45. Aryn #2
“Merely pointing it out,” Rhael says, flashing him a stunning smile before he turns to our group. “This way, please.” He leads us into the wide, sunlit corridors of the castle and shuts the doors behind him.
“How did so many humans get here?” Cato asks.
Rhael hums. “Humans are notoriously curious—”
“That’s the truth,” I mutter, grunting when Cato elbows me.
Rhael doesn’t try to hide his amusement as he watches us interact.
“Many crossed looking for an adventure, others were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. There were also those taken prisoner during the early wars. They were set free by the Vaelor, of course, but by then, the passageways had closed.”
Cato chews on his lip. “How many are here? There would have to be enough to maintain their numbers, right?”
“Correct. At last count, the official records reflect there are several thousand scattered through the lands, though we know that number is likely much larger than what’s in the ledgers. The population here in the capital is much smaller, somewhere closer to the eight hundred mark.”
“Do they live in the city with everyone else?” Ronan asks. “In the human world, our kind and theirs don’t openly mingle if it can be avoided.”
Rhael pauses and glances at Ronan with a frown. “Why not?”
Ronan’s brows bunch before he smooths his expression. “How much do you know about what happened when our kind crossed the rifts?”
“Not as much as I should,” Rhael admits as he twirls his braid between his fingers. “History and warfare interest me very little, much to my father’s disdain. I know of the great war, but our history books don’t hold record of much beyond the initial attacks.”
“Yeah, well,” Cameron says as we’re led down a different arched hallway, “the story can be summed up pretty accurately by saying they attacked, we lost, and the world has gone to shit ever since.”
Rhael nods slowly. “I understand that’s why you’re here?”
“It is,” Ronan confirms as he slides his arm around Cameron’s lower back.
Rhael stares curiously at their position. “Romantic relationships between humans and Elyrians are quite taboo here. The difference in life expectancy makes the idea… difficult.”
He suddenly realizes how his words might land with us, and his teal cheeks darken as he stumbles over an apology. “Please forgive my thoughtlessness, I—I meant nothing by it. It is simply how things have been. I didn’t mean to imply anything about your own bonds.”
Cameron waves it off with a grin. “We get it.”
“And if we succeed, that will no longer be an issue,” I add as I take Cato’s hand. My tail unwraps from my waist and coils around his thigh, wanting to hold on to him wherever possible.
“Well, that’s new,” Cameron mutters.
Cato and I both glance down at the patch of freckled skin. Rhael stares with wide eyes, gaze darting between my tail and Cato’s complexion. “It’s a long story,” I tell him. “One we’ll be sharing in great detail with the Vaelor.”
Rhael dips his head and runs his hands along his braid. “I understand. Please, do not feel obligated to fulfill my curiosity. Father says it gets me into far too much trouble.”
“It’s no trouble,” I rush to assure him. “We don’t mind answering questions, but we don’t want to speak out of turn.”
The smile he gives me in return is nervous, not nearly as relaxed as earlier. “Of course. Come, let me show you the castle museum.”
“Ooh, a museum,” Lillith whispers to Taryn. “Do you think they have any weapons?”
“If they do, there is no touching,” Taryn whispers back, but Lillith only chortles.
Rhael’s posture loosens again as he leads us through a large doorway, nodding at guards and waving at the castle hands as we pass.
The museum is enormous, filled with treasures from across Elyra.
Intricate wood carvings of mythical creatures line the shelves, while vibrant paintings of sweeping landscapes and historic battles cover the walls.
Woven tapestries hang from the rafters, and glasswork catches the light, throwing colored patterns across the floor.
“The Vaelor made it her mission to collect art from around the realm,” Rhael says as he smiles fondly at the collection. “This is one of my favorite places to be. I’m honored to show it to you.”
We peruse the room, breaking into smaller clusters as we look at what speaks to us.
Cato and I stop in front of some tapestries, and I point out the Dreven waiting in the wings.
He’s fascinated by the battle depictions, and spends a long time looking over the spears and swords fashioned in ancient ways he’s never seen before.
A painting catches my eye. It’s abstract, but it’s abundantly clear it’s the perspective of someone under the water, staring up at a yellow sun and blue sky. It’s so much like the human world that I pause to inspect it further, then do a double take at the name printed on the plaque underneath.
“Rhael… is this yours?”
His ears flush a deeper teal as he ducks his head. “Ah… yes. I paint in my spare time. It’s nothing special, but the Vaelor insisted on displaying it.”
“This looks like the human world,” Taryn says as she steps up beside me.
His face lights up. “This pleases me greatly. After reading so many stories of the human world, I was determined to paint her beauty. I was never sure I got the shades of blue right.”
“Damn, if that doesn’t make me miss home,” Cato murmurs beside me.
“Rethinking your idea to live in Elyra once we save the worlds?”
“Maybe we can split our time,” he says with a grin. “Summers here, winters there.”
Cameron snorts a laugh. “I don’t know how to break it to you, but I don’t think there are summers here. Hells, there are barely winters there.”
Rhael glances between us, reflecting the lights off his piercings. “Is it not cold in your lands?”
“It’s hot as fuckin’ balls,” Cameron corrects. “It’s like boiling a big old cauldron of water, right? And it’s hot as fuck, but you decide to climb inside anyway, and then you put the lid on, just in case it wasn’t hot enough already.”