Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
It didn’t matter that Lia had only just been inducted into the Order.
That she had endured major, intensive therapy with a Sci-Fi blacksmith for a counselor.
That she had been on a cosmic roller coaster she did not consent to ride.
That she had a “sparkly new toy” as Kayce liked to quip, considering he was benched with a stitched-up chest.
Oh, or the sheer fact that this all had happened in a single night.
Nope. Not one of those things mattered. Not when under direct tutelage from the commander of Norenth’s armies.
Terranth only made her train for a few hours, mainly to analyze how the pen-sword differed from a Norenthian blade.
Looking back, that was a gift. When Fee declared it was time to coach Lia back to Earth, she practically lectured Terranth’s ear off regarding the hazards of working when overstimulated and exhausted, both mentally and physically.
Jace, who had stepped in to help with elbow positioning, at least had the nerve to look sheepish. But Lia knew she was like a sister to him. He wanted her to be prepared, pushed and trained at her most malleable, and she was grateful for it. Even if her body hated her the next morning.
Especially when her mom broke the news: it was time to go back to school.
Lia spent the next week catching up on her studies during the day while working with the Weatherstone boys at night under Fee’s prudent eye.
Terranth made sure to strain every muscle as they sparred.
Even the ones in Lia’s ears hurt. Kayce traveled with her throughout the kingdom when he didn’t have duties with the Ranger’s Guild.
He had some cleaning up to do after their absence, but as soon as she stepped through the portal, they were off in search of anything her papa might have left about the Seekers and their plot.
It was a perfect distraction from their own problems, the shift in their dynamic.
Neither of them brought up their fight.
They looked everywhere. The bookstore where Lia rented a room saw each book flipped through and upended.
Every servant in the castle knew their faces as they combed the halls, every nook and cranny.
But nothing availed itself. Not even in the infirmary, where Kayce spent a good chunk of time getting his stitches removed.
And the Lions, it seemed, were harder to chance upon than Lia originally thought.
It was time for their next lead.
“Just try,” Kayce insisted, standing in a small hallway of Castle Finerda’s west wing.
For the past twenty minutes, he had been trying to get her to open a portal to pay Adrian’s bookshop a visit.
The trouble was, Lia had yet to consciously bring a creation with her, even one she knew as well as Kayce.
“I don’t even know how it works,” she huffed, glaring at his boots.
“Blood worked with the gremlin to send it back, but you came through while I slept. Maybe I should go to Adrian’s myself.
No one’s supposed to know I can do this, anyway.
” Besides, how Veera alluded to Kayce’s potential harm in the process hadn’t sat well with Lia.
Kayce let out a breath, considering her. “What were you feeling?”
“When?”
“That night in our alcove.” He raked a hand through his hair. “When we fell asleep.”
Lia flushed, refusing to raise her gaze.
The grief since then had been manageable.
But opening up to him, it loosened something in her.
She was always bottled up, wound so tight to keep everyone happy.
That night, she’d slept without a care in the world.
She couldn’t linger on his warmth, the strength in his body as he held her.
“I was relaxed,” she muttered. “Comfortable.”
Nodding, he took her hand. “Then focus on that again. Get out of your head.”
Her focus went entirely to the way their calluses aligned. His hand was warm, secure in its grip. Lia’s gaze rose to find him staring down at her. Her stomach tightened, her body reacting in a way totally unproductive to relaxation. And it had nothing to do with their disagreements.
Kayce’s gaze didn’t waver. “Close your eyes.”
Lia did. It was easier this way. She didn’t want to dwell on how different he had made her feel lately.
How every brush of his skin was a whisper that made her want to lean in closer.
How the facets of his amber eyes burned at times when she caught his stare.
How few his smiles were. Too much information was crammed into her head as it was.
What if they found nothing at Adrian’s? What if the Lions had no knowledge of Papa and they’d wasted their time?
“Aurelia, you’re going to cut off circulation in my hand.”
Her cheeks heated. “Sorry.”
“Breathe. Think of flying. The wind in your hair, Paxia’s strong frame beneath you.” His voice was a gentle ebb and flow, lulling her from a rocky shore. “How light, how effortless it is when her wings glide over the currents. The surrounding seas, salt kissing your skin.”
Her lungs loosened, her shoulders eased. Kayce brushed a thumb over her knuckles. She fell into that familiar breathing pattern, but this time, her mind turned inward, tunneling someplace warm and quiet.
A safe place, where it was just her and the soft cadence of Kayce’s voice painting images in her mind.
After another moment, she opened her eyes.
Lia hadn’t needed anything last time, but she wasn’t going to take any chances.
With a hand still holding Kayce’s, she fished out her pen.
Her mind emptied before drawing up a vision of Earth, the downtown she had walked through, an alley close to the bookshop.
An alley that would forever be burned into her mind.
She summoned every detail of that fateful day, removing the gremlin and her fear. The peace remained as she drew, and the light burned when the portal hung in the air.
“I don’t know what will happen,” Lia said. “So don’t let go.”
“Never,” Kayce replied, and the two stepped into the portal.
It was a flash of light, a pervading warmth like Lia had laid out in the sun on a late spring afternoon. Then came the cars honking. Opening her eyes, Lia found herself standing inside the alleyway’s entrance. Their hands remained locked.
“I did it!” she squealed, jumping to throw her arms around Kayce. He caught her, his hold tight. She could feel him smile into her hair.
“I knew you could.”
Their hearts pounded as though to meet each other.
It took another beat to realize their closeness before springing apart.
A blush mirrored on their cheeks, smiles quick to fade.
Lia forced her gaze away. They were friends.
Best friends, she reminded herself. Not to mention he was from another realm, she was from here… she had to be over-analyzing this.
“The bookstore’s this way,” Lia managed before heading to the sidewalk.
She swayed slightly, a rush of lightheadedness catching her off guard.
Perhaps Kayce’s additional weight had added some strain to the jump.
It wasn’t this bad every time she walked between worlds, a skill that came more easily to her with each trip.
Shaking it away, Lia reoriented herself and continued.
Downtown bustled with activity. Couples and families meandered to dinner, while local restaurants with patios boasting outdoor heaters burned brightly despite the mild temperature. Lia and Kayce blended in, the latter having worn his Earth wardrobe.
The shop came into view. It was a small establishment, a whitewashed brick facade with black awnings. The name, Parchment and Leather, was inscribed in gold lettering on the window.
“If he asks how you got here, say you popped in during my sleep again.”
“You’re going to make it sound like I’m some lewd stalker if you keep up this excuse,” Kayce said in a sour tone.
The door chimed when he opened it for her.
Warm leather greeted Lia’s senses, a scent of old and new books mingling together.
As she took a big whiff, a satisfied smile graced her lips.
No one was in the shop, at least not that she could see from the various shelves and display tables.
Lia approached the antique desk, ringing the bell beside the cash register.
“Yes, yes! Apologies, I’m coming!” came the hiccupping voice. Adrian hustled from the back room, several stacks of the newest thriller in his spindly arms. “Lia—and Kacerion! I thought you had returned to Norenth.”
The two shared a glance. Kayce’s smile was strained. “It would seem I’m susceptible to some, ah, late-night wanderings. Weak boundaries and all.”
Adrian bobbed his head and dropped the books on the desk. “Right, quite right. What can I do for you?” He seemed more comfortable here in his element than in Lia’s previous encounters with him.
“I wanted to ask if you knew what Papa—um, Julian—was working on before his accident,” Lia said, the smile she wore for her teachers slipping into place despite the hitch in her voice.
It was hard to discuss her papa, especially since suspicions of his murder weren’t common knowledge.
But the floodwaters didn’t rise, her chest remained calm.
“I’m hoping that it might help me understand this Flameheart stuff. ”
“There’s some, but I’m not sure how helpful it will be.” Adrian pushed his glasses up, lank strands of brown hair falling forward. “Did he leave anything for you? Notes and such?”
She wasn’t about to expose Papa’s secret study, even if he did work closely with Adrian.
Leo hadn’t seemed shocked by its existence, but that didn’t go for everyone else.
Whatever Papa was looking into, he didn’t want everyone to know.
And her mom hadn’t voiced anything about sharing her suspicions, either.
“He kept things cryptic about this family business. My mom is pretty strict.” Lia tilted her head, deflecting. “Have there been other creations spotted since the Order meeting?”