Chapter 4 The Nest of Stone #2
This high in the Spire, the wind scoured the peak clean, a constant presence that tore at my hair and made my feathers sing. The harmony of home and power had filled my senses since my weaving, but after my failed mating with Callista, it had become a cage.
Now, the sprawling tapestry of Asphodelia’s dark foundations was no longer a map of my duties and failures. The slate had been wiped clean, leaving only a testament to our survival, intricate and beautiful.
I turned from the familiar view and sought out the reason for this newfound peace. My sisters were already here, standing before the grand relief of our mother. Her likeness emerged from the sheer basalt wall, her wings spread in a protective embrace I could still feel deep inside me.
Megaera reached out, her fingers gently tracing the chiseled edge of a single, perfect feather. “Mother. Phonos has found his mate. Like we hoped.”
Alecto stood perfectly still beside me, relaxed in the silent comfort of the aerie. “But of course, you always knew he would.”
My attention settled on our mother’s carved face, on the fierce loyalty etched there. Gratitude swelled in my chest, a physical ache that pressed against my ribs. “You left behind a path for me when I was completely lost,” I said. “And I know now, you must be so happy for me.”
Our mother might be gone in body, but her death energy lived on in me and my sisters. I had no doubt that she was watching us still, through Thanatos’s gift.
I only wished I’d inherited her patience. But every second I spent away from Daphne now felt like an age. “You’d like her a lot, Mother. She’s coming to the Spire today. She should have already arrived, but Aion moves like the mountain he is.”
Megaera lowered her hand from the wall, turning toward me with a look of fond exasperation. “He is being careful, Phonos. As he should be. In your heart, you know that.”
I did. It was why we were going through the entire process in the first place.
Daphne was my mate, but I hadn’t claimed her through the bride market, not yet. The simple fact that I’d shown her around was already inappropriate, a breach of our regular ways. Aion was our only excuse, the thin mask over the reality that Daphne had already made her choice.
The knowledge did little to soothe the sudden twist of vulnerability in my gut. I drifted toward the dark archway, scanning the vast, open expanse beyond it. “I just hope... I hope Daphne sees what we see. A home, not a fortress.”
Daphne disliked flying, and she’d made that clear from our first meeting. I’d taken steps to protect her from the experience. But would it be enough?
“She’ll be fine, brother,” Alecto assured me, with her unique brand of certainty. “She belongs here, just as we do.”
As if to confirm her words, a heavy ringing of bronze on stone reached us from far below. It traveled through the Spire’s very bones, sharp and familiar. I’d heard that sound many times before. One of Charon’s barges had just reached the Spire. Daphne was here.
Together, my sisters and I leaped into the churning void.
We dove from the aerie as one, a controlled fall into the shrieking wind.
I barely registered the torrent of power.
My entire focus was on the ground rushing up to meet us, on the massive gates of the Spire’s lower entrance.
Or rather, on the people waiting for us there.
As we landed in perfect unison, Aion’s immense form emerged from the barge. “Phonos. I have brought her, as promised.”
He was already helping Daphne out of the vessel. I would have resented him for it, but her comfort was more important than my possessiveness. And right now, Daphne was visibly overwhelmed.
She tilted her head back, a slow, disbelieving motion as she tried to comprehend the impossible scale of my home.
She looked so fragile in the face of all the hewn basalt, a flicker of mortal warmth in the heart of our ancient Spire.
But she was here, and she’d faced much worse.
Alecto was right. Daphne belonged in the Keres Spire, by my side.
I closed the distance between us in an instant, my hands already aching with the need to reach out and touch. “Daphne, you came.”
“I wanted to see,” Daphne answered, and every word felt like a gift. “I chose to.”
It was such a simple thing, that want, that decision. And yet, it was the most awe-inspiring thing in Alia Terra. A fierce, possessive pride surged through me, a tide of heat that burned away the fear.
There was no more reason to wait, to doubt. “Welcome to the Keres Spire, then.” I gestured to my sisters, who had moved to flank me. “These are my sisters, Alecto and Megaera.”
Alecto gave a short dip of her chin, a gesture of acknowledgment she reserved only for proven equals. An intense curiosity burned in her stare. “The seer who walked through the Blighted Lands. Your strength precedes you. It is an honor.”
“We are so glad you are here. Truly,” Megaera offered, her mellow tone barely masking her enthusiasm. “Please, do not let the cold foundation and shadows frighten you. This is a place of safety and protection.”
A small, grateful smile touched Daphne’s lips as she looked at Megaera. “Thank you. It feels... alive.”
I offered her my arm, just like I’d done at the docks when we’d gone on our first walk. “That it does. Come. Let me show you.”
As Daphne accepted my arm, I led her inside, past our great gates. They stood open today, welcoming the guests in a way they never had before. From the massive hall, we passed the towering reliefs of my ancestors to the winding staircase carved specially for human use.
Once, those stairs had only led upwards, to the top of the spire. The day I’d met her, I’d known that needed to change. The staircase now dug deep into the foundation of the Spire, the same way Daphne had barreled her way into my heart.
The moment she saw the stairs, Daphne froze. “I thought… I assumed all your quarters would be high up in the spire.”
“They are,” I answered, carefully keeping my voice steady. “The oldest chambers, the highest alcoves... they were built for the sky. The paths on foot were always an afterthought. A long, dark climb to the places that truly matter. But things change when they need to.”
I guided her down the spiraling staircase, deep into the quiet heart of Asphodelia itself. Down here, the death energy was even more potent than on the surface. The death crystals that lined the corridors made the asphodels in Daphne’s hair glimmer like stars.
The base of the stairs opened into a new chamber, one that was still a work in progress. I stopped, allowing her to take it in. In the center of the room lay a grand, sunken circular area carved directly into the floor. Wide, smooth steps led down into a deep, terraced bowl.
Piles of thick furs and woven silks were already stacked on the rim, waiting to line the interior, promising a depth of softness that would banish the chill of the stone.
It was a nesting alcove. But it was stripped of the terrifying drop, grounded in the bedrock of the world.
As Daphne’s gaze traced the inward slope of the stone, her expression shifted from tentative curiosity to a dawning shock. She turned to me, her eyes wide. “This isn’t a room, Phonos. It’s a nest.”
“A home shouldn’t demand you change your nature to live in it,” I said. “And a nest shouldn’t be a place of fear.”
She will not have to fly here. She will not have to change. I will change for her.
I gestured upwards, toward the distant, shrouded peak where my old life resided, a place of wind and storms she would never have to see.
“My old nest is up there. Closer to the clouds. Meant for the wind.” I met her gaze, letting her see the undeniable truth of my next words.
“I decided it was time to build a new one. A nest we can walk into together. Didn’t I tell you, Daphne? Sometimes, even a Keres has to walk.”
Technically, the stairs in the Keres tower could have led her to my old nest. They were meant to accommodate death-touched brides. But even if Daphne wouldn’t have to fly to get there, the mere height would be a strain for her. That was the last thing I wanted.
It didn’t frighten me to do this, to leave the sky behind and choose the ground. Perhaps my wings had never been woven for flight anyway. Maybe they’d been meant to protect her. But would Daphne see it that way?
For a few moments, she said nothing. I waited, giving her time to process. I’d known this would be a lot, but I trusted her courage.
The silence stretched between us, a heavy, expectant thing. Then, she spoke. Her voice was soft, but it cut through the dusty air with unshakable certainty. “I see now.”
The words pulled me from my reverie, and I was suddenly lost, adrift in the deep currents of her gaze. “See what?”
“This foundation,” she said, her hand gesturing to the gentle slope of the carved stone bowl. “What you’re building. It’s not just a place to sleep. It’s a place to be.”
She took a small step closer, and the space between us seemed to hum with a sudden energy. Her gaze was unwavering, locking with mine. “You have built a home on a promise. I want to make a promise of my own.”
My breath caught in my throat. Hope, fierce and terrifying, surged through me, and I did not dare give it voice. I could only manage to say her name. “Daphne...”
Her expression softened, but the resolve in her eyes was as hard and real as the basalt beneath our feet.
“I’ve made my choice. I will enter the Bride Market.”