Chapter 18
18
KAEL
“I’ve never seen you like this,” Lyra said.
Mev hadn’t woken yet. She lay on her bedroll beside us. Even now, an uneasiness that her state was temporary, as I first assumed, grew with each passing second.
“Do not make more of it than it is. I hardly even like the woman.”
“Then why are you staring at her as if you’ll lose your supper?”
Ignoring her, I felt Mev’s head. It was cool. No sign of fever. Nothing to indicate illness, and given the topic we’d been discussing, I had every reason to believe she’d simply fainted. But why wasn’t she opening her eyes? Humans rarely remained this way for long.
“If you vomit on me, I’ll kill you.”
The fact that Mev said that before even opening her eyes made me wonder how long ago she’d come around.
“Are you alright?”
Her eyes fluttered open. “What does it matter to you?”
I blinked.
“You said a few seconds ago you hardly like her,” Lyra reminded me.
“He hasn’t suddenly become effusive while I was out?” she asked Lyra who looked as if she’d start laughing at any moment.
“Fortunately, not. Do you really want him to talk more? Spout his anti-human sentiments? Or?—”
“That’s enough, Lyra.”
Lyra made a sound which indicated she clearly disagreed. “I’m not one of your subjects to be ordered about.”
“I can’t believe you have subjects.” Mev moved to sit up. “Poor things.”
I pushed her back down. “Don’t get up too quickly.”
She rolled her eyes and didn’t listen. Of course.
“I’m fine.” Mev stood and Lyra followed.
“I can assist you to our shelter,” she said to Mev.
It was not happening. I stood as well. “She stays here, with me.”
“Perhaps you should let her decide? Or is she your captive still?” Lyra shot back.
“Good question,” Mev added.
Although there was no chance Mev was sleeping anywhere but beside me, I took a risk and asked, “Where would you like to stay? It is your choice. But I did construct this shelter for two and Lyra’s for just one person.”
She looked from me to Lyra, clearly torn.
If Mev thought to escape during the night, I could feel her vibrations. Lyra knew that, and her expression said as much. There was no good reason to want to keep her with me except that… I wanted her with me.
“I guess since we’re already set up for two, I can stay here.”
“It would take Kael very little for him to rectify that. Are you certain?” Lyra asked.
“I’m sure.”
Seemingly satisfied, Lyra turned to leave. “If you need me, just whisper my name into the wind.”
“Will that work?” Mev asked.
“It shouldn’t, but based on what you did today, it likely will.” Then to Kael, “See it doesn’t become necessary for her to do so. King Galfrid will be as pleased if his daughter is harmed as he was when she was taken.”
Knowing as much already, I said nothing but waited for Lyra to leave.
“That was rude. You can be a real asshole sometimes, Kael.”
“You have quite a mouth on you, princess.”
At that, she turned that mouth into a pout, one I couldn’t stop staring at.
She cocked her head to the side. “Most of the time, I think you hate me. Except for when you look at me that way.”
“I don’t hate you, Mev,” I said, my voice barely a whisper and foreign to my own ears. Softer. More gentle. As if she’d be convinced of something that should be true.
I should hate her. I’d been taught to hate her.
And yet, I didn’t.
Mev looked directly into my eyes. There was no sign of the woman who had fainted upon learning she was likely, if she remained in Elydor, demi-immortal. This was the woman who had rightfully hidden her identity from me. The one who’d taken her chance with Issa, telling her everything and attempting to escape me. Who defied me, even when she’d been scared.
“Prove it.”
I needed no further encouragement.
Closing the distance between us, I reached for the back of her head, wanting to feel Mev’s hair between my fingers again. When she didn’t pull away, I brought my head down.
The first touch of our lips was everything I’d imagined it would be.
Between her hands on my arms and the feel of Mev’s mouth pressed to mine, I could no sooner keep back a groan than I could let her go. Deepening the kiss, I touched my tongue to hers, intending to move slowly. As our mouths melded together, those intentions fled as quickly as a glintwing fitch being pursued by a hawk. We fit together perfectly, the kiss one I’d be content to last all eve.
That was… until Mev made a little sound in her throat. Of pleasure. Of need. One I understood and wanted to reciprocate. I did, for a moment. Pulling her head even closer to mine, I devoured her. Images flashed through my mind… the first time I saw her, watching Mev sleep in Estmere, seeing her eyes widen at Elydor’s beauty, sitting beside me on a rock with her arms wrapped around her legs.
I didn’t just want to consume her. I wanted to protect her, as if she were a Gyorian. As if she were my Gyorian.
She is not yours. Not Gyorian, but the daughter of King Galfrid.
Just as my free hand began to roam from Mev’s back lower than it should, given that fact, I pulled away. Enough moonlight streamed into the shelter to illuminate her face clearly.
“I don’t hate you, Mev.”
Though I may have stopped, I found it impossible to pull away completely. Tracing her bottom lip with my thumb, I resisted the urge to taste her again.
“You kissed me.”
That seemed fairly obvious, but I agreed with her just the same.
“You did tell me to prove it. Seemed the most obvious way to do so.” I dropped my hand, the tightness of my chest concerning given the identity of the woman in my arms.
“Though I should not have done so.”
The fire was back in her eyes. “Why?”
“You know why.”
“Because we are enemies.” Mev moved toward the door, giving me her back.
How could I explain to her the complications that would arise if she and I were to continue down this path? A few days ago, Mev knew nothing of our world. Centuries of history could not be easily explained, nor did I have any wish at this moment to speak of politics and hatred, especially the one that ran so deep between our people.
Mev knew nothing of our world. She would not know what lay just outside from us, and the urge to show her, to see her face, had me moving past her. Inhaling the scent that was uniquely Mev as I walked by, I encouraged her to follow me. She did, without argument. As we approached the water, her eyes widened, as they tended to do often when she took in her surroundings. Mev’s mouth opened, and not kissing it was difficult now that I knew how sweet my princess tasted.
Not yours, Kael.
“It’s… I have no words. I thought the skies in Aetheria were easily the most beautiful thing about Elydor, but I think that takes the cake.” We stood at the water’s edge. “What is it?” she asked.
“Bioluminescent algae. As the starlight reflects off the surface, algae emits that glow.”
“Isn’t it extraordinary?”
I wasn’t looking at the lake. I’d seen it, and ones like it, many times before. Instead, I watched Mev. Perhaps there had been some part of me that knew since the moment I spotted her Mev was no ordinary human coming through the closed Aetherian Gate.
“More than you realize.”
I shifted my focus to the lake.
Through the corner of my eye, I could see her looking at me. Mev didn’t acknowledge my words, nor would I explain them. It was enough that I’d kissed her, that I continued down this path despite knowing it would lead to my own demise. Best to let that go, at least for tonight.
I’d set my course, but that did not mean it was necessary to crash while navigating it. One mistake did not necessitate another. With that thought in mind, I turned away.
“Stay as long as you’d like.”
I meant for her to enjoy the view, as I knew she’d been doing, but could tell Mev took my words as a rejection. Best to let her think that than the alternative.
This time, the truth would simply not do.