Chapter 74
We’ve been traveling for eight days, staying completely in the wilds and away from any villages or inns.
We’d rather face the wild beasts of the night then risk any elves spotting us. We’ve had to fight off a few packs of creatures, but none of us have been harmed.
I don’t want it to end because they’ve been the best eight days of my life, despite all the threats to our lives. That’s just normal now.
I’ve felt so close to Daegan every time I climb on his back, and when we stop for rest during the day, which I usually take most of the watch for since I get rest while I ride him, we get to spend even more time together. Almost like a normal couple.
Almost.
We decided to have them rest during the day because it’s easier for me to keep watch that way, but Daegan is stubborn and sleeps way less than he should, choosing to spend time with me instead.
When he does nap, it’s with his head in my lap while I sit against a tree keeping watch. He hasn’t left my side.
We’ve talked endlessly, and we’ve snuck away to explore every single piece of each other’s bodies, not straying too far so we don’t leave Raef vulnerable.
I asked him to tell me about the world as he knows it, and to no one’s surprise, he’s taught me so much that I didn’t know.
He hasn’t traveled the entire continent, but he’s met a lot of different people, heard their stories, read books that aren’t censored to fit Ellyar’s narrative, and seen some of the devastation firsthand.
At night, the two of them have torched anything that tries to sneak up on us in the darkness.
There was one instance where Raef got tangled up for a moment with an unseen adversary, but eventually he bested it.
We faced another pack of strange plant-creatures during the day when I was on watch, but I saw them coming, and they were easy to obliterate.
Again, I’ve found myself wondering countless times just how deadly and terrifying the dragons would be if they could fly. They’re already formidable opponents as it is.
I like to picture them soaring through the sky, free at last.
It’s a wonder that the elves won the war to begin with.
I have to surmise that they used to be a lot more deadly, to take down a foe such as dragon shifters.
They were probably less lazy, less arrogant, and a lot more skilled at wielding their magic than the soldiers we have now.
That’s the only explanation. It’s hard to glean such information from the ancient tomes I’ve studied, so I may never know for sure. That’s simply my best guess.
We’ve now found ourselves in a beautiful glade surrounded by glowing light blue and lavender flowers.
Daegan is sleeping peacefully on me, and my arms are folded as I study his features.
The fluttering of his closed eyelids as he dreams, the way his mouth and jaw appear so relaxed, the way the muscles of his arms aren’t tense while his hands are clasped under his head.
Now and then though, he winces like he’s in pain.
I’ve asked him about it, since I’ve noticed him doing it many times now, but he doesn’t seem to know what I’m talking about.
I reach out and trace his chest with my finger.
The angry pink scar is nearly healed, by some miracle.
Whoever almost took him from me is going to die a slow and painful death one day if I ever cross paths with them again.
The innocent version of me who deplored killing is long gone when it comes to him.
I’d rip the world apart to save him. Drown entire valleys if anyone stands in my way.
His eyelids slowly flutter open, his eyes finding mine immediately. He smiles up at me sleepily, reaching for my waist and pulling me toward him.
“What are you thinking?”
I run my hand over his chest lazily, looking at the gray above us. “I just really hope no one judges you when you show up with an elf on your arm, when they realize we’re… something.”
“What do you mean?”
I shrug. Then with one easy motion, he pulls me on top of him so I’m straddling his waist, looking down at him.
His bicep looks massive as he places one hand under his head.
The other hand rests on my thigh as he looks up at me, his jaw twitching.
Besides that, he looks completely relaxed and confident as he studies my face. He might even be amused by my concerns.
“Elysande, I really hope you know by now that we’re more than just something.
You’re the single most important thing to me in this world.
I don’t need to see the fucking sky, because you’re it.
You’re my sky, my stars, my moon, my sun.
I don’t need to see any of them to know that they don’t compare to you.
If I die gazing upon your face, then I’ll die happy.
Nothing else matters anymore. Everything I do now, I do it for you. ”
If two souls could touch, ours would be meeting along the invisible tether of our shared gaze. And maybe they are. It feels as though my soul has left my body and embraced his. Or maybe his did. That’s how powerful this feels. How deeply I feel for him.
“Did you know that people used to use the stars to navigate? They’re like a map in the sky, and certain ones would help them figure out where they needed to go.”
“Hmmm.” He smirks.
“What do you think about that?”
“I think…” He presses his lips to the back of my hand, holding my gaze. “You’re my star. Just tell me where to go, and I’ll follow.”
I reach out and touch his face softly, admiring every perfect thing about it. “I don’t need anything else. Not ever. Just you. I love you so much.”
The weight of what I feel for him is so intense I can barely breathe. I lean down to kiss him, and this time we go slow, taking our time as we enjoy each other’s bodies in the middle of the flowers.
It feels like he’s all I’ll ever need in this life.