Chapter 24 #3
I turn to Killian, not knowing what to do. He looks resigned. He’d explained that Yara’s Gift is great, but takes a great toll as well. She hasn’t used it in years for fear of it being too much for her, for pushing her to the Brink.
And now she’s offering to use it, risking all—for me.
“If you want them safe—and quickly—then this is the only way. Yara is right, Thea. Your heart is torn with worry for them, and we need it whole for what’s to come.”
Killian shares a look with Yara.
“I told you, Beinmor” she tells him with a smug smile, winking. Killian sinks to one knee beside her chair.
“Beinmor?” I ask.
“It means little mountain in old Northlandish,” Killian tells me. “It’s what she’s called me since I was a child.”
“Because the mountain does not falter, no matter the hardships, no matter the assault thrust upon it by the winds and the snows. It stands tall and true.” She reaches out and places a wrinkled hand on his cheek. “And it always will.”
My heart twists then, knowing that she must be talking about Dorian and the abuse he rained down upon his son.
But even as a child, Killian stood strong and true.
He could have turned as bitter as his father, could have taken all of that hurt and hate and turned it outward against others, but he didn’t.
He chose a different path. He chose to help and protect, to punish those who prey on the weak and think to take what they want by force.
I think to Turner and his men, cast out into the cold to die for trying to attack me.
And just like that, I fall even more in love with this man. My mountain. My heart. My king.
“Are you sure?” Killian asks Yara softly.
“I am. And who knows, perhaps this will not be the day I meet Noxum. Perhaps I shall keep him waiting a bit longer.” She winks and Killian laughs. “I told you long ago that you would come to me when you needed your family whole. You should know by now that I am always right, Beinmor.”
Your family. My chest clenches. Because Math and Cece are now his family too because of the love he has for me.
I want to protest. I want to fight this, but it seems as if she is set on this path and it would be a great disrespect to try to sway her when she’s offering me this gift.
The gift of my family—our family—safe and by my side once more after all these months and with a war coming for us all.
I swallow hard, but nod when Yara asks me if I’m ready.
-Breathe, Thea,- Soren reminds me and I inhale deeply in response. -Rumors are true then. You like obeying commands-
My eyes widen and I whip my head to the big cat.
-What!?-
-Animals talk- is all he says in response and my cheeks feel like they’re on fire. Killian tilts his head in concern but I wave him off.
-I cannot believe you talk about my sex life,- I hiss inside Soren’s mind.
-I don’t choose to hear about it, believe me.
But you two are not subtle and, as I said, animals talk.
- I feel the smug smile through the pathway between us and realize that he’s succeeded in helping me to calm, to take my mind from what’s about to happen, at least for a moment.
Though I don’t love that all of the animals in the kingdom apparently know about my bedroom preferences, I do appreciate his efforts to make this easier.
“I can hold the door open for twenty minutes, maybe a few more,” Yara says, pulling me back into the fold.
“I’ll be done in ten,” I promise. Maybe if I don’t take too long, the surge of power won’t be too much for her, it won’t push her to the Brink…
I clear my throat. “How…what do I do, exactly?”
“Think of the place you want to go. Picture it in your mind as clearly as you can, imagine yourself in it.”
I do as she says, thinking of the tavern, of the hours upon hours spent there chatting with patrons and laughing with Cece, singing with Math—horrifically off-key—cleaning and swearing and cursing the hard work at times.
I think of the smell of wood polish and spilled ale and the meat pies that Cece makes with her grandmam’s recipe; I think of the sounds of the sailors singing their sea songs of distant shores and sirens, the clinking of glasses, the meaty thuds and grunts of pain as fists met flesh, and the grumbling of muttered apologies afterwards when it was that or be tossed out on their asses.
I can see it all so clearly and my eyes prick with tears at the longing for it, for them.
I gasp when the air in front of us shivers and shimmers before splintering, as if someone put their fist into a mirror.
The broken lines grow longer, thicker, until the entire large oval of space in front of me is black…
but no. Not black. A faint, dark shimmering that grows brighter and brighter as shapes seem to appear and grow sharper. ..
A heartbeat later, I take a staggering step backward because I’m staring at the tavern, just as I left it all those months ago.
It’s as if I’m standing right there, in the far corner beside the fireplace instead of in Duskthorne, the entire continent separating us.
It’s blissfully empty—I’ll admit I should have probably thought of the area behind the tavern instead just in case it wasn’t.
“Great fucking Makers,” I whisper and hear Killian chuckle low.
“This is extraordinary.” I can’t quite make myself believe that it’s truly a doorway, that I could actually step within it and be inside the walls of the first place where I truly felt safe, that in seconds, I can have Cece and Math in my arms. Yara’s Gift is one of the most prolific I’ve ever seen…
and I thank every fucking Maker that’s ever blessed this earth that she’s been here, safe in Duskthorne all this time.
I shudder to think of what Barony would do with a power like this at his disposal.
“Quickly, Red,” Killian says softly and I cut my gaze to Yara. Her face has already paled, though she’s smiling at me encouragingly. Fuck. I can’t let her push herself too far for me, I won’t. Just hold on, I plead silently.
I nod and hesitate for a heartbeat, the idea of stepping through this doorway sending a skittering of unease up my spine, but I force myself forward.
I hold my breath as I take a step, gasping when I feel the shift of air around me from cool with the bite of winter in the air, even indoors, to the stifling heat of Helios.
The smells of the tavern slam into me, so different than those of Yara’s small home, and it’s jarring to say the least. Soren comes through behind me, and though I can tell it’s hard for him to remain, even with me just a few feet away, Killian stays beside Yara, just to be safe.
“Makers...” I whisper, turning to look back through the doorway, convinced for a moment that it must have disappeared behind me, but there it stands, and I can see Yara rigid with concentration and Killian beside her, looking worried.
I hear the door to the kitchen creak open but before I can even turn, I hear the scream.
“FUCK THE MAKERS’ FUCKING MOTHER RIGHT IN THE ASS!!”
I hear a crash of breaking glasses and turn to find Math gaping and gasping, wheeling backwards until his back hits the wall, a shower of glass at his feet.
His gaze is trained on Soren, eyes wide and chest rising and falling in shallow bursts.
I should have realized that a giant frost cat in the middle of a tavern in Helios would be the first thing to draw the eye, not me.
“Math,” I whisper, half laughing, half sobbing, just as Cece yells “Matthais!” from the back.
Math blinks and yanks his gaze from Soren to me, his jaw going slack at the sight.
“Thea??” he breathes. And then I’m running, sprinting across the room to throw my arms around his neck, tears sliding down my cheeks.
“Math!! Oh, great Makers, Math! I’ve missed you so much. I’m so glad you’re alright.”
“Thea, fucking hells, how are you—”
“Math, what was that racket?? I swear if you broke another round of glasses, I’ll tan your hide…THEA!?!”
Cece stops dead halfway through the doorway, hands wrapped in her apron.
She’s frozen for a heartbeat but then flies at me, sobbing and pulling me into the world’s tightest hug.
I know we need to hurry, but I allow myself a moment, just a moment, to embrace my friend, my true sister—not by blood, but by love.
I feel Math wrap his arms around us both, and I feel like my heart is finally complete.
-We must hurry, daska.-
I disentangle myself and scrub at my eyes.
“I don’t have much time to explain, but you have to come with me.”
“Come with you? What do you…holy fucking Makers what is that?!” Cece's eyes finally take in Soren and the doorway behind him, Killian watching with that intense blue-gray stare.
“The frost cat or the doorway…or the very large—and handsome,” I add with a quick smile at Killian, “man?”
“A-all of them?” Math says, eyes darting nervously from Soren to Killian, to the edge of the doorway, then back to Soren.
“I’ll explain it all later, I promise, but we have to leave. Now. Helios will fall soon and I can’t have you here when it does.”
“I know,” Cece says, looking to Math. “We’ve been trying to find a way to get out, but we’re all but surrounded now.”
“Well, you aren’t anymore. Gather your things, quickly as you can.” Cece looks behind me again, worrying at her bottom lip. “Cece, I need you to trust me, ok? And I need you to hurry.”
She looks back to me and nods, complete trust in her eyes, before turning to her husband.
“Come on, Math, you heard her. Hurry.”
I motion to Killian for just a few more moments and rush upstairs on their heels.
“We’ve had everything packed for days, just in case.
Randolph has been trying to secure passage out of one of the smaller, more treacherous bays to the east,” Cece explains as she grabs up the smaller of the three bags, Math hefting the other two.
She shoves a few more things into her bag before looking around, looking torn.
“We’ll come back,” I promise her. “Once it’s safe, we’ll come back.” She nods and we head back out into the hallway. I eye my old room, debating on grabbing a few things, but turn away and run down the stairs with Cece and Math.
I have everything I need.
My heart stutters when I look across the main room of the tavern to the doorway and see Yara’s small body trembling, sweating beading on her forehead.
“Thea. Now!” Killian yells.
“Go!” I cry, pushing Cece forward. Makers bless her, she doesn’t hesitate.
She runs for the doorway and leaps through it.
Math’s breath hitches as he watches his wife sail into the strange unknown, but he follows just after, trusting in me completely—though he does give Soren as wide a berth as possible as he sprints after Cece.
I’m just behind them one hand tangled in the fur at Soren’s back as we jump through the doorway.
Yara lets out a gasping breath, slumping in her chair and I turn and watch in awe as the doorway seems to shrink inward until it disappears completely and only Yara’s sitting room remains, the fire burning and popping in the hearth.
“Yara!” I cry, running to her side. Killian is there, gripping her shoulders and putting two fingers against her throat, checking for her pulse. “Please, please, please,” I whisper, tears welling once more as I gently grasp the old woman’s hand. “Not yet. Not yet, Noxum, please…”
“She’s alive!” Killian cries, eyes sliding closed in relief. I send up a prayer of thanks to all of the Makers. “We should get Copeland, just to be safe.”
I turn to Soren and he nods before turning and leaping to the open window beside the fireplace.
Cece gasps and I see Math yank her to his side out of the corner of my eye.
I brush Yara’s sweat-soaked silver hair from her brow and Killian lifts her from the chair and she looks like a child compared to his massive frame.
He takes her from the room, and I assume, to her bed.
I lean my forehead against the arm of her chair and take a deep, shuddering breath.
“Sooo…what in the actual fuck just happened?” Math asks after a few beats of silence, jovial as ever but I can tell he’s nervous, and a laugh bubbles up from my throat.
Lightly at first, but all of these months of fear and worry and missing them, of the unknown if I’d ever see them again, the still unknown of this war and who will come out alive, all come together in what becomes a fit of laughter so ridiculous that soon Math and Cece have joined in and the three of us collapse into a heap on the floor.
Killian comes back into the room, dark brows quirking up at the three of us, tears streaming and bellies aching, but his lips curl into a slow smile when I meet his gaze.
I know what he’s asking without him having to use words.
Are you happy, love?
I grin at him, the sheer joy of having everyone I love together and safe within the walls of my kingdom—because yes, Duskthorne is mine.
It’s where I’ve always belonged and if the man I love is its king, then by the fucking Makers, I’ll be its queen—fills my heart so fully that I think it might burst.
I nod to him and his smiles widely, the smile he reserves only for me.
I’m happy.