Chapter 25 #2
“She has been like this for twenty years, frostling. And I’ve been here with her all these years. Forever bound. Forever love. First she slept. Then Aviel came home from a horrible foster childhood. His Dariux brought him back to where he belonged. With us.” Milanov’s smile turned tender.
Mirel frowned. He’d known there was more to Aviel than cruelty. The man carried something old behind the eyes. Of course they shared more than blood. That was the rule for all Dariux heirs, to return to Helion if they survived.
“To come back home.”
“Then came Cyprian. And my beautiful Norma saved Helianth’s life. A true miracle.” Milanov’s breath stuttered.
He chuckled when a tear iced in the corner of his eye. He peeled it away and watched it melt in his palm. “And then you came. Or worse, you’d been there for a long time. How long, frostling? How long until Kylix found you?”
Mirel looked away. “Um, about eight years. They didn’t want me anymore.” He coughed. “Ice. Then spaceship. Then Geron.”
“It was your Dariux, Mirel. It wanted to come home. You know, my nephew was a happy boy. He grew up with Moargan and Helianth. Then about eight years ago, he changed. Kept to himself. I could tell he was hurting, but I didn’t know why.
Soon after, he joined the Luminary. Made it to the top by hard work and bloodline. But you know what I think?”
Mirel shook his head. His heart hurt for Kylix.
Milanov’s mouth softened. “I think he sensed your arrival, Mirel. Maybe he was searching for you without realizing it.”
Mirel’s heart clenched. The bond tugged. The thought that Kylix, his Kylix, might have searched for him, a grave rat, was too much.
“And now you’re here.” Milanov kissed his wife’s hand one last time and walked to the window. “Come, frostling.”
Mirel hesitated, then approached.
“Norma might sleep, but her mind is awake. I trust she will find you too, include you in the Dariux network. You are special, Mirel.”
They stared at each other. Mirel noticed how Milanov’s amethyst eyes swirled around the pupils. He wondered what the Imperial was truly capable of.
“She might find you sooner than you think.” A heavy hand landed on Mirel’s shoulder. “Go now, Mirel. I will see you soon.”
Mirel walked out. The air followed him, thick with whispers. His heart thrashed in his chest, though he didn’t know why. It just was. Charged.
He glanced back before the glass doors closed, catching a final glimpse of Milanov at Norma’s side, his hand wrapped around hers. The sight broke his heart.
His multi-slate pinged.
Kylix: where are you? I’m outside the hospital.
Mirel typed back immediately, relief flooding him.
Outside the room, Aviel stood over Theo, the sound of wet kisses filling the silence. Neither looked up as Mirel passed.
“Mirel.” Not Kylix, but Cyprian waited near the end of the corridor. “I thought you went to the toilets?”
“I did.” Mirel chuckled, the sound rough.
“I see. Let’s go. Our men are waiting outside, and they’re impatient.” Cyprian smiled, hooking his arm through Mirel’s.
Perhaps it was for the better. Mirel felt dizzy by the time they reached the exit. Outside, he inhaled greedily.
Two hover cars waited by the steps. Before getting in, Mirel glanced back toward the hospital windows. He could have sworn Milanov still stood there.
Cold air pressed around them, sharp with the smell of rain and metal. Cyprian lingered beside the car, his breath misting faintly in the light. He rubbed his hands together and gave Mirel a long look.
“You all right?”
Mirel nodded. “Yes.”
Cyprian studied him for a moment, then smiled. “I’m glad you got to see her today.” His voice dropped, more to himself than to Mirel.
Mirel’s chest tightened. “She’s… beautiful,” he said quietly.
“She is.” Cyprian’s eyes glinted. “And she saw you, you know. I could tell. The way the air changed when you walked in. I’ve never seen that happen before.” He exhaled, the breath catching between laughter and disbelief. “I’m so happy you met her, Mirel. I think she was waiting for you.”
Mirel didn’t trust his voice, so he only nodded. He could still feel the chill of the Imperial Wing in his veins, the way the air had moved when their mother had been near. There was weight in it. Recognition.
“You look pale,” Cyprian said. “You should rest when you get home. Tell Kylix to make you eat something.”
“He’ll try,” Mirel murmured, the corner of his mouth lifting.
Cyprian’s expression warmed. “Good. And when this storm settles, we’ll go back together. Properly. Maybe bring flowers. She’d like that.”
Mirel blinked. The thought of returning didn’t scare him. It felt right, even if he couldn’t say why. “I’d like that,” he said.
“Of course.” Cyprian pulled him into a quick hug. “You’re family. Don’t forget that.”
Mirel nodded against his shoulder. The moment was brief, but it steadied him. When Cyprian let go, he looked lighter, as if the act of saying it had taken something off his chest.
Mirel watched him climb into the second hover car. The door closed, the vehicle rising smooth into the air. He stayed where he was for a breath, looking up at the hospital window one last time. It was empty now.
The other car door opened behind him. Kylix sat inside, waiting, hands resting on his knees, eyes steady.
Mirel climbed in. The door sealed. The city’s noise fell away.
Rain tapped the window, soft and steady. The sound filled the silence.
Mirel let his eyes close. Kylix’s hand rested on his thigh, warm and grounding.
The cold inside him still murmured, like a faint echo from the hospital. He thought of the woman in the bed and the way the air had shifted when she breathed. It stayed with him, thin as mist.
He focused on Kylix’s touch, the quiet rhythm of the engine. Slowly, the frost inside him eased.
He let out a long breath. For the first time that day, the world felt steady.
The hospital lights slipped behind them, fading into the fog. Mirel leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The hum of the engine and the quiet weight of Kylix’s presence filled the air between them.