Chapter 37
The four of us sit in silence as the moon perches in the sky. The cosmos overhead twinkle to life in the reflection of Tearfall Aether. The lake starts to pulse, a faint ethereal blue, like a heartbeat.
“Clever girl. Those are the heartbeats of our eggs. We come here often to check that they still beat, waiting for the one-in-a-million strike that will hatch them into our lives.” Scáil’s calming voice sighs in my mind.
“But Calais can breathe lightning; could she not use that to help the young ones hatch?”
“Sadly, no. No magic but that of the Celestials can direct a lightning bolt to hatch our eggs. So, we’re left to the mercy of nature.
” I feel his sorrow, as if he knows he will not live to see their lives.
I quickly realize my shields have fallen slightly in the serenity of watching the sunset, raising them back up but leaving their windows open.
Yet his sorrow seems etched in my bones. A feeling I can’t shake.
“You know, Calais, you would be much more tolerable if you were as open as Scáil is,” I jab.
She lowers her head to snarl at me, “It’s time to return you home. The grumpy one clearly needs her sleep.”
“And I assume you’ll be wanting to sleep in our bed tonight?” I mock at S?las, but he’s lost in thoughts of his own as he folds up the blanket, melancholy painting his features.
“Not tonight, Luxsula. Not tonight.” He furrows his brow.
We ride the rest of the night in silence, but I don’t feel alone. Each of their tethers anchor deeper than my mind.
Calais and Scáil dip and weave between each other in a dance that twists the biggest smile on my face. Their ancient love radiates off one another. The chaos and the calm of their love saga, forged in years of devotion.
When we land outside of Gildorea, S?las immediately disappears into the darkness.
“Where is he off to?”
“We all have our demons to fight. He will reveal his when he’s ready, young one. He hides much behind his mask, as do you. Rest well,” Scáil hums. Just as swiftly, he and Calais take off into the night sky.
On the long walk up the spiral staircase, the distance of the three tethers grows as they become farther and farther away.
I didn’t think I would enjoy being connected to three beings, as someone who’s spent much of their life alone.
But after letting them in and making a home for their tethers, my heart beats a little fuller.
I arrive in my room to see dinner on the table. The smell of it has my stomach roaring with excitement. A note is placed on top of the silver cover.
‘Until next time, Luxsula.’
I definitely can’t be mad at him for leaving me dinner. Especially after a long weekend where I’ve scarcely eaten. It’s mooca steak and mashed potatoes covered in butter—my favorite. I don’t even want to think about how he knows that.
Pip skitters onto the table, chirping happily as he tries to carry the entire steak off my plate. Dream Singer falls to my feet from wherever he had been holding it when he changed his shape. I tsk at Pip, cutting the steak in half for us to share.
I shower and dress in my nightgown before snuggling up to Pip.
I wonder where S?las is. He wore a different type of sadness on his brow tonight.
One I haven’t seen from him. Even though part of me scoffs at sharing a bed with him, another part of me craves to know what his body will feel like next to me… at a distance, of course.
I realize I can reach out to him, although I’m not sure if I should. It’s clear he wants to be alone. But then I think about all the times I wanted to be alone, and he never seemed to listen to me, so it seems only fair to check on him.
I close my eyes and open the arched stained-glass window decorated with the midnight sky. To my dismay, the black velvet ribbons don’t come streaming in. I gaze out the window and can see them twirling violently in the distance.
“Are you okay?” I beckon from the window, reaching along the tether I can still feel.
“No. But I will be.” His smoky voice is distant, which is an entirely new feeling for me, one I’m not entirely sure I like.
“Is there anything I can do to help? I can listen, if that’s what you need.”
“You can rest for me. Knowing you are safe and rested is all I need right now.” His voice is even more distant, the ribbons disappearing further into darkness.
I guess he’s shielding me from his mind.
I want to be angry at him, as if I’m not safe and need to rest to make him happy, but the sadness that drenches his voice makes me forgive him.
I roll over, pulling Pip into my chest as I fall asleep.