Chapter 55
Esmyra
Esmyra blinked awake to the warmth of Draevyn pressed against her, the soft, morning sunlight filtering through the window. His chest rose and fell steadily beneath her hand, and for a moment, all the chaos of the past few days felt distant, replaced by the bliss of being next to him.
“Morning,” she murmured, brushing the longer strands of hair from his face.
He stirred, blinking open those eyes that burned like amber in the sun, and gave her a sleepy, crooked smile. “Good morning, Wildfire.”
The corners of her lips lifted as she watched him, but it slowed as the memory of all the guilt he carried crept back in.
She knew he felt responsible for what Irah had done to Kaelypso nearly a thousand years ago, and she thought maybe if he knew the truth of what she witnessed, it could ease some of that pain.
“What is it?” he asked in a whisper, a crease forming between his brows.
He always knows when something’s off.
“As he should,” Kae purred, and Esmyra almost let out a laugh.
She met his gaze. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
He straightened in the bed, concern etched into his features, but he said nothing.
“Remember how I told you I saw my father’s murder through the Veil of Visions?”
Draevyn flinched. “Yes.”
“That’s not all it showed me.” She paused. “Before I fled Maerinys, I asked it to show me why my father was in the kingdom the day it sank. Why he was in the castle to begin with when he’d been nothing but a criminal his entire life.”
He was silent for a moment. “What did it show you?”
Esmyra sucked in a sharp breath. “I saw him, but it wasn’t the first memory shown.” His brows furrowed, but he let her continue. “It showed me Kaelypso and Irah in bed together.”
His eyes flared. “Were they…”
A soft chuckle slipped even though there was barely any joy in it. “No. Not in that moment anyway. But they were happy.”
A soft flutter went through Esmyra and Kaelypso’s shared heart.
“Until they weren’t,” Draevyn grumbled. “Irah betrayed Kaelypso. I’ll never forget that day in the crypt for the remainder of my life. The day I watched you touch your own remains from a past life, learning the truth of it all.”
The rage radiated off him in waves of heat, and she reached up to cradle his face in her hands.
“It was Naerysa’s fault,” she said, anger creeping into her tone as the memories surfaced. “The moment Kae left the room, her twin appeared in a hidden corner. She’d been camouflaging herself against the surroundings.”
Draevyn’s eyes flared, and she knew it was likely because that was exactly what Syrena had done in his room.
“Naerysa walked up to Irah as he was sleeping and didn’t wake him until she was straddling him in his bed. And the moment he opened his eyes, she compelled him.”
The veins in Draevyn’s neck bulged against his skin, his jaw ticking.
“Naerysa made him believe she was Kaelypso.”
He blew out a breath. “So, history truly has repeated itself, huh, Wildfire?”
“Aye,” she whispered. “Irah snapped out of it somehow and caught her, throwing her to the ground and threatening her. Naerysa admitted she’d been doing that to him for a long while, and he never knew. It was… horrifying. She took his choice away.”
His lips pressed into a thin line, but he continued to listen.
“Just as Syrena took your choice away,” Esmyra finished.
Silence stretched for a few moments before Draevyn spoke again. “You saw this before I found you in Anchorage Cove.”
She nodded. “I can’t even lie; I think it’s the only reason I believed you in that alley. When you said you’d been under compulsion, I just knew. I knew Syrena had done the same thing to you that Naerysa did to Irah.”
Esmyra hadn’t realized there were tears in her eyes until one slid down her cheek. “Drae, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” he cut in, carefully pulling her close to his chest. “You had nothing to do with what was done to me.”
Esmyra pulled away slightly, just enough to look back up at him. “Naerysa tried to turn Irah against Kaelypso, and it didn’t work. But Syrena did turn me against you, and I did horrible things because of it.”
Draevyn gently wiped her tear away with his thumb. “I wouldn’t say it didn’t work. You told me Irah stabbed both Naerysa and Kaelypso in their hearts. Clearly something must’ve happened.”
“I don’t think he wanted to do it,” she admitted.
“The vision eventually changed and that was when they showed me my father. He was meeting with the other three gods of Rymelle. Irah, Villaem, and Vydenne were giving him instructions on how to lure Kae and Naerysa to Maerinys that day, telling them that war was coming.”
“Still, Irah betrayed Kaelypso. I would never fucking do that to you.”
“I know,” she admitted, smiling softly. “But I don’t think he wanted to either. When Cyrus agreed to help them, Irah looked horrified. It was like the god was counting on him saying no to save Kaelypso or at least buy her time.”
Draevyn’s brows furrowed. “The sea was your father’s home, so why would he agree to destroy its goddesses?”
“They offered him immortality. Eternal life.” A humorless chuckle slipped from her. “Little did he know it would be a cursed life.”
“There must be more to this,” he whispered, seeming as if his mind was wandering.
“Aye, there must be. And I intend to find out what it is.”
His hand reached for hers, interlocking their fingers before pressing his lips to her knuckles. “Then we’ll find out together, Wildfire.”
They shared a quiet moment like that, just the two of them in the aftermath of the night, until the smell of something cooking drifted up from below.
Esmyra’s stomach rumbled softly. “It seems the crew is awake.”
“Unfortunately, we can’t ignore them forever.”
She laughed, pressing a kiss to his jaw before untangling herself from him. “Alright, I suppose it’s time we face them. But I’m warning you, I will not hesitate to throw a dagger at Samwell if he’s cranky.”
“Noted.” He chuckled, pulling her close for a last squeeze. Then he whispered in her ear, “But the funny thing is he said the same thing about you.”
With a shared grin, they swung their legs over the side of the bed.
From below came the unmistakable sound of voices raised in laughter and shouting, the clanging of pans, and the occasional thump of boots on the floorboards.
Esmyra froze mid-step, tilting her head toward the stairwell. “They sound rowdy.”
Draevyn’s arm tightened around her waist before brushing his lips along her temple. “Of course they are. Chaos is our crew’s specialty.”
Our crew.
“Aye.” She gripped his hand and they crept toward the stairs, the raucous chorus of their crew growing louder with each step.
Esmyra and Draevyn descended the spiral staircase that wound snugly along the massive trunk of the tree. As they reached the bottom, the main room opened up like an enchanted burrow.
She scanned the space, and she couldn’t help but smirk at the absurdity of what she saw. A dozen or so of her crew were crammed into this whimsical little tree home. Broad shoulders bumped into shelves, and heads bent low to avoid the low-hanging plants that hung across the house.
It was almost comical, seeing them squish together, wide eyes peering at odd-looking objects, and hands clutching mugs of herbal tea as though it were a chalice of gold. The contrast between the rough, rugged crew and the delicate charm of Jenli’s home made her smile.
Gods, I’ve gone soft.
“I’ve been waiting for you to notice.” Kaelypso’s voice made her jump.
Esmyra snorted in response.
“Finally,” Riven called, grinning as he sat on the counter. “The boss and her mighty guardian descend into our humble den!”
“And where did you two disappear last night, huh?” Ren chimed in, the teasing noises erupting from the rest of them.
“Ren, did I say you were allowed to speak yet?” Jenli yelled over her shoulder as she poured tea into a mug.
Ren’s arms flew out to his sides so fast his stool almost tipped over. “It was impossible to not hear them!”
Heat rushed to Esmyra’s cheeks, her eyes slowly widening. She would never hear the end of this from them.
Ever.
“Seems like a dangerous game, Drae,” Samwell chimed in, shocking her. “I’ve heard she leaves no survivors.”
Esmyra rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress her smirk as Draevyn laughed softly beside her.
Jak waltzed up to them with a bowl of some kind of porridge, nudging Esmyra playfully as his spoon hung from his mouth. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better now,” she admitted, knowing it was only partly due to what they removed from her spine.
Inside, her heart practically soared. Seeing her crew gathered here, safe and alive and just as insane as they had always been. It filled her with a deep, quiet joy she hadn’t realized she’d missed so desperately, or had ever even experienced at all.
Jak reached up, ruffling the top of her hair as she swatted at him. “I’m happy to hear it. Though, I have to admit, I’m with Ren. We could’ve all done without hearing what went on after.” He gave her a knowing look.
Esmyra’s eyes narrowed and her hand balled into a fist before jabbing him in the stomach.
He doubled over with a laugh. “Alright, alright.” He chuckled, straightening up. Jak then leaned down and whispered in her ear, “They know something was wrong, but not to the full extent. I had to turn them away from the door last night because they were worried. No one will ask questions.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
He gave her a nod. “But seriously, we need to make a plan now that you’re well again. We can’t hide out here forever.”
Jak was right, they couldn’t hide out here much longer. And she was tired of running.
Esmyra’s gaze drifted over the crew, each of them talking and laughing. A pang of guilt stabbed though her, hating the thought of taking all of this away so soon. But they deserved the truth.