Chapter 36 Reyes
Reyes
Five minutes turn into two hours, and it’s nearing afternoon by the time we roll out of bed.
I don’t think I could ever tire of seeing Nyx in this sleepy way.
Hair mussed and braid lopsided, heavy-lidded eyes, and a stripe across his cheek from the pillow that only comes from an amazing nap.
I slip my shorts on, and he pulls one of his oversized t-shirts over his head.
After arming ourselves with soap, towels, and a change of clothes, we go clean ourselves in the stream.
The others rarely bathe here anymore because the well is dependable, even if the pressure isn’t always the best. It’s easier to shower indoors, but the water is cool and clear.
Nyx and I both love to be out here among the plants and trees.
It’s worth the extra time and effort when the weather permits.
We go for a quick swim that turns into a make-out session against the rocks, but soon Nyx’s stomach growls and reminds me we missed breakfast. He shrieks with laughter as I scoop him into my arms and carry him to shore, where we dry off and change.
Smoke wafts through the trees, and we toss our dirty clothes inside his cottage before heading to the common area.
August stirs a large pot over the fire, and the sight causes me to hesitate.
His meals are not… the best. It’s not that they’re inedible, they just aren’t…
good. Not good at all. Either a little mushy and kind of bland, or undercooked and over-seasoned.
When it’s his or Elas’s turn to cook, I usually make myself too busy to partake and find my own meals.
But August glances up and spots us, and when he flashes that sunshiny smile, I know we’re stuck.
“Hey, you two!” He gives the pot another stir as we walk closer. “Ronan was about to come looking for you guys. He said there’s something important we need to discuss, so I’m filling in to make lunch.” On cue, the purple menace walks out his door and meets my gaze, and understanding dawns on me.
“Oh?” I ask as Ronan narrows his eyes. “Ronan needed to talk to the group about something important and asked you specifically to cook in his place?”
“Yep!” August chirps cheerfully, grabbing a spoon to sample his concoction. His brows pinch, and he looks contemplative as I groan inwardly.
Nyx is adorably confused as I walk over to Ronan. “You did that on purpose,” I hiss, and he has the audacity to feign ignorance.
“Did what?”
“Oh, cut the innocent act. You want everyone to be in a bad mood so they take your side when we have this discussion.”
He smirks, the tip of his fang flashing on one side. “That seems awfully rude, Reyes. Why would August’s cooking put them in a bad mood?”
“Hey, guys, do you want something sweet or savory?” August calls over.
“For, uh, what?” I ask, and Ronan snickers.
August stares back down at the pot. “Oatmeal?”
“Oh, fucking gods, seven hells shit,” Cameron mutters as he walks out and joins us. “Why is August cooking? Didn’t we agree not to let him cook anymore?”
“Ask your mate,” I deadpan, and Cameron pushes out a long, exasperated sigh.
“You’re trying to put everyone in a bad mood, aren’t you?”
“See?!” The triumphant shout causes everyone nearby to stare at me, while Ronan seems very pleased with himself.
Elas makes a strained noise from behind me, and I glance over as he swipes something from August’s hand. “Pretty sure that’s salt, not sugar, Doc.”
“Do you need help, August?” I call over, and he looks immensely relieved as he glances up at me. “I could take over for you.”
“You’d do that?”
“I’d be happy to,” I say, giving Ronan another smug smile as Nyx and I walk over to the cooking fire.
Nyx stands beside me, holding on to my shirt and watching as I work.
He asks questions as we go, wanting to know what I’m doing and why.
I’m no master chef, but I’ve learned the basics of cooking, and I’m thrilled he’s taking an interest in what I’m doing.
August, thankfully, hasn’t done anything aside from boiling the oats.
I send him to pick a bucket of strawberries from the plants just inside the woods, and ask Elas to grab a bowl of dried fruits and nuts we have in storage.
They monitor the pot while Nyx and I make a quick detour to the greenhouse for a few stevia leaves.
I stand behind Nyx, holding his hands as I show him how to chop. He’s a little clumsy with the knife, but he pushes through it, and he looks so proud when we toss everything into the mixture.
Lunch turns out to be a crowd-pleaser, and Ronan glares at me with every delicious bite.
Nyx sits so close to me our hips and legs touch. He’s nervous, but he stays in the group, even if he doesn’t speak. While everyone else converses among themselves, I press my lips to his temple. “Proud of you,” I murmur.
“For what?”
“Being here with everyone.”
“You are here,” he says. “Where else would I be?”
I rest my forehead against his with a breath of a laugh, but pull back when Cameron coos from across the circle. I glare at him, silently warning him not to embarrass Nyx. He finally rolls his eyes and keeps eating, though he glances our way often. Troublemakers, the lot of them.
Once we’re finished, Ronan looks around at everyone and claps his hands.
“By this point, most of you have likely heard pieces of the story about our recent trip. We made it safely to the rift. After a day, Nyx was able to get a small reaction out of it.” Eyes dart in our direction as a few inaudible murmurs arise, and Nyx cuddles in tighter.
Ronan speaks louder over the noise. “It was only a few sparkling lights, and it lasted only for a few seconds. If Xeni and I hadn’t been watching it closely, we would’ve missed it altogether.
Right now, all we know is that it happens when there’s heavy emotion involved.
We don’t have any specifics, and it isn’t anything that he could replicate or sustain for any amount of time. ”
A few of the others still look Nyx’s way, and he stares at his knees, resting his head against my shoulder. Ronan clears his throat, drawing their attention back to him. For once, his drama queen tendencies are beneficial. “As I’m sure everyone has found out, we ran into some trouble.”
“I heard a rumor Reyes went stabby on someone,” Cameron says, and I roll my eyes.
“Oh, you heard that rumor, huh? From your mate, who was standing right there beside me when it happened?” He grins and shrugs, but the others look at me with varying expressions.
August looks concerned, Lillith and Taryn are openly curious, and Elas is like a proud papa, with an enormous smile splitting his face as he gives me a thumbs up.
Ronan shakes his head with a fond smile at his mate before returning his attention to the group. “Yes, we ran into a guard from Ljómur who had escaped Lillith’s Annihilation—”
The giant red woman chuckles and elbows Taryn. “I like that name.”
Ronan’s lips twitch into an almost-grin as he glances at her. “—and yes, Reyes took care of him. But we need to discuss what happened afterwards. More survivors from Ljómur approached us, ones that Xeni claims are good people.”
“And we’re trusting Xeni’s opinion on this?” Elas huffs, and August shushes him and tosses the Cavese an apologetic grimace.
“Nyx agreed that the other guard we met was one of the decent ones,” I add, and Elas’s expression sours, his dark eyes flashing as he shifts his gaze to me. “And he said he had met both of you.”
“Who was it?” August asks, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
“Matuk,” I answer, and his eyes go wide as he shares a long glance with Elas.
“He was nice to me,” August says.
“Until he told you he couldn’t help Elas,” Taryn argues. “I was there, August. I listened to you beg him, and he walked away without a word.” August’s lips pull tight, but he doesn’t dispute her point.
“He mentioned that,” Ronan says with a sigh. “He said that he regretted not helping more, but that he was scared of what the consequences would have been if he’d been caught.”
Xeni clears his throat, scrubbing his hands over his face and refusing to look at anyone. “None of you understand what it was like to work in that place.”
“No,” Taryn challenges, her voice cold as she sits back and crosses her arms, “but I sure understand what it was like to be imprisoned there.”
“Listen, I’m not trying to downplay what was done to you.
Really, I’m not,” he stresses as Taryn raises her brow.
“It’s comparing apples to fucking… watermelon here, and I get that.
I do, I swear. But if you believe we had any choice in the matter, you’re wrong.
Our assignments were handed out, and we were expected to follow any orders given.
Ronan, Elas, Lillith… what would they have done if you refused orders? If you’d dared to say no?”
Ronan and Elas exchange a glance, and Elas pulls his lips into a flat line.
“They would’ve punished us,” Ronan finally says.
“Isolation, lashes, withholding food and water. If it kept happening?” He doesn’t finish his thought, but he doesn’t have to.
The mood grows heavier as Xeni nods and continues.
“Ljómur was like Glaston multiplied by a hundred. Aside from those who worked there, very few people were aware of its existence, and if you talked? You disappeared, and we’re not talking about the friendly ‘take a few days off and think about what you’ve done’ type of disappearing.
We all knew that whatever was happening there, whatever they were discovering, had to be terrible.
And yeah, not everyone there was good. Most of them weren’t.
Guards, medics, scientists… most of them were a fucking scourge on this planet and deserved to die a more painful death than the one they were given. But the rest of us?”