldn’t mind his absence at all, in fact would have rejoiced in it, but the star was the oldest of them and could be useful in this hunt for information. Just more to add to the list of reasons not to trust him.
Iyana had been trying to catch Emmeric alone, and he was ashamed by how much effort he put into avoiding her. He still had their fight in the forefront of his mind. If he didn’t keep himself busy, then he was ruminating over it—things he could have said or done to change the outcome. How much he missed her. It also triggered the dreams again. Those had taken a brief vacation since he started sleeping with Kaz, but they were back full force. And they had changed. Emmeric would have several per night now, when before it was only one. He would wake up panting and sweating, then fall back into a different dream scenario. Without exception, he and Iyana would start off happy and content, then something would shift, and she would leave him. But now, sometimes, Emmeric was the one leaving her, and those were the ones which dismayed and confused him the most.
Kaz was still in his lap, and although he was hardening underneath her delicious body, there unfortunately was still work to be done. Emmeric sighed, then lifted her off him. She stuck her lower lip out in a pout.
“As much as I would love that, there’s an entire library still to search, and we don’t have unlimited time.”
“Fine, I’ll come with you,” Kaz said, sauntering towards the door.
Emmeric cleared his throat. “Kaz, clothes.”
“Do you really want to cover up this work of art?”
“Do I?” He grinned. “No. But I also don’t need you scaring off everyone else.” She rolled her eyes, but did as he asked, getting dressed.
Not long after, they were in the stacks of the fourth floor, mindlessly searching for anything remotely relevant. Well, Emmeric was searching. Kaz was reading a romance novel. Occasionally, a giggle or sigh would wrap around the bookcases to find Emmeric’s ears. He shook his head, a small smile on his face. The shifter really was one of a kind—even if she was currently not helping at all.
Emmeric became absorbed in his task, flagging Magical Mugwort and Its Properties and Phaedros and Dyuna: A Love Story to Die For to evaluate further later. If they were anything like the other books he’d read, they would be useless, but the titles involved magic and a god, and it was the best he’d come across so far.
Suddenly, a force shoved him against the books in front of him, his forehead slamming into the shelf. One of his arms was pinned behind his back, the joint groaning at the overextension. Dust flew into his nose, and he held back a sneeze. He hadn’t even heard anyone approaching. But he’d been in this situation before and fought his way out. He bent his knee slightly, ready to throw his attacker off balance, when the soft hands and smell of jasmine registered.
“What’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?” Kaz asked.
“Kazmira,” Emmeric warned.
“Not my name,” Kaz taunted.
Emmeric grunted as she pulled his arm further. “I know Kaz is short for something.”
“Tell you what, you guess my name correctly and I’ll let you go.”
“Tell you what, Kazelle, let me go now and I won’t hurt you.”
“Wrong.”
“Kazpolina Romatera the Third.”
She gasped. “Shit, how did you know?” The pressure on his arm relented ever so slightly.
“Really?” he asked, shocked.
“Gods, you’re gullible,” she said, laughing and yanking his arm even tighter. “No, but it was closer than your other guesses. Not even remotely near the area of correct, but closer.”
“I’m going to figure it out at some point.” Emmeric used his weight and height against the smaller woman, spinning her to the side and pinning her to the bookcase instead. He held her wrists over her head in one of his hands. Kaz rolled her hips onto his while biting her lower lip. His gaze dipped to those lips, plump and inviting. He leaned forward to give in to temptation.
Too late, he heard her soft footfalls and his name, a question on her lips. Emmeric dropped Kaz’s arms as fast as he could, but Iyana still noticed their proximity as she rounded the corner. Her vision flicked between the two of them as Emmeric took a step back.
“Iyana, I—” Can explain.
She held up a hand to stop him. “I’m sorry if I interrupted, I need to talk to you about something.” Her sweet, caramel eyes pleaded with him. “But I can find you later…” The sentence ran out of steam and Iyana lowered her gaze to the floor.
“No need,” Kaz said. “I’ve been meaning to, uh, try to catch an owl. So I’ll go…do that.” She shifted quickly and the black leopard loped away.
Emmeric rubbed the back of his neck, the air between them suddenly awkward. They hadn’t been alone since that damned run. He motioned towards a nearby couch. “Do you want to sit?”
“Okay,” she said. Iyana sat on the couch, folding her legs underneath her, but her body angled towards him. He sat as far from her as possible while still staying on the sofa. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
“W-what?” Emmeric stammered. “No, I haven’t, whatever gave you—”
“Em, it’s okay. I get it. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right. I’m in no position to be jealous, and you have every right to be with whomever you please.”
He had not been expecting an apology. Nor an admission of jealousy. Not from this stubborn woman. Emmeric beamed internally—she didn’t relish seeing Kaz with him. He’d take it as a win for him and a loss for Altair. Although the overall scoreboard showed the star was winning.
“Thank you,” he said. “I’m sorry for how that conversation happened. There were better ways I could have conveyed everything.”
“Friends?” she asked hopefully.
“Friends.” They smiled at each other, the bond warming in his chest. Iyana’s fingers brushed against her own chest, but when she noticed him watching those delicate and deft fingers hovering over her breasts, she diverted them to the necklace she wore constantly. The one Altair had made for her from Imo’s ashes. Reluctantly, he asked her once how she had kept it during her stay in the dungeon; he knew the prisoners were stripped bare and divested of all personal possessions. Her eyes had lost their focus, and he’d immediately regretted the question. But she had answered, saying there was a loose stone in the wall of her cell and she had shoved it in there.
“That actually brings me to why I wanted to talk to you.” Her hands fell to her lap, toying with the hem of her tunic. She focused on her fingers now instead of Emmeric. “You’ve channeled calming emotions to me through the bond twice,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
He saw no point in denying it. “I have.”
“You can sense it here.” She tapped her chest. “When I’m upset.”
“I can.” Iyana finally looked at him, a small frown tugging the corners of her lips down. He briefly imagined kissing that frown away, ravaging her mouth, then shoved the thought out. There was no use thinking of impossible things.
“And I think I can feel when you’re upset as well.”
Now that was interesting. Emmeric had often wondered if the bond was reciprocated, or if he alone sensed her pain or strife while she was blind to his. “Can you?”
“In the woods while we were… I felt your hurt and anger. I thought maybe it was mine at first, but once I studied it more closely, those weren’t the emotions I was experiencing in the moment.”
“I can feel your pain too,” he said softly. “Your physical pain.”
Iyana’s eyes widened. “So when I was in…?”
Emmeric nodded, glancing over her shoulder. The conversation was suddenly too intimate. “I felt what you did. Not as acutely, more of an echo. But it was how I realized something was happening to you, and where you were. How I knew to bring the numbing draught. I hated every second you were in the dungeon, Iyana, and I should have done more.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that. And you did enough. You kept me sane, present, and you took away the worst of the pain.” Sighing, she reached forward like she wanted to touch him, to comfort him, but curled her fingers and her hand retreated.
“Please don’t apologize, Mouse. Not for that.” Now he purposefully held her gaze for her to see his earnestness. “Never for that.”
Iyana cleared her throat. “Can I feel your pain?” she asked. Emmeric understood the topics were becoming too heavy. But he had kept her sane, diminished her pain, and she recognized it. His spirit soared higher, knowing he had helped her, that she appreciated his actions.
“Only one way to find out.” Emmeric reached into his boot, removing the knife he always kept there for emergencies. Attacks from an enemy were unpredictable, and he always liked to be prepared. Iyana raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. The sharp edge of the knife sliced into his palm with a burning pain, blood welling to the surface immediately.
Iyana hissed, clutching at her own hand. But as the pain faded into the background, she marveled at her unblemished skin, trailing a finger across her palm. Emmeric observed her silently, his hand continuing to bleed. Wonder and curiosity overtook her, as she turned her hand and found no physical injury. Blood dripped on the floor, removing Iyana from her reverie as she finally noticed he was actually injured. She gestured towards his knife.
“May I?” she asked. He handed it to her without question. Iyana used the point of the knife to prick her fingertip, then drew her bloody finger across the laceration in his palm. The skin knitted closed in her wake. Soft fingers lingered in his palm after they were both fully healed. Her gaze stayed locked on their hands, but Emmeric studied her. He thought she didn’t realize how expressive her face was. There was never an emotion she felt without him being able to read it in her expression. Right now, she was curious, awed, confused, and a little sad. Emmeric saw them all flit across her face and through their bond. He had been silently practicing listening it to it more and discerning the different emotions, so that if the time ever came, he’d be better able to protect her. Even if he couldn’t see she was in danger, he’d be able to sense it.
Emmeric curled his fingers around her hand and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. Iyana’s gaze wouldn’t move away from their connected hands. Putting his other finger under her chin, he lifted her head to look him in the eyes.
“Mouse, I—I don’t want to fight, and I realize I told you to leave me alone, but…” He heaved a deep sigh. “I need you to understand. This thing with Kaz, it’s only for fun. It doesn’t mean anything to either of us. I don’t want her, not forever. I want you.” Fuck. He hadn’t meant to say the last part. This woman always had him saying more than he intended.
Iyana opened her mouth, but he squeezed her hand. He’d already said it, might as well lay everything out. Maybe if it was out in the open instead of a secret kept close to his chest, it wouldn’t hurt so much.
“Please, let me say my piece,” he pleaded. She nodded. “You’re with Altair. Gods,I know that, but it kills me to see you wrapped in his arms. Your soul calls to mine. It’s been this way, I think, since we locked eyes across Imothia. Before all of this went sideways and got out of hand. I think you’re beautiful, Iyana, and so smart, resourceful, and loving. I guess…I’m just trying to say I’m here for you. Always. If you’ll have me.”
Iyana gazed at him, tears forming. Her sadness wrapped around his heart like a weight, and it crushed any hope he might have held for a future with her. “Emmeric, I… but Altair—”
“I know, Mouse, I know.” He dropped her hand with one last caress. It might be the last chance he had. Lowering his voice, he said, “I don’t trust him. Not completely. Please keep your guard up.”
Iyana’s brow furrowed. “You don’t trust him?” she asked, her voice raising, all traces of sadness dissipating. “You seriously don’t trust him? I trust Altair with my life, Emmeric. He broke me out of the dungeon, he’s been training me to strengthen my magic, and he’s been helping us this entire time! What more do you need?”
“Why didn’t he come for you on the road to Athusia, Iyana?”
“He…he couldn’t.”
“But why? Did he ever explain himself?” Iyana didn’t answer him. “He didn’t, did he? Phaedros take me, Mouse, he’s blinding you with a handsome face and pretty words. Wake up!” Great. Now they were fighting again—exactly the thing he said he didn’t want to do.
“You have no fucking right, Emmeric,” she yelled. She stood in a flurry of anger, and he was sure the others on the lower floors heard her, Altair included. Iyana stuck her finger in his face. “Stay out of my personal business.”
Then she was gone. Emmeric ran a hand down his face, groaning.
“That could’ve gone better,” Kaz said, leaning over the back of the couch. Emmeric slumped down on his back and groaned again.
Zane
Talon flopped down on the sofa next to him, jostling the book in his lap.
“Well, that was entertaining.”
Zane glanced towards where they had just overheard most of the argument between Emmeric and Iyana. “Should we do anything?”
“Nah, Kaz is with him,” Tal said.
“Aren’t he and Kaz…”
“Yup.”
“But Iyana?”
“He’s in love with her,” Talon said, nodding.
“But she’s with Altair.”
“Yup! They seem pretty serious, but I’ve caught her ogling Em, too, so anything can happen.” Tal’s eyes sparkled with the gossip.
Zane whistled. “That’s all incredibly complicated.”
Talon laughed. “That it is. But such thrilling entertainment for those of us outside of the drama.” He nudged Zane and winked at him. It allowed the red head to close any remaining space between them, and he leaned in over Zane’s shoulder to glace at the book he was currently reading. Tal’s fingers found their way to the hair on the nape of his neck and began lazily playing with the strands. A shiver traveled down Zane’s spine at the gentle, casual touch.
A surge of panic made him want to tear himself out of Talon’s reach. To separate himself to keep them both safe, even if it meant neither of them would be happy. But he forced himself to stay put, to relax his tense body, and he marginally succeeded. He even leaned into Talon ever so slightly. The other man’s lips curled at the corners, so Zane knew he’d caught the infinitesimal movement.
“Find anything?” Talon asked.
“Not yet.” He rubbed his tired eyes with the heels of his palms. Zane sighed. “There have been mentions of the Aztia and Kanaliza, but nothing describing how their magic works. Absolutely nothing on the astmina. I just wish I knew where to look.”
“You’ve been at it nonstop. You need a break.” Talon dug his fingers deeper into Zane’s hair and massaged his scalp. Zane moaned at the sensation, closing his eyes, but not before he noticed the heat consuming Talon’s bright blue ones at the sound. Butterflies filled his stomach.
“I need to figure out how to stop my father,” he said as Talon continued his massage.
“You won’t be able to if you don’t take time to rest.”
Zane sighed. “You’re right.” Opening his eyes, he smiled at Talon. The man really was gorgeous, with his long, wavy red hair and spattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks. There were shallow lines around his eyes from constantly laughing and generally being in a good mood. Zane glanced at his lips. An overwhelming urge to kiss Talon overtook him. The Zane raised by Uther Holygazer hesitated at the staggering amount of passion, but the Zane he so desperately wanted to be demanded change. To shed the mask Uther’s presence had demanded. And Zane realized they were alone. His father was nowhere near. Everyone here was a friend or ally. Talon sat there quietly, letting Zane make his own choice.
Zane closed the distance and gently placed his lips on Talon’s, asking the question he was too cowardly to ask with words. Talon moaned into his mouth, sounding relieved. Then the hand in Zane’s hair was tightening, and Talon tugged the prince in closer while deepening their kiss. Tal eased Zane down onto his back on the sofa. Having the weight of Talon on top of him was amazing. Mind-blowing. Talon was kissing his cheek, his ear, down his neck. His hand roamed down Zane’s body while Zane held the man closer to him.
Something lodged underneath him dug into his back, so he reluctantly took one hand off Talon and retrieved the scroll lost within the couch. The scholar in him glanced at it and startled.
“Talon,” he said, still breathless. Tal moaned into his neck. Zane’s lashes fluttered closed. Indulging in this for a moment more would surely be fine, but this was important.
“Tal,” he said a little more forcefully, tapping his back. The man jerked backwards immediately, brows furrowing.
“Are you okay? Do you want me to stop?” Talon asked, eyes pinched in concern.
“Gods, no,” he breathed. “I mean, yes, but only because…” Zane lifted the scroll for Talon to see.
Tal climbed off Zane, and he almost groaned at the loss of weight. He was so close to saying fuck the scroll and pulling Tal back into his arms, but the image of his father wearing an ancient relic around his neck flashed through his mind. He promised himself they would pick this back up later. Zane didn’t want to go back to the way things were before. He wanted Tal, and he would no longer let his father dictate who he could and couldn’t love.
Talon cleared his throat and adjusted his pants. Zane gave him a satisfied smirk before opening the scroll. They both began reading then…
“We should get the others,” Zane said.
Not long after, the entire group convened in one of the many meeting rooms on the bottom floor of the library. This one had multiple seating areas and a large hearth. They had arranged all of the couches and chairs to be in a semicircle around the fire so everyone could see the scroll and be warm at the same time.
Iyana curled into Altair on an oversized chair, his arms tight around her. He probably had also heard the argument between Iyana and Emmeric earlier and wanted to keep her close. Which was further cemented by the occasional death glare he threw toward Emmeric. Emmeric and Kaz were on a couch, the shifter lying on her back, feet resting in Emmeric’s lap. And Zane and Talon were sitting side by side on another couch, their thighs and shoulders pressed together. Talon had a hand on Zane’s back, offering subtle support.
“What did you find, Zane?” Iyana asked.
Zane unrolled the scroll gingerly to keep it from breaking, and he laid it flat on the coffee table, pinning down the corners using heavy books. “It’s written in an old form of Athusan, from before when the common tongue came into use, around five centuries ago. Fortunately, it’s one I’m able to read. It caught my eye because it mentioned the Aztia.” He glanced at Kaz. “How’s that for my fancy Athusan education?” The shifter threw him a rude gesture, causing both Talon and Zane to chuckle.
“Is there anything useful?” Altair asked.
Zane tapped towards the bottom of the scroll, where there was an illustration of a necklace. The center was a small jewel, cut into a hexagon and set within plain metal. There were no adornments, and for all intents and purposes, it appeared to be a bauble. Something gifted between lovers, perhaps.
“This is the amulet of Aztia. It belonged to the very first, and this says she used it as an external power source. Apparently her Kanaliza forged it for her and then Ciri, Goddess of Day, blessed it. The amulet was buried with her.”
“I thought the firsts lived out the rest of their lives in anonymity,” Iyana said. “How does the person who wrote this scroll know she was buried with it?”
“It doesn’t say exactly, but the author does mention being close to the couple.”
Emmeric shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing at Iyana. “Altair said that as Kanaliza, Iyana would eventually be able to store some of her magic in me for later use. Is this similar?”
Zane perked up. “Fascinating. Have you tested this?”
“He won’t let me,” Iyana grumbled, arms crossed.
The air was thick with tension between the two. Zane cleared his throat and forged on. “Yes, in a sense. Its original intended use was as storage, but once the conflict ended and she no longer needed it, she infused it with the very essence of her magic.”
“So this amulet contains all the power of the first Aztia?” Altair asked.
“It would seem so, yes.”
Altair ran a hand through his golden-blonde hair. Zane continued to berate himself for not realizing he was a star sooner.
“We need to find where she’s interred,” Altair said.
Zane’s face contorted into a grimace. “That’s where this gets tricky… Their tomb is in the Dead Lands.”
A shocked silence consumed the space, the only sound the popping and cracking of the logs on the fire. Talon finally broke the pregnant pause by whispering, “Fuck.”
“Then we leave for the Dead Lands tomorrow,” Iyana said. The grimace on all their faces made it obvious nobody really wanted to go but realized it would be a necessity.
“We still haven’t found anything on the astmina,” Zane reminded her.
“I’m staying,” Emmeric said quietly. All their heads whipped to him. Kaz even took her feet off his lap and sat up in shock. Emmeric leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and finally addressed Iyana directly. “Look, it’s no secret we haven’t been getting along. I think the distance would do us some good. You can find the amulet and I’ll stay here searching for more information. We can meet back up once you find it.”
Iyana stared him down for what felt like, to Zane, an eternity. “Fine.” She stood from the chair, Altair following dutifully after her. “We leave in the morning,” she said to the rest of the group.
Once they left, Emmeric turned to Kaz. “Stay with me?”
The shifter shook her head, frowning. She placed her palm on his cheek. “I’m not an indoor cat, grumps. Besides, I left home to see the world. It would be a pity to stop now.”
Emmeric then looked over towards Talon and Zane. “Tal?” he asked, hopefully.
Talon glanced at Zane. He had to realize the prince was going on this expedition. Zane steeled his heart against Tal picking his best friend. It was the obvious choice. They’d known each other longer; they were lifelong friends. And Zane was…nobody to Tal. There was potential there, sure, but for now he was nothing.
“Sorry, old man,” Tal said. “Iyana is going to need all the help she can get in the Dead Lands. If she goes down, this whole thing was for nothing.”
Zane sighed with relief. He absolutely did not want to part with Talon so soon.
“I understand,” Emmeric said. The man sat, brilliant blue eyes staring into the fire, for a few minutes. All of them watched him in silence, sad about the parting, but not attempting to change his mind. They understood his reasons. He finally stood and left the room without a word.