Chapter 39 Reyes
Reyes
The slow trudge is made worse by our injuries and Nyx’s weight in my arms. Matuk is parked closer, at the opposite end of the trees as ours, so we make our way there first. We load inside after Ronan helps Matuk into the passenger seat, and I pull Nyx into my lap as Xeni drives us to our vehicle.
The military trucks are visible through the trees, and, despite my protest, Ronan stops to collect the spare fuel they carry.
Once he's finished, we continue to Matuk's van. Ronan offers to carry Nyx, but backs away at my snarl. I transfer him to our vehicle, laying him across the middle bench and resting his head on my leg. Xeni stays with Matuk to drive, and Ronan climbs into the driver’s seat.
The purr of the engine is a welcome thrum as Ronan waits for the others to leave, then falls in line behind them.
Nyx’s lashes flutter and his eyes dart underneath his eyelids. I cherish the signs of life, sliding my thumb over his cheek until I realize my hands are coated in dark, drying blood. My clothes too, but there’s nothing to be done about it right now.
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” I ask, and Ronan glances at me in the rearview mirror. The black pools of his eyes have receded until they’re his usual brown again.
“He’ll come back to you,” he says softly.
“The string around your middle? The one that always leads to him? He’ll follow it.
You’ll guide him home.” A single tear slips loose to slide down my face, splashing into Nyx’s hair as I pull him close.
And then I don’t care that Ronan is right there, or that he can see me as I break down.
I don’t care that we’re headed to a strange place, or that I need to be on guard.
I don’t care about anything except his honeysuckle smell and the quiet pulse of my mark as I place it over his.
My body shakes as I sob, hugging him and focusing on the soft way he breathes. The gentle beat of his heart becomes my metronome, and I let its steady rhythm wash over me as I cry. Tears track my cheeks and wet his hair, and I refuse to loosen my grip on him until the van slows.
“We’re here.” Ronan’s voice is still soft.
I nod, and sit tall, sniffling as I swipe away the tears.
He hesitates as he leaves the engine running, then turns in his seat and places a hand over my forearm.
“I owe him my life, Reyes. Without him, and without your quick thinking, this would’ve turned out very differently.
Cameron would’ve been alone. Elas would’ve never learned what happened to me…
the thought of it makes me sick. Whatever I can do to help, I will. You have my word.”
I mutter my shaky thanks, furiously wiping away my tears that don’t seem to stop.
He squeezes my arm once more before he turns around, focusing on the camp.
It’s like every other small camp out here in the wilderness—a mix of weather-beaten tents and ramshackle structures, but only half of them still stand.
A dilapidated fence runs the perimeter, but most of it has fallen into piles of rubble.
This place offers them the basest level of protection, barely keeping them safe from the elements.
Audra and Samuel, the humans we met on our previous trip, step out from one of the larger tents. They’re visibly nervous. Audra tries to hide it by jutting out her chin and playing tough, but Samuel wrings his hands in front of him.
“Take your time,” Ronan says, drawing my eyes back to his. “Collect yourself before you bring him out. He needs you to be strong, Reyes.”
“I’ll try,” I whisper, fighting the fear that’s trying to drown me alive.
“I know you will.” Ronan slips from the van and leaves me in the silence.
My palm runs over Nyx’s hair, plucking a stray twig from the strands as I stare at his stony face.
“Hey, sirrha. I’m not sure if you can hear me, but I’m here and we’re safe.
We got out. You did it. You saved us. I know you’re tired, and it’s all right that you need to rest. Sleep, okay?
Sleep as long as it takes for you to heal, just promise me you’ll come back to me. Can you promise me that?”
His chest rises in steady breaths, but there’s no sign he hears me. Another flood of tears threatens to spill from my aching eyes, and I take a shaky inhale as I stare up at the ceiling. Once they’re under control, I glance out the window to where Ronan helps Matuk from the van.
“We have to go talk to them now.” I press a kiss to his temple as I brace myself to face strangers.
“It’s never been easy for me to meet others, especially after…
everything. Some people are so good at making friends, but not me.
I always kept my distance until I saw you, and I wanted to know you.
It’s fate that you hate crowds, too.” A shaky, watery laugh leaves me as I hug him again.
“We’ll be hermits together. Run into the woods and never have to see another soul.
You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Just us and the trees? ”
His eyes flutter, but it’s clear he isn’t there.
This is only his body, and Nyx is lost inside it somewhere.
“If I find out you’re faking just to get out of talking to new people, I’ll be so upset with you.
” Another rough laugh leaves me. “Nah, who am I kidding? I’ll never be upset with you.
I love you too much. You can get away with anything, okay?
For the rest of our forever, all you have to do is look at me and I’ll cave.
I’ll melt. Use that against me any time you want, just please… come back to me.”
Matuk limps towards the tent with Ronan under his arm for support, and Xeni is pale and unsteady. With one last lingering hug, I gather myself, slide open the door, and step into the bright sunlight. Samuel and Audra are guiding Ronan and Matuk inside, and Xeni catches my eye as I carry Nyx.
“Need help?” he asks, and I shake my head as we follow the others.
“You look like you need to be carried yourself.”
He laughs, but winces at the pressure as he reaches up and pats the back of his skull again.
“Head wounds bleed a lot, so it isn’t as serious as it looks.
Our medical kit is in the trunk, and Aryn can stitch a wound.
” Xeni shudders, then releases a nervous laugh.
“At least it’s behind my hair, so it’ll be hidden.
His hands are steady, but he isn’t a medic for a reason. ”
“Does it hurt?” I ask, and he lifts one shoulder in a shrug.
“In general, taking a blow to the head doesn’t feel great.” I snort, and a small grin tugs at his lips. “I’ll have a raging headache for the rest of the night, and probably tomorrow if I’m being realistic, but there’s no permanent damage.”
“You should take it easy.” I nod my thanks to Samuel as he holds the flap for us, and we step inside to find a row of cots lined up along one side.
The roof is mostly intact, with just a few small holes, and several of the panels are pulled back to allow air to flow.
Jugs of water and a few cups sit in a corner, and a few personal items lie on beds, but otherwise this place is empty.
“You can put him here.” Samuel guides me to the farthest bed. Once Nyx is settled, I kneel beside him. “And you, please, rest too,” he says to Xeni, who hesitates as he looks at the cot on my other side.
“Matuk needs medical attention. Let me tend to his injuries, and then I’ll rest.” When I narrow my eyes at him, he lifts his hands in surrender. “I swear. Just let me do this.”
Conversations fade into the background as I slide my hand into Nyx’s, squeezing around his unmoving fingers.
“We’ve been here before,” I whisper as I rest my head on the cot beside him.
“You in this heavy sleep, and me sitting and worrying by your bedside. Is this what happened to you? Did your magic take control and pull too much from you?”
The theory makes sense, though I wouldn’t have considered it until now.
When I found him surrounded by those vines, I assumed the plants had protected him.
But they didn’t cover him by choice. They were called by whatever magic lives inside him, and drained his energy until he was left in this state.
“Thank you for looking out for us,” I whisper as I squeeze his hand, and I grow quiet as I lie there.
The others speak, and I catch snippets of conversation between familiar and unfamiliar voices.
There are a few pained groans as Xeni sets Matuk’s broken arm, and then a few more as Xeni’s wound is stitched.
I should go introduce myself. Say hi, at the very least, but I’m overwhelmed enough without adding new faces and names to my list of worries. A shadow falls over my shoulder, and I glance up to find Ronan standing there. “How’s he doing?” His eyes roam over Nyx, but there’s nothing new to see.
“The same. How are the… new people?”
He shrugs as he sits on the edge of the next cot—the one that Xeni is supposed to be resting in. “They seem nice enough. My instincts aren’t giving me any warnings.”
“There’s another Anunian, right?” I don’t bother looking at the other end of the tent to check for myself.
“Yeah. Daiwyn.”
“Did you know her? Before?”
“What, you think everyone of the same species knows each other?” I glance over, but he’s teasing, so I just huff and roll my eyes. “No, I didn’t know her. She doesn’t speak much, but from what I gather, she was a civilian in one of the cities.”
“Aren’t you all military?” I ask, and Ronan’s bewilderment is almost enough to make me laugh.
“Of course not.”
“I mean, you, Elas, Lillith, Xeni… Matuk… these two scientists…”
“That's all your limited experiences have shown you, but it doesn't make it true. In the beginning, yes, it was our military that came through. But over the years, as new generations have been born and the cities have grown under our control, there are plenty of civilians. Those who hold whatever sort of job they wish… to an extent, at least. The military has the ultimate say.” He glances over his shoulder towards the others. “My understanding is that one of these scientists was a civilian until her skills were needed. She wasn’t given a choice, naturally.”
“Naturally,” I parrot, and Ronan sighs again.
“I don’t like this place. It’s too exposed, and it’s a godsdamned miracle they haven’t been attacked by now.”
“Maybe there isn’t much traffic this way,” I say through a yawn, and he nods thoughtfully.
“Perhaps. You should rest. I want to leave as soon as we’re able.”
“Xeni needs to recover.” I yawn again, my mouth stretching wide as the exhaustion settles in. “Make him come over here and sleep.”
“Yeah, yeah, tiny human,” he says, and I chuckle as he gives my shoulder a squeeze.
“Rest now. I don’t want to listen to your complaining later.
” I lift my hand and give him the middle finger, and he chuckles as he stands and walks away.
Xeni mumbles something about not being tired as he crashes onto the cot, and I reluctantly lose my battle against sleep, as well.