Chapter 22
twenty-two
EVEREST
“Wake up, my Everest.”
My eyelids flutter open, and I see Rath above me, his gaze meeting mine. The rainbow shimmers seem brighter than normal.
He must really be all up in his feels.
“Hey, sorry. I must have dozed off. I didn’t miss the thing you wanted to show me, right? We can still go?”
“Yes.” His fingers stroke through my hair. “And it is fine. You need to rest. Your kind is very—”
“Fragile, yeah, I know.”
His finger brushes over my pouting lip, and I kiss it. His ears flutter slightly, and his tail tightens around me.
“We cannot stay much longer, but I would like to show you one place before we leave. I think you will find it very special.”
“I love secret, special places.”
I sit up and run a hand through my hair, Rathyn’s tail loosening from me as I move.
“I know you do. Now come.”
I do as he says, standing up and following him to the bedroom. He holds out a thick robe, and I slip it on. I’m no longer wearing the cock adornments, and he doesn’t insist I put them on either. Instead, he reaches over and pulls the hood over my head, hiding me from view.
“Why the cloak and dagger?”
“There is no dagger.”
“Yeah, I mean, like why hide me?”
“Safety.” He meets my gaze and holds it. “I will not risk you.”
“Alright.”
He secures the hood tightly over my head. “You will keep this on and stay near me.”
“I will. I promise.”
He looks satisfied with that, his hand reaching out and holding on to mine. “We will bring two soldiers with us to stand guard while we explore. But you must not wander off without me. You will get lost.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
“I trust them with my life, and if you follow me, you will stay safe.”
“I won’t leave your side,” I say, and he stops, leaning down. Our lips hover near each other, and I close the distance, letting my tongue slide into his mouth. He twists his around mine and sucks on it a moment, a hum moving through him.
And when we pull away, my cock is hard.
I stare down at it. “Honestly, Rath. You’re going to be walking me around, and my dick is poking out.”
“I know how to satisfy it.”
He falls to his knees and quickly brings me over the edge once more.
When we finally start our journey to this secret place, Rath is stiff, the commander coming out in him. There are two Vyastil with us, one trailing in front and the other behind, both slightly smaller than Rath, but I can tell by the way they move that they’re skilled fighters.
But even though we’re with them, I can see the tension in the fluttering of Rathyn’s ears, in the way his eyes take in his surroundings. As if watching for danger.
I don’t feel unsafe, but his nervous energy is making my stomach clench.
But I say nothing, keeping myself tucked between him and his men, my face carefully hidden beneath the cloak, his tail wrapped around my wrist. Possessive, but showing nothing more.
No affection.
No attention.
I understand why. As we move through the dimly lit tunnel that leads from his home to the city, creatures turn to look as we pass. Rathyn doesn’t even glance their way, just walks with the assurance he has as a man of power and influence in this world.
“Almost there. You are doing so well, my Everest.”
I stroke the part of his tail twined around me, and I feel it tighten in acknowledgement. But that’s all I’ll get. And I’m okay with it. For the first time since meeting him, I’m letting him take the lead.
Then I see it, an opening, one that emerges from the dark tunnel we’re traveling through. When we step into the light, my gaze turns up to the orange and pink-colored sky, just enough to see the pale moons hanging in the sky.
What would it be like to have that visible from Earth?
I turn my gaze to take in the smooth path we’re traversing, the pink and red trees sprouting around us, the scent of something unfamiliar and yet sweet hitting my nose as a breeze rustles the robe around my shoulders.
We’re winding our way toward the face of the mountain. The entire thing crowds the horizon, the tip of it bursting up like a fist clenched at the sky. And when the sun hits it from this angle as it descends on the horizon, I can make out twinkling blues and greens winking from the surface of it.
What gems do they have hidden in those mountains? What kinds of rare minerals do they mine that can offer such hope for humans?
In the distance, the trees start to sway, and then there’s a massive rustling noise before huge creatures burst from the woods.
For a moment, they look like dragons. Feathered dragons.
Their necks are long, their faces are like those of lizards, and their colors are like the Bird of Paradise flower.
They are beautiful and terrifying all at once, with huge claws and massive fangs.
I suck in a breath and hear Everest’s voice in my head. “Do not worry. They do not eat humans.”
“What are they?”
A word erupts in my mind that doesn’t translate to anything like English. It’s a small, three-syllable song, and it’s beautiful.
“Seymosi.”
I try to replicate the sound, but it comes out wonky and dry. Nothing like it sounded when he said it.
I watch as they coast across the sky, then dip below the trees again, and they’re gone.
Finally, we come to a guarded entrance, two Vyastil standing sentry before the stone door in the mountain face. It’s carved with loops and swirls, like if written language were a song.
The guard on the right of the entrance eyes Rathyn, and then his arm extends, and he gives a small bow. Then I hear the two of them speaking in hushed tones, Rathyn’s slightly forceful.
When they stop speaking, the guard meets my eyes and gives a small, subtle nod before stepping to the side.
Then we’re passing through into the darkness.
It’s only murky for a moment before Rathyn makes a rumbling sound in the back of his throat.
A flickering in the rock bursts to life, surrounding us like small fireflies.
I let out a surprised gasp as they glow in yellows and reds, a few blinking neon pink.
“What are those?” I ask when I know we’re alone.
“Githyn. They are small insects that live in the rocks and respond to the sound of a certain vibration.”
“That is so cool.”
Rathyn brings me up next to him, his tail leaving my wrist and moving around my waist. I lean into him, my eyes taking it all in.
This is special. He was right. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
“I love this,” I tell him, and I feel his pleasure move through me. More than words, a vibration in my chest.
“You will see more than most today.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes, my Everest. I do not think anyone has ever taken a companion here.” He rumbles in the back of his throat again, and the githyn flicker to life once more.
It’s like walking through a dream.
We round a corner, and the guards that were walking in front and behind us step to the side, their gazes downturned. Rathyn says something to them, and then we’re completely alone.
And it’s then that I see what lies below us.
“Oh my god!” I whisper when I take in the vastness of it all. The subterranean ocean, the water vanishing where the githyn light doesn’t shine.
“Come.” He draws me along with him, and my breath catches in my throat.
“I didn’t realize we walked down so far.”
“We didn’t. This water doesn’t sit that far from the surface. It is why we cannot mine too far below the ground.” We wind our way down a path, and he adds, “As I said, not all Vyastil are allowed here. It is our water source and cannot be polluted.”
“But you can because you’re high ranking?”
“Mm, yes.”
“This is amazing.” I take it in, listening to the soft persistence of water lapping against the stone beneath us. There’s no wind here, so the fact that there are even waves is amazing. I’m going to have to look up how this is possible when I get back home.
“Are you going to get into trouble for taking me here?” I ask.
“No, but even if I did. I would not care.”
I sigh and peer up at him, his body guiding me to a small alcove, those githyn still flickering when Rathyn makes another low vibration with his throat. We come to a stop in front of a stone shelf, something green and soft lining the surface of it.
“Is it safe to touch?”
“Yes.”
I reach down and let my fingers brush across the velvet, and whatever it is reacts to my touch. It unfurls and then curls in, almost waving to me.
“What is it?”
“It’s xinhar. It’s a plant that feels like what you’d call…feces.”
My lips turn up, and I snort. “I don’t think that’s the word you were looking for.”
His ears flutter. “A fabric that is soft?”
“Uh, fleece?”
“Yes.”
I lean up and press a kiss to his chin, pulling a happy hum from him. “You’re so cute.”
“I am not cute. I am fierce.”
I snort again and then look at the xinhar, reaching down to touch it once more. “It’s so cool that it moves.”
His eyes meet mine, and I know I’m blinking up at him with owlish eyes. “This plant adapts to forms. It is what many in the north use for sleeping. It is soft and warm.”
“Oh, fuck yes. Can I lie down on it?”
He nods, and I pull away from him, moving to lie on the small ledge. As my body falls onto it, I feel the heat from the plant and the way it cups me gently, filling in around my form, cradling me.
“This is so weird, but I like it.”
Rathyn is staring down at me, his dark eyes flashing. The lights around us are flickering out, and he makes another noise. I watch as they burst to life once more, just as Rathyn’s tail pulls my robe to the side, exposing me to him.
My cock hardens at the way he looks at me. Like he wants to devour me.
He’s always so insatiable.
“Like what you see?” I ask, my voice lowering.
He hums and flicks the other side of my robe open, leaving me completely bare. “I do.”
I reach between my legs and take my cock in my hand, stroking it slowly. “You know what I brought with me?”
His ears flutter.
“Guess,” I say, and he rumbles in annoyance.
“I do not like to guess. It is a game for fools.”
“But you’re a fool for me, aren’t you, Rathyn?”