56. Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Six
Kya
C linging to Ryker with my hands fisted in his rain-soaked shirt and my face buried against his chest, Theron Traveled us away from Vansera, away from Daegel, away from the realm that had been my prison for so long.
It took a lifetime for us to finally return home.
Then suddenly, a weight lifted off me. Everything was bright, and I felt the cold bite of the wind.
I inhaled a shaky breath, taking in the intoxicating smell of cedar and bergamot—of Ryker—and the familiar scent of the mountainous air in Oryn. My feet rested on frozen stone, and I felt the vibrations of the Voara palace beneath us, the city in the valley below, and the people there—alive.
Ryker grabbed my face, tilting it up to look at him—those silver eyes filled with longing. He slammed his lips onto mine, and a breathtaking shock jolted through my body.
Every emotion was in that one kiss. Undying love, anger, passion, pain, relief. It was in the desperation between our lips—the intensity flowing through the bond.
“Why did you do that, little gem?” he asked against my lips as his tears ran along the edges of my mouth.
The pain in his voice cracked my heart, and I choked on a sob, “I—I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
He ran his nose along mine. “I can’t tell you that I forgive you. I don’t.”
My chest tightened. I didn’t forgive myself either. I never would.
“What you did, what you put us through… You were willing to die ,” his voice broke. “And I love you too fucking much to be okay with that.”
He kissed me again with the ferocity of the fight he’d battled across the realms to get to me. Our tears merged, falling onto our laps as we were once again together as we always should be. My head fell against his chest, and he held me tightly as I wrapped my arms around his warm body and cried.
I was finally home, right where I belonged.
I didn’t want to move. Never again did I want to leave the embrace of my mate, my husband. I never wanted to leave his side, feel his warmth leave me, or have any distance between us again.
Our bond thrummed with contentment as we stayed in each other’s grasp.
We didn’t move for several moments despite the freezing air. This moment of reunification was everything and nothing else existed as we remained in this world of our own, absorbing every ounce of emotion flowing between us, every sound of our breaths, every heartbeat thumping and throbbing with the passion and pain we shared.
Ryker kept me in his arms, holding me tightly as if afraid I’d disappear.
For the first time since I went into the Rip, I was able to stroke a soothing caress down the bond.
He exhaled a deep sigh, pulling me even closer and met my caress with affection and relief.
I didn’t know if it was from the emotions threatening to burst from me or the cold, but my body shivered. Heat flooded from Ryker, warming me. I’d missed his warmth.
“Let’s go inside,” he whispered softly against my hair.
I didn’t want to let go. I wanted to stay in this moment while it lasted.
I nodded and released my grip on his shirt, pulling away from him to stand, but he tightened his hold on me, not letting me go. I looked up at him, gazing into the silver eyes I dreamed of every night, and a lump formed in my throat.
“Please. Let me keep you in my arms just a little longer,” he begged and stood, lifting me with him.
I sighed with relief, thankful to remain in his embrace.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and glanced over his shoulder to see Theron.
“Thank you,” I mouthed silently.
He dipped his head in acknowledgment, holding my gaze with a tenderness in his daunting eyes I had never seen, then disappeared.
Ryker shifted his wings away and carried me inside, down long corridors and to the bedchamber where he took me into the bathing room. He gently placed me on the edge of the tub.
I gripped the lip of the porcelain to steady myself and winced when I adjusted my legs down to the floor. The chains from earlier had whipped around me so forcefully, I was sure the bones had cracked.
I glanced up at Ryker.
His eyes traveled along my body with an expression on his face I couldn’t read. Between all of the emotions within him and me, I couldn’t tell what he was feeling.
I wanted to speak, but I didn’t know what to say. I had imagined this moment so many times, but now that it was here, every word that crawled up from my heart died in my throat.
He didn’t know what to say either. With his mind or his voice, I desperately wished for him to say something. Anything.
My heart sank when he turned and began to walk away. I opened my mouth to protest him leaving the room, but I stopped myself. I had no right to ask him not to leave, not after I had even when he begged and pleaded for me not to, but I still couldn’t help but think it over and over.
Don’t leave me. I’m sorry. Please, don’t leave me. Please, my shadow.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said quietly, having heard my thoughts, and turned around after grabbing a cloth from the shelf by the door. “I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”
His promise was cold and angry.
I didn’t blame him. I didn’t want to leave his sight again. Never again. I learned my lesson and suffered the consequences for it—we both had.
I swallowed past the dryness in my throat. “I don’t want you to,” I said hoarsely.
He walked back over to me, holding my stare the entire time. “Let’s get you out of these clothes, then we can bathe you.” He reached for my shirt.
My eyes widened when I remembered my wings. I didn’t want him to see. Not yet. And the thought of water…
“No.” I raised a hand, and my breaths came faster.
He lowered his hand to his side and gave a single nod. “We…have a lot to discuss.”
Leysa…
“Yeah. We do,” I agreed sadly.
“What happened while you were there?” he asked softly.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now…”
Gods, I didn’t want our first interaction back together to be me telling him I killed his mother whom he had thought dead all this time.
His eyes briefly flicked to my forehead.
“Don’t,” I said quickly before he had the chance to see my memories.
He flinched slightly, almost imperceptibly, and looked…hurt. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“I’ll tell you,” I whispered, tears falling down the chilled skin of my cheeks. “I should be the one to tell you. I don’t want you to see it. Right now, I just want to be with you,” my voice broke. “I’ll tell you everything tomorrow, I swear. I just want to get out of that place for right now. Please. Just for a little while before I’m dragged back there through my memories.”
His heartbroken gaze held mine. “Alright, little gem.”