Chapter 37
Dinner was different than when they were on the road, and she was thankful for it.
Titus was still their cook and this time there was rotisserie chicken laid out on the table in front of her with boiled potatoes and fresh veggies. Her mouth watered at the site of it and realized she couldn’t recall the last time she ate.
“How did the visit to town go?” Finnley asked casually from across the table.
“Everyone was happy to see her.” Kaden responded next to her as she put food in her mouth.
“I’m sure they were.” Boone chuckled.
She kept quiet and continued to eat, the taste of food on her tongue making her realize just how hungry she was.
“Everything is in order to leave in the morning.” Xander said a few seats down from her.
“Good.” Kaden replied before taking a bite of his own food.
They ate in silence for a while after that, everyone cleaning their full plates and when Titus rose to grab them, she looked to Kaden.
“I know it's late, but I want to look for something in the library before bed,” she mumbled. “I won’t be able to sleep otherwise.”
Kaden lifted his eyebrow in curiosity as he let out a playful sigh and got up, extending his hand to help her get on her feet.
The library was attached to the Longhouse, its books treasured by her people since the beginning of time and wanted them to stay safe close by.
She stepped into the large room and lit the lantern just inside the door. It only lit a fraction of the room, but she grabbed it and started for the history section involving her power’s origin.
Some of the books she had read to try and understand it, but she never fully researched to gain knowledge of how it came to be. She knew the original story, but she knew there was more to the story than what her mother had told her.
It only took her a few minutes to find the book she was looking for, one her mom tried to get her to read many times but she got bored with it quickly.
She set it on a table in the middle of the room and placed her lantern next to it so she could read the pages better.
Kaden was over her shoulder, his breath tickling the back of her neck and was making it hard for her to concentrate. Just his presence was enough these days to make her stomach get butterflies, but feeling his body so close made her spine shutter.
Silently she flipped through the pagers, her eyes scanning for anything related to Kaden’s power and when she found it, she started reading.
‘Loki blessed the rebellion leader with his own power of Ebony Fire to counter the Valkyrie’s greatest weapon in hopes to slay Odin.
The rebel leader gifted his power away to his commanders, who then used it to try and overthrow Odin, but due to Odin’s immense power, he cursed the wielders of the Ebony Fire so they could no longer use it against him.
The curse could only be lifted if an innocent carrying the power was killed at the hands of evil and inherited the entire flame. Since the rebellion was anything but innocent to Odin, the line died out and has not been seen in over five centuries.
If one was ever to hold both powers at once, it is said they would hold both life and death in their hands. No one has ever achieved such a power and with the lineage of the ebony fire gone, no one ever will.’
She knew Kaden had read it over her shoulder, body tensing behind her and they had both come to the same conclusion.
“Your mom was innocent when Mavros killed her.” she whispered. “That is what awoke the power in you.”
Kaden didn’t say anything but she knew he was thinking the same train of thought as her.
“What if Mavros found out your mom was a descendant and killed her knowing it would awaken your power? What if his first plan was to obtain your power and when he couldn’t find you, he decided to go after mine?” Her voice was shaky, the pieces all starting to fall into place.
“He would have needed to have someone on the inside to get the battle plans so he could grab you,” Kaden spoke. “He knew he would be defeated otherwise since his plan to get me failed.”
Both tried to process the information they had now discovered, Kaden’s breath deepening in anger.
She turned her body to face him, her front now pressed against him and he avoided eye contact with her.
“It should have been me on that slab, not you,” he said through gritted teeth.
She reached up and grabbed his face with both hands to make him look at her, his eyes almost fully black with anger.
“Don’t think like that,” she whispered. “If things hadn’t happened the way they did, I wouldn’t be here with you now.”
His eyes moved from hers and studied her face, his eyes looking upon her scar. She watched his nostrils flare in anger and she gently brushed her thumb on his jawline.
“What’s done is done, we just need to move forward and figure out what to do next,” she whispered.
His free hand reached up and took one of hers from his face, squeezing it gently.
“I will kill him,” he growled. “For killing my mother and what he did to you.”
“I know,” she mumbled and leaned into him, pressing her forehead on his chest and she could feel the tension in his muscles fading.
“We should get you to bed,” he said softly.
“Will you join me?” she muttered against his chest.
“If that is what you want.”
She nodded her head against him and he let out a soft chuckle.
Silently they started towards the main hall and said a quick goodnight to their friends still having conversations at the table. None of them batted an eye when Kaden followed her into her room and once the door was closed, she stepped into the adjoined bathroom to ready herself for bed.
Kaden was already in bed when she stepped out, her face freshly washed and a new nightgown falling down her curves.
She was finishing her braid as she walked around the corner, Kaden looking up at her instantly and she saw his eyes brighten.
“Are your eyes from your mother?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t live in this town did you?”
She finished tying off her braid and crawled into bed next to him, his body propped up on one elbow facing her.
“No, we lived on the other side of Mydalsa beyond the mountains,” he answered quietly.
She knew there were smaller towns throughout the kingdom, but her mother didn’t often mention the one he was talking about. It was said most of the people there were descendants of the rebellion so they didn’t bother going there.
“That makes sense,” she mumbled.
“We had traveled here a few times when I was a youngling to get supplies but our town was usually self-sufficient. Once I got older and we allied with the Fae, I decided to leave to see more of the world. I knew Mavros was my father at that point so when they started a war, I joined Ermis’s army.”
She rolled onto her side to face him, her hands under her pillow and watched him continue his story.
“Luckily I was out on patrol when my power emerged and I knew in my gut something was wrong. Once back here after hitching a ride with one of your Valkyrie warriors, I learned how to summon my wings and control my power before I returned to Emris. Then I saved Xander, met the rest of the males and learned how to give some of my power to them.”
He laid down next to her on his side and they stared at each other in silence for a moment.
“They are lucky to have you.” she smiled.
“No,” he started. “I’m lucky to have them.”
She moved herself closer to him, his arms opening up around her and she tangled herself in him like the last night they were together.
He didn’t stop her or try to pull away, instead pulled her in closer and wrapped his arms around her in a protective hold.
She pressed her head against his bare chest and let out a long relaxed breath.
“Thank you for coming after me,” she whispered.
“I would never stop coming for you, no matter what stood in my way, princess.” His last words rolled off his tongue in a way that made her body shiver, an endearing promise she hoped he kept.
He didn’t react to her body shuddering and stayed silent, his only response was his hand tracing up and down her spine, lulling her to sleep a short time later.