Chapter 20 #4
And suddenly, instantly, I felt a yanking in my stomach, like invisible claws hooked into me.
It pulled, violently tearing me from warmth and safety.
Griff tried to hold on, and I heard him bellow, but I was wrenched from his grasp, hurtling through mist and darkness that tasted of copper and decay.
I landed heavily on that same battlefield, no longer dressed in his shirt, but now in bloodied armor that reeked of death and iron.
Around me was endless carnage, faces I recognized attached to bodies twisted in unnatural positions.
The darkness was pressing in, oppressively so, dimming the faint light.
Shit. Not this again.
I reached for my channels, trying to do something, anything, to stop this but they had abandoned me. My friends laid around me, each death more terrible than the last.
I fell to my knees as I saw him, impaled by a sword of living shadow. His hazel eyes were fixed on me with that expression I’d only seen hints of until now.
“Lexa,” I heard him whisper.
“Lexa!”
His cry was sharper this time, jerking me from sleep and into his arms. I clutched at his shoulders, my head buried in his neck. One of his hands cradled the back of my head, the other was tight around my waist. Strangely, I was less disoriented this time.
Maybe I was becoming used to the nightmares. That was a terrifying thought. But going from that dream to that nightmare… My heart beat furiously, having no idea how to make sense of it.
“Let me guess,” I said into his shoulder. “I woke you.”
“I thought I’d lost you.” His voice was rough with emotion, his grip bruising.
“I’m here,” I said lightly. “Safe and sound and free from nightmares.” For now, I added silently.
He let out a heavy exhale and released me, before settling into the bed beside me.
I looked at him in surprise. “You don’t have to stay here,” I told him, as I laid back down.
“Yes I do.” He turned toward me and sank deeper into the pillow. I barely heard the next sentence. “It’s the only way to convince myself you’re safe.” His arm crept over my waist to hold me close.
I laid awake for a long while, listening to his breathing, puzzling over that statement. Could it just be his protective instincts coming out? Or could it be something more?
Freya appeared bright and early. “Can I hitch a ride?”
Finn made a face, but Griff simply smiled and nodded.
“Are you sure we can’t just stay here?” I asked, trying not to sound like I was whining.
All of them, including Everly, laughed.
Finn swung his arm around my shoulders. “Do we have a Solmere convert?”
“This is infinitely preferable to the mess that awaits me in Valdris. Besides, it’s peaceful here.
The sounds of the ocean lulling me to sleep.
” I stopped talking before I mentioned the warm body that was next to me as I listened to those sounds.
From the look Griff gave me, it was like he’d heard my thoughts.
“Well, Griff, I think our work is complete. We’ve successfully corrupted the princess.” Finn released me to give a mock bow.
Griff’s eyes were unreadable as he addressed me. “Three is too many to take at once. Will you wait here?”
At my nod, he spun Finn and Freya away. Finn, as usual, just touched his shoulder. I noticed he didn’t take Freya in his arms as he did with me, just held out his hand and she took it, holding tightly.
While he was gone, I turned to Everly.
“Thank you. For everything.” I wanted to tell her what this meant to me, but the words were stuck in my mouth. She seemed to understand anyway.
“You are welcome anytime, Princess.” She laughed as I made a face at the title. But she opened her arms and I gave her a hug. Her arms closed around me and I breathed in her comforting scent. So this was what it felt like to hug a mother.
“Take care of my boys,” she whispered.
“I will,” I promised.
That was all the time I had before the room filled with a faint shimmer and I felt Griff’s presence return. I took one last look at the ocean, the varying shades of blue, and tried to internalize that peacefulness. Something that I could remember during the chaos of Valdris.
Griff bid farewell to his mother, then stood patiently at my side while I looked my fill.
“Couldn’t take all three, huh?” I asked him, as he gathered me close. “Too many for the great Champion?”
“Or maybe…” His breath tickled my ear. “I just wanted you in my arms without an audience.”
Heat pooled in my stomach even as I wanted to scream what the hell? Was he just constantly changing his mind on me? Was I a friend or not? I was getting very tired of this uncertainty but had no idea how to resolve it. I was nowhere near confident enough to simply ask him, “Do you like me?”
These thoughts churned through my mind as he spun us through the ether.
When we landed, I looked up at him. His arms were still holding me tightly but gone was the easiness of the holiday, his carefree expression. The princess’s Champion had returned.
“Mask back in place?”
He looked at me, questioning.
“You were more relaxed at your home. More than I’ve seen here.”
He released me and took a step back. “I have a job to do here. There, I could just be… me.”
My heart sank. I was the job.
As we turned to go through the gates, he added quietly, “I’ve never taken anyone else home.”
What the fuck, Griff? What the fuck?