Chapter 15
You Can Always Call Me
Nikhail made it to the farmhouse in record time. His heart had started racing the moment he heard the panic in River’s voice, and he’d been in his car before the call ended. He peeled out of the driveway of Waterborn House, having just finished his shift protecting the Representative.
It had been a quiet night and, up until River’s call, a rather calm one. Nikhail had kept himself busy, messaging with his team about the phone he’d found at Representative Gaveston’s house. His team had managed to turn the phone on—a miracle in itself—but they hadn’t unlocked it. Yet.
Nikhail was confident they’d soon be able to access the phone and the information it contained.
That was a problem for later, though. Right now, all he could think about was River. She needed him.
Gravel crunched under the tires as Nikhail pulled up the driveway to the farmhouse. His heart lodged in his chest as he took in the scene awaiting him. His magic strummed anxiously in his veins.
River was sitting on the steps leading up to the wraparound porch. She had a blanket around her shoulders, and she was wearing slippers. More importantly, she was trembling.
He was halfway down the driveway when River jumped to her feet and ran toward his car. Nikhail barely had the time to hit the brakes before she reached him. He put the car into park and cut the engine, opening his door.
River threw herself at him with a cry that had Nikhail’s heart wrenching. He wrapped his arms around her, relishing the feel of her pressed against him. There was a gentle hum in his soul, a rightness that settled the longer they touched.
“You came,” she murmured against his chest, her voice muffled.
Nikhail pulled back. “Of course. You called.”
River drew in a shaky breath. He brushed his thumb under her chin and kissed her gently. He’d never appreciated the luxury of being able to kiss someone out in the open before, but after spending so long hiding what he and River had, Nikhail would never take it for granted again.
River let out a soft sigh as he pulled away. It reverberated in the depths of Nikhail’s being.
“What happened?” he asked. “You sounded so upset on the phone.”
Even now, streaks of dried tears trailed down River’s face. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose was red.
Nikhail’s chest constricted. A knot formed in his throat, and he held River closer. He hated that she’d been crying and wanted to wipe away her pain. Hadn’t she already been through enough? She didn’t deserve to keep getting hurt.
River’s lips tugged down. “This morning when I came downstairs, I heard—”
The front door opened, and Ryker bolted onto the porch. He was in shambles, the likes of which Nikhail hadn’t seen since the day after the captain removed his wife from The Pit. His hair was askew, and there was a grey tinge to his skin that was utterly unnatural.
A flicker of movement in the front window caught Nikhail’s eye. Brynleigh stood behind the sun-safe glass, looking out. Her arms were crossed, and she was frowning.
What was going on?
“River, please.” Desperation tinged Ryker’s voice as he drew closer, unmistakable torment on his face. “We need to talk about this.”
River stiffened, and the tension racing through her body caused Nikhail’s to tighten. His magic battered against the confines of his veins, yearning to protect River against whatever was going on.
“What more is there to talk about?” River asked after several strained, silent moments had passed. “Are there any other secrets you’ve been keeping from me?”
“No. It’s not like that,” Ryker said desperately.
“It’s not?” River raised a brow. “That’s how it feels to me. You knew this whole time, Ryker. You knew, and you didn’t tell me. By your own admission, you avoided telling me the truth for years! That is the fucking definition of a secret, brother.”
“I did this to protect you!” Ryker shouted, and River shrank further against Nikhail. He scrubbed a hand over his face, contrition tightening his features. “Fuck. Sorry, River. I didn’t mean…”
“To lie to me?”
“No. Fuck! I mean... I was just trying to keep you from getting hurt.”
Nikhail had no idea what had happened, but he wasn’t concerned about the details right now. River was hurting, and that was all the information he needed. If she wanted to share the details later, he’d listen. If not, he’d still remain by her side.
“You had no right to keep this from me, Ryker,” River said softly. “None at all.”
“No, I…” The captain glanced between River and Nikhail pleadingly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“But you did.”
The air pulsed with tension as River slid her hand into Nikhail’s. She clung to him, as if he were the anchor she needed to withstand this storm.
Nikhail would gladly fill that role.
“I understand where you were coming from, Ryker, I do. But you lied to me. Maybe not outright, but you hid the truth from me.” Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “You hurt me. Not only because of what I learned, but because I trusted you.”
Ryker’s face drained of all remaining color. “You can trust me, River. I swear.”
“Can I?” Her voice quivered.
“Yes. Always.” Ryker stepped towards River, raising a hand as though to touch her, but River moved away.
“I don’t know if I can,” she admitted.
A broken, anguished sound escaped the captain. “What?”
“I thought you were a safe space for me, Ryker,” she whispered. “In the face of the way we grew up, with the way Mom has always treated me, with my magic… But now, I don’t know. I feel like I don’t know anything at all.”
Ryker looked like he’d just been punched in the gut.
River inhaled, a shaky, broken sound. “I don’t think I can stay here right now.”
“Yes, you can. Brynleigh and I love having you here with us. You’re my sister,” the captain said pleadingly.
“And you’re my brother. You always will be—that hasn’t changed. But I need some space.”
“Please, don’t go. Don’t do this.”
River trembled and, gods. It was as if Nikhail could feel her pain resonating through him. Every part of him contorted.
“I have to,” she said. “I need to process this, and I can’t do it here.”
Nikhail had seen dying men who were in less agony than Ryker Waterborn. Sorrow and misery swam in the depths of the captain’s eyes. When Nikhail glanced at River, he saw the same pain reflected in hers.
Ryker slowly lowered his hand and shook his head. “Okay. You need time. That’s fair. I understand where you’re coming from.”
“Thank you.”
“Where will you go?” Torment laced his every word. “Back to Waterborn House?”
River sucked in a breath, and her fingers tightened around Nikhail’s, as if she hadn’t considered this yet. “I… I don’t…”
“She can come with me,” Nikhail offered. “I’m staying with Atlas, and he has an extra spare room.”
Not that Nikhail wouldn’t love sharing a bed with River, but this didn’t seem like the right moment to bring that up.
Ryker was dealing with enough.
River craned her head to look at him, and relief flashed through her lovely gaze. “You’re sure, Nik?”
If he had his way, she would remain by his side every moment of every day for the rest of their long lives. Something told him that might be a bit too much to say right now, so he settled on, “Of course, I’m sure.”
“If you don’t think I’ll be imposing…” River rolled her bottom lip through her teeth, and Nikhail gently tugged it free, soothing the injured flesh before he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
By the Blessed Obsidian Sands, it felt good not having to hide how much he cared about this woman.
“You won’t be. It’s exam season, and Atlas is barely around. Between grading papers, lab work, and whatever else he does on campus, he practically lives there. I’ll call him, just to be sure, but if you want to come with me, you can.”
Nikhail spoke loud enough that he was certain Ryker could hear every word. It’s what he would want if the situation were reversed and one of his sisters wanted to stay somewhere else after they had been in a fight.
A long moment passed before she dipped her head. “Thank you. I would like that.”
The quiet words settled something in Nikhail’s soul that he hadn’t realized was out of sorts. His lips quirked up. “Okay, then that’s settled.”
After a long moment, he glanced at Ryker. He appeared to be in more pain now than ever, clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides.
To the water fae’s credit, he was keeping his distance, letting his sister make her own choices. If Nikhail hadn’t already known that Ryker was a good brother, this would’ve affirmed it for him.
“You have my word,” Nikhail said. “I will take care of her.”
The words hovered around them, and a long moment passed before Ryker dipped his chin. “Okay. Thank you.”
The air was still tense as River pulled her hand from Nikhail’s. “I’m going to pack a bag.” She glanced at her slippered feet. “And maybe get some shoes, too.”
River was halfway to the front door before she turned around and raced back to her brother. She threw her arms around Ryker, holding him tight.
“I still love you,” she said against his chest, her words muffled. “I just… I need some space. Thank you for being okay with this. You’re still my brother, Ryker. That will never change.”
Half an hour later, River sat in the passenger seat of Nikhail’s car.
He had given the siblings some room, calling Atlas and confirming that it was fine if River came and crashed with them.
He and Ryker had talked about work—the Black Night felt like a much safer topic than venturing into whatever had happened between the siblings—until River came out with her bag.
She’d hugged her brother again, and it sounded like she’d already said goodbye to Brynleigh. Then, she got into the car.
Now, they were sitting in silence. Nikhail was watching River—memorizing the way she looked—as his water fae shredded tissues on her lap.
She wasn’t looking at Nikhail, but at the enormous front window of the farmhouse, where Ryker and Brynleigh stood behind the glass, holding each other.
“You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to,” Nikhail murmured. “I’m sure that Ryker will be overjoyed if you choose to stay.”
“No. I need some space, and I want to go with you.”
How could he push back against that, when those words were a soothing balm to an ache he hadn’t known existed? “Okay.”
Reaching around River, he took her seat belt and buckled her in. His fingers grazed hers, and warmth swept through him. When she was secure, he took her hand and gently squeezed her fingers.
“I’m glad you called me, River.” He kissed their joined fingers, the glimmer of the prohiberis manacles catching his eye. Gods, he hated those shackles. “You can always call me.”
“And you’ll come,” she said, glancing over at him.
“Always,” he vowed.
It was the easiest promise he’d ever made. And as he pulled out of the driveway and headed towards Golden City, warmth sparked in Nikhail’s soul. It remained there as he drove to Atlas’s house and carried River’s bag inside, showing her the spare room.
“Atlas said it’s yours for as long as you need it,” Nikhail said.
River stood in the doorway for a long moment before she looked over at him. “It looks nice. If you don’t mind, I’m going to lie down. It’s been a really long morning.”
“Of course.” He gathered her close, pressing his lips against her forehead. “Take all the time you need. Have a nap if you want. I’ll make you some food when you wake up.”
“Thank you, Nik,” she murmured, turning towards the room.
“Oh, and little storm?” he called out.
She peered over her shoulder. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re here. With me,” he added, in case that wasn’t clear.
River’s lips tilted into a small smile, and she held on to the door handle. “Thanks, Nik. Me, too.”