36. Raea #2
I slide my palm over his heart, feeling the steady beat beneath.
His hand slides over mine—the callouses and warmth feel so comforting—then moves to cup the back of my neck.
He drops his mouth to the top of my head, inhaling once, twice, like my very essence is what’s keeping him from losing his shit.
Our Bond settles, comforting me despite the craziness of where we are. At least we’ve found our way here.
“Well, if you two are done scenting each other, I’d like to get out of this heat,” Brynna huffs. “Or you can just continue standing there like the rest of us aren’t here.”
“They do that a lot,” Tate jokes.
Ryker’s grip on me isn't just romantic, it’s a necessity.
Amidst the giant leaves and the pulsing stone of this planet, he is the only thing that remains familiar. When he kisses the top of my head, I feel our Bond hum. The possessive roar of the previous few days has turned into a steady, protective tether that keeps this new world from overwhelming me.
I step out of Ryker’s grasp and turn to Brynna, who is standing beneath the shade of one of the trees, her arms crossed over her chest and a single brow raised.
“I’m sorry, please continue,” I say, gesturing to the path beyond her.
She groans and rolls her eyes, muttering something about royal duties as she continues leading us, her steps quicker and harsher.
Just beyond the gardens, we come upon a cliff face that has been disguised behind the trees. The white stone is jagged, resembling rectangular shapes that had been cut and stacked and now shifted, all held together by the forest that has grown between the cracks and spaces between.
Brynna leads us through an arch and into a forest so deep it feels like stepping into the heart of Auralis. The trees here stand like ancient pillars—a hundred feet tall and twenty feet wide—their branches tangling at the top to create a canopy so dense that the sunlight is completely choked out.
In the absolute darkness, the world glows. Long, delicate vines hang from the canopy like strands of fallen stars, illuminating the space in a soft, ethereal blue.
The floor beneath us transitions from grass to polished marble, reflecting the glowing blue strands above as if we are walking on water.
“Welcome to Einsmall,” Brynna’s sister says, her voice echoing softly as she gestures toward the massive wooden doors wrapped in thick, living vines.
“Just through these doors. Please be respectful of those who are here seeking sanctuary and rehabilitation. We ask that voices be lowered in the common spaces.” With that, she turns on her heel again, leading us to our destination.
“Wow,” Ciara mutters somewhere behind me.
“Damn,” Tate agrees.
“Shh…” Kellan snaps, making me smile.
The interior is a breathtaking cylinder of white stone, rising hundreds of feet toward a circle of open sky that lets in shafts of ethereal light.
Elaborate arches and tiers of balconies are carved directly into the mountain, draped in flowering vines that soften the cold stone.
Below us, a massive turquoise pool glows, the steam rising in swirling patterns to meet the cool air above.
There’s a general sense of awe among our group as we follow, taking the stairs down two levels. It brings us only two levels from the ground floor.
Before I have a chance to study anything too closely, Brynna opens the first door, a heavy wooden slab marked with an ancient, swirling symbol.
Ryker takes a sleeping Clara back. As the group files in, I catch a glimpse of the space beyond—a wide, low-ceilinged chamber filled with soft, moss-colored furnishings and thick rugs that look like they were woven from the forest floor itself.
Aolyn and Ciara huddle together on one of the oversized sofas, their shoulders finally dropping as the ‘sanctuary’ aspect of Einsmall takes hold.
Even in their shock, there is a collective exhale.
They are far from home, far from the kingdoms that might already be burning, but within these mountain walls, the shadows can't reach them.
It’s all I see before we are brought to the next door.
“Clara. Your sister’s chamber connects to yours,” she says, turning before we can say anything.
Ryker shrugs and keeps walking with Clara asleep on his shoulder.
The next door is further away, the last door on this side of the space. “For you. You will be summoned for the morning meal after you’ve had time to talk and settle in.”
Before I can ask her about clothing, she’s gone.
I look down, finding my beautiful gown now completely ruined with mud and sand.
“Well, shall we?” Ryker asks, holding the door open for me. Once the door is closed, I turn in the space, allowing myself a moment to soak it all in.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” I mutter.
The chamber is spacious, with dark stone floors cut into uneven squares and pieced together.
Rugs soften the ground, and low furniture looks as though you could fall into it and never leave.
Pillared candles, lanterns, and glass vessels filled with flame line the floors and walls, casting a warm glow through the dim space.
A tree grows to the right of the space, and a fireplace on my left, with the hearth covered in more candles, a warm fire already alight. A door is closed that leads to Clara’s room. Through the arch beyond the tree, we find the bed chamber.
Greenery fills the space along with candles and sweet aromas.
“Well.” Ryker sighs at my side. “Do you want to talk, bathe, or eat first?”