Chapter 26 A Piece of Home
A Piece of Home
“Lady Nyleeria,” my shadow called from behind me. “Wait up.”
I kept pace, a mixture of fear and anger nipping at my ankles as I made my way back to the residence wing, forcing Kaelun to jog in order to catch up.
“Drop the lady, okay?” I said with more bite than intended.
His head shook in my periphery. “Sorry, no can do.”
“Seriously, Kaelun, it’s just Nyleeria.”
“Yeah, so the thing is”—he palmed the back of his neck and pulled in, a tick I was starting to recognize as nerves—"my folks would have my hide if they ever found out I didn’t call you Lady Nyleeria. I know you’re the spark and all, but trust me when I say you don’t wanna be on Ma’s bad side."
I shook my head, not knowing if that truth endeared him to me or made me want to throttle him. “How old are you anyway?”
“I’m ninety-nine,” he said with pride.
“That’s what Fiora meant when she asked about your Centennial?”
“Yup. I read that humans deem twenty-one as the year you come of age. Is that true?”
“Yes. Is that what a Centennial is for you?”
“It is.”
“So, if I was still twenty-one when you turned a hundred, would we be considered the same age in a way?” As the question left my tongue, I had to admit that chatting with him about something utterly mundane snuffed my mounting anger with curiosity.
“You know, I asked myself the same thing. It’s nearly impossible to compare how our species mature differently. But yeah, I think it’s as close to a parallel as we’ll get.”
“Hum,” I mused. “Then by that definition I’m technically older than you?”
He shrugged. “I guess so. But that doesn’t mean you can keep calling me a fetus.”
I chuckled. “Artton called me it the other day, which is why I said it.”
“Uncle Artton did?” he said with disbelief.
“Uncle Artton,” I mocked, “has said a lot to me since I’ve been back. It’s been a real treat getting reacquainted.”
“Really? That’s not like him. I mean, yeah, he’s a little uptight sometimes, but never mean.”
“Well, you might want to remind him of that.”
His brows raised, giving me an I hope you’re not serious look before getting distracted as we reached the tunneled archway to my residence where he paused, taking one of the dangling vines between his fingers with great care.
“Is this what your magic looks like?” His words held a reverent awe so pure my cheeks flushed.
“Sometimes,” I said.
“It’s”—he stepped deeper in, soaking up every detail—"mesmerizing."
Unable to sit with his overt praise, I stepped past him. As I was just about to reach the double doors, Kaelun came to my side and wrapped his fingers around the handle. “Allow me,” he said, opening it for me.
Stunned, I crossed into my residence, then turned to face him. “Thank y—”
My words were cut off as we almost ran into each other. He took a step back, offering me an apologetic smile, then clicked the door shut behind him.
“What are you doing?” I asked, uncertain about how I felt with him being in my space.
“What do you mean?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be on the other side of the door keeping watch?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Orders are to be by your side at all times.”
My mouth dropped open. “At all times? Don’t you need sleep?” What I really meant was, what about my privacy?
Shrugging, he said, “I’ll duck away when I can. You don’t really need me around when you’re with family. Of course, when Kai is here—or you have visitors—I’ll give you space.”
“Visitors?” I said, brow raised.
“You know”—he winked and shifted in a little closer—"of the male persuasion. Or female, if that’s your preference."
“Kaelun!” I squeaked, my cheeks flushing scarlet.
“What? You’re the most eligible bachelorette in the realm, who am I to get in the way of you cashing that chit as many times as you want?”
I moaned in mortification. “I don’t know you well enough to have this conversation. Besides, didn’t they warn you what happens whenever I’m touched.”
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “Uncle C mentioned it. Said it’s triggered by males. I’m not worried though, one day someone will come along to make you choose between your heart and your trauma—and I know you’ll choose your heart.”
My chest tightened. “How are you so sure?”
“Because the one that’s worthy of your love will give you no other choice.”
I swallowed those words, simultaneously hoping he was right while being terrified of the vulnerability it would require.
No. I would anchor to nothing and no one.
“What about you?” I causally threw over my shoulder as I walked toward my bedchamber, where he followed.
“What about me?” he asked, the words laced with confusion from the abrupt subject change.
“When you’re able to sneak away from guarding me, will you be having any visitors?”
“Stars, I better. Can’t imagine going more than a week without Addy.”
I turned to face him, brows raised. “Addy?”
Until he began telling me all about her, I would’ve thought it impossible for him to shine brighter. But he did, giving away what she meant to him before he voiced it. “Yeah, Adilyn is the love of my life—my everything.”
“You’re so young.”
He lifted a shoulder. “When you know, you know. Was the same for my folks.”
Before I could formulate a response, a package resting on the foot of my bed caught my attention from the corner of my eye.
The sweet resinous scent emanating from the box had my heartbeat kicking up a notch, giving away who’d sent it before I’d even unwrapped the folded parchment only to find my name written in block letters.
Nyla,
I hope the books have proven useful. When I can carve out the time, I’ll make sure to send more your way.
As one who prefers bad news first, I’ll start there.
I’ve started looking for Tarrin as requested, but the answers seem overtly obtuse.
While it’s too early to come to any conclusions, I thought it best to be upfront.
I know this will only make you worry for him more, but I promise I’ll continue to search.
Now for the good news. If I remember correctly, I’ve missed one. Hopefully I haven’t, and your set is complete again.
Endymion
PS: Remember to dispel daily and learn as much about wielding as possible while you’re hidden away safely in the Summer Court.
Wymond and Thaddeus will figure it out eventually, but for now, work on honing your magic.
They can’t steal powers from you if they’re dead, and the spark might be the only thing that can ensure your safety.
A slurry of emotions muddled my thoughts as I stood there taking in Endymion’s words. I couldn’t tell if it was grief for Tarrin or something else, but my chest ached fiercely enough that I had to rub a palm against my sternum in a vain attempt to soothe it.
Curiosity drew my attention to the thin rectangular box his note had rested upon. Putting the parchment to the side, I placed my thumb and forefingers on each end and shimmied the lid up.
A soft gasp escaped me as I stared down at the blades I’d lost to the woods against the na’li. Putting the lid to the side, I ran my fingers across them as I counted, surprised at how cumbersome their size now felt compared to the ones the commander had gifted me—even though I’d yet to throw them.
Endymion was right. Including the two daggers I hadn’t released that day, there was one missing.
Stars, he’d personally recovered them for me and remembered how many I carried.
Forcing myself to choke back the emotions bubbling up, I placed the parchment inside the box and pressed the lid back down.
“What is it?”
I jumped, completely forgetting Kaelun was there.
“Nothing,” I lied. “Just something from my previous life.”
It hit me then, how much unintended truth there was in those words.
The last time I’d thrown them, I was human.
They came from a simpler time when I’d used them for a completely different form of survival than the one I faced now, and suddenly the weight of them was unbearable as the sense of hiraeth that followed me into this new life, strangled me like a vise around my chest.
“Lady Nyleeria?” Kaelun’s concerned voice did little to help.
Box in hand, I threw open the wardrobe, pulled out a drawer, shoved it in a back corner, and hastily covered it. Grabbing clothing from the shelves that were suitable, I ducked into the bathroom, changed, swept the gifted bandolier from the chair, and walked past a bewildered Kaelun.
“I need to throw. Now.”
My shadow valenned us to the same cliff face Artton had brought me to yesterday, the pit of sand still floating high in the air at the other end of the nearly invisible bridge.
I groaned internally. “Isn’t there somewhere else we can go?”
“I’m sure there is,” he said, stepping over the ledge, “but I’m under orders to take you here when you want to train or need to dispel.”
Pursing my lips, I weighed my desire to throw against my newfound fear of heights. “Can’t you just valen us there?” I pointed toward the pit.
“Nope, it’s warded like your residence. No valenning directly in or out.”
With no other choice, I stepped to the edge and cringed when I looked down.
Like his uncle, Kaelun stood on thin air, completely unbothered.
Gingerly, I tapped a toe where the massive gray rock of the cliff gave way to nothingness, only it met resistance as solid as the foot still firmly planted on land.
Even with that reassurance, I couldn’t make myself step over the edge.
“Here,” Kaelun said, now right in front of me. “Grab this and look at me in the eyes.”
He held a thick piece of rope between his hands, waiting for me to accept his offer. My eyes darted between the valley below, the rope, and him. Palms now sweaty, I wiped them on my slacks before wrapping them around the rope with a death grip.
“You’re safe,” he said, his voice calm and low. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Swallowing hard, I locked my focus onto his hazel eyes like they were a lifeline.