Chapter 38 The Cave
THE CAVE
“Aelie, fuck, breathe.”
Someone pounded on my back. I rolled onto my side, retching seawater. My mind spun, the taste of salt thick on my tongue. Every breath felt like splinters in my lungs. Strong hands dragged me upright and I coughed, gulping in air.
I flinched, gripping my head.
Kairos crouched beside me. Saltwater dripped from his pale hair, streaking down the harsh lines of his face.
“I couldn’t wake you,” he said hoarsely.
I’d never heard his voice shake like that. His hair was plastered to his head, tunic clinging to his shoulders, but the blood was gone.
Relief crashed through me so hard it stole my breath.
“You’re healed,” I whispered.
His brow furrowed. “What?”
“At the palace…you lost so much blood.” I reached for his face, trembling.
“I made it out.” He caught my hand, pressing it against his cheek. “I’m fine.”
I exhaled roughly, the fear releasing its grip. He was here. Warm and solid and alive.
“Where are we exactly?” I asked. “What happened?”
“Cave on the Skaldir coast, a few leagues from the border,” he ground out. “And I hope you can tell me.”
I opened my mouth, and a coughing fit seized me. Cold, so cold. My lips felt numb.
He cursed and shrugged out of his soaked shirt, tugging me close. Heat radiated from him as his skin flushed with magic, seeping into my frozen limbs, just like it had all those weeks ago, but my teeth still chattered.
Kairos pulled away, his expression grim. “Your dress is soaked. You need to take it off.”
“But—”
His eyes flashed. “The elements don’t care about modesty. Strip, or I’ll do it for you.”
I fumbled with the laces, shaking too badly to work them. He undid them himself, and his mist helped remove the dress, and then I sat in my shift.
“That too,” he grunted.
“I’ll be okay, really.”
Kairos grabbed my shift and ripped it off me. Cold air hit my skin, but I didn’t have time to feel embarrassed as he yanked me into his arms.
Oh gods.
My bare breasts pressed against his chest. His completely naked chest, and his arms wrapped around my back, his fingers splayed on my skin. I gasped, fully aware of every point of contact, the deliciously hard muscles, the coarse hair of his thighs.
“Better?” His voice was strained.
I nodded against his neck and my shivers gradually subsided.
You will open the door. That dream couldn’t be real. Those flames eating through my skin. Cooking me. The pain. Gods, the pain.
His burning palm slid over my shoulder. “Aelie.”
I blinked, disoriented. “What?”
“I asked if you were alright.”
“I’m fine.”
I couldn’t say anything more. If I started talking, everything would spill out and I wouldn’t stop. There was too much. The dragon commanding me. Vaeris holding Rheya hostage. The bodies buried under rubble. Kairos risking his realm because I’d begged him to bring me to the summit.
I closed my eyes and listened to his steady heartbeat, the most comforting sound I’d ever heard. Each beat was a promise—I’m here, I’m here, I’m here.
He sighed heavily. “I should have realized you had a deal. For fuck’s sake, you even tried to tell me. You asked about deals, and I…I missed it.”
“I’m just tired,” I whispered. “I’m sick of pretending I’m strong when all I want to do is fall apart. I destroyed a palace and probably killed a lot of people. Warriors, servants who were doing their job.”
He rubbed my back.
“I could have gone with him,” I murmured. “Vaeris has my sister, but I chose to save you. What if she thinks I abandoned her?”
“You did the right thing. He was lying.”
“But what if he wasn’t? She’ll think I picked you over her, because I did.”
“Listen—”
“And your warriors.” I pulled away, my lip quivering. “Did I kill them trying to help you?”
He cupped my face. “Stop.”
“I can’t. A dragon talked to me. It felt like a dream, but now I’m not sure.”
“A dragon?”
“Yeah, he was crazy. He wanted me to kneel and burned me when I didn’t do it—”
His forehead pressed against mine. “Slow. Down.”
I breathed too fast, black spots dancing at the edges of my vision.
“Breathe with me.”
His chest expanded slowly. I tried to match it and gasped.
“Again.”
I finally took a full breath, my lungs expanding without the sharp edge of panic. I sank into his arms and started shaking. Silent, violent tremors that I couldn’t control.
His hand moved through my hair. Down my spine. Back up. Over and over. Eventually, the trembling stopped, and I was hollow and exhausted, curled against him. He leaned down and kissed my temple.
“Show me,” he whispered.
I blinked, dazed.
“The bargain. I need to see it.”
I nodded, but when I shifted, my breast brushed against his arm. I froze as heat exploded across my face.
I wasn’t cold anymore. Everywhere we touched was like fire and gods, I felt every single place our bodies connected. His hard thighs under mine and his breath fluttering my hair.
My heart pounded.
“Where is it?” he asked roughly.
“Just below my ribs.”
I had to move back to show him, which meant exposing myself. Gritting my teeth, I eased from his chest.
Warm light flared as he conjured a glowing orb, baring my curves to him. I crossed my arms over my breasts, forcing myself stay still.
His eyes dipped to the rune on my abdomen. He stared at it, and his throat bobbed.
“Fuck,” he breathed.
Then he stroked my stomach, tracing the rune’s pattern. I flinched at the heat of his rough fingers.
I bit my lip.
He was tense, too. He wouldn’t look anywhere but the rune.
“How did Elwen miss this?”
“It’s not her fault. I covered myself so nobody would notice. I couldn’t even hint at the deal.” I rubbed my neck, and he met my gaze. “Whenever I tried, my throat closed up.”
“But you can talk about it now.”
“I think because you know about it.”
“Yes,” he said gravely. “I heard everything. It was making you sick because you agreed to come to him if you survived. That’s a summons clause. He can call you to him.”
“Whenever he wants?”
“He would have to issue the command directly.” He sighed. “I’m guessing you can’t break the rune?”
“I tried. It felt like tearing through my flesh.”
“Doesn’t surprise me.”
“So…I’m chained to him forever?”
“Not if I kill him.”
I shuddered. “If you do, the realms will turn against you. They’re already scared of you.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do! I don’t want your realm to suffer because of me.”
He stroked my hair. “I can’t let him live knowing he can pull you away.”
“But your people won’t like it. If you start a war over a human, won’t they riot?”
His jaw tightened. “No. They’ll understand.”
“I seriously doubt that, Kairos.”
“They will. A fae eliminating another who used magic to enslave his…” His expression darkened. “Well, trust me. They’ll call it justice.”
His what?
I lifted my head to look at him. His eyes were dark, unreadable. Whatever he’d been about to say, he swallowed it back. What would happen when he finally admitted it out loud? And how much would it change once he did? Something was building between us, and it would demand a name eventually.
I wasn’t sure either of us was ready.