7. Kyros
Chapter seven
Kyros
She’s okay. I’ll make sure of it.
It was a little difficult, but I got the door to the room Shayd said I would be staying in to open. It was evident as soon as I nudged the door open that this is his personal space. The scent of my younger days still floods my senses: leather, flint, and the crisp aroma of cut pine.
I shouldn’t be lying here with her on this bed, but I couldn’t resist. While she’s sleeping, I’m not met with the pain in her gaze.
The pain I instilled there. Keeping her cradled in my arms, I stare at her for a long moment, remembering the way her laugh sounded as she ran from the rain.
The way it made my heart skip just seeing the smile bracket her mouth.
The way it still beats unevenly as I look down at her.
I feel like I’ve ruined any chance I may have had.
My eyes skate over every inch of her face.
The way her lashes fan out over the flawless skin of her high cheekbones and her eyes dance under her eyelids.
Pulled into sleep, but true rest still remains out of reach.
Her lips part just a hair's breadth, dropping my attention to them and how the slight opening of her mouth brings each of her breaths to fill her lungs just a little deeper.
I hope your sleep is not darkened by the world we live in and your dreams provide the reprieve you need, Shula.
Does it make me a monster the way I allow my thumb to trace the bottom curve of her lip as I selfishly drink in every part of her face?
I slowly lean forward, so not to wake her, and press my lips to her forehead.
She whimpers but burrows further into the bedding.
Further into the crook of my body. I could lie here forever with her in my arms.
My eyes jump to the door as someone raps a knuckle on the other side, the sound echoing through the silence I’ve been basking in.
My jaw ticks as I’m forced to peel my eyes away from Astraea to answer it.
She’s been asleep for what feels like hours, and as exhausted as I am, I think a part of me is worried that something will happen if I allow myself to actually rest. I won’t be able to protect her.
I feel like we’re vulnerable enough just knowing my magick has yet to be restored.
That particular fact is also something I have yet to look too closely at.
Watching Astraea’s body give in to the exhaustion and stress of the night was worrisome enough.
“You aren’t going to believe this.” Shayd says, and he pushes the door open further.
I stop the door with my hand and push him back with the other to his chest. He looks down at it in surprise for a moment before I point at the woman sleeping in my, well, his bed.
“Can you step outside? You’re going to want to hear what I have to say.
” He continues, speaking much lower this time.
My eyes flit over to Astraea’s sleeping form.
My lips purse as I begrudgingly make the decision to allow Shayd to come in.
I want to keep eyes on her while she’s sleeping.
“Just keep your voice down.” I growl, opening the door fully and gesturing to the sitting area in the corner of the room.
Shayd crosses the room, his boots light as he tries to stay silent but doesn’t sit right away.
Instead, he reaches down, grabs the fire iron next to the hearth, and tends to the dwindling flames.
A habit, I’m sure. It’s not necessary really; the day is losing its biting chill already, but I don't stop him. I just keep my eyes narrowed on his back as I stand leaning against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest, waiting for him to spill whatever it is that is so important he couldn’t wait.
“I spoke with one of my men who arrived back this morning; got more information from him and his team. It seems the dunes are even more volatile now. The Scylia pirates are even looking for allies for what they are calling the coming of tides.” He sits in the chair, wiping his hands down his face.
He looks nearly as worn out as I feel. I ignore the thought of just how exhausted I am and slowly contemplate what he said.
The coming of tides? As I recall, that has something to do with the gods, specifically, Evara, the keeper of divine fire, the god of the sun.
The same god—“You never said anything about Thunderbirds or a fucking Manticore returning. She is the reason for all of this, isn’t she? ” Shayd interrupts my thoughts.
His words stir a protectiveness in me with his realization, and my eyes lift to Astraea, still fast asleep.
One hand rests in front of her face on the pillow.
A stray hair has found its way across her forehead.
Still, no anger or sadness marks her features, and her chest rises and falls calmly.
She looks entirely at peace. She is a goddess given human form.
Jealousy aches in my chest at the thought that I was not the one who gave her that peace.
I just hope that since she has not started thrashing, it means that her sleep is unoccupied by the demons she has recently faced or those of her past.
It’s clear that she has something to do with what is going on.
But I know she has no idea what it is either.
Queen Phaedra clearly knew more than she ever told me or anyone else in my team.
It’s possible Shayd knows more information.
He knew her before I came into the service of the Queen, but then again, he seems just as confused by everything as I am.
“I’m still not sure why.” I admit, confirming that I too believe she is the cause, but I don’t remove my eyes from her.
All of my thoughts are warring for dominance and clouded with exhaustion.
Instead of elaborating, I pull the leather sack of sand from my pocket and toss it to Shayd as I finally look over at him.
He catches it easily, then looks into the bag with a perturbed expression.
“I don’t understand. Is this—” He pokes his finger into the sand, and his eyes jolt back to mine.
“Magickally charged?” He asks, his brows jumping up to his hairline.
I stare at him as his mind works over what this could mean.
His eyes dart from the sand to me, then to Astraea, and back again several times over.
“I was reminded by a woman in the market before the Shula Morana celebration. We all know of the legend, but it’s not something I’ve thought about outside of my studies.
The God, Evara, and the magick he imbued in the sands that make up the land of the Dead Sea.
Do you think—” Shayd slaps his hand down on his thigh, interrupting me again, cursing and staring at me wide-eyed.
“Shit! Do you think she has something to do—” Astraea mumbles in her sleep, and both Shayd and I pause, looking over at her.
I glare at him for being loud, and he mouths, ‘Sorry,’ before finishing his thought in a whisper.
“Do you think she has ties with the divine? Is that why Phaedra was looking for… a relic?”
“I plan to find out. For now, it's important our arrival stays quiet.” My brows furrow deeper as I keep my gaze on my sleeping twin flame.
“I need to allow her time to rest, and then I think it might be best if I take her to meet Kaeleith.” His brows raise at that.
His guess is as good a guess as any, but I think it's more than that. The sand that day was just like any sand before we were attacked. My eyes narrow on the rapid movement under Astraea’s eyelids.
“It’s not a bad idea. The old dweller might know something we don’t. Good luck if she does. You know the woman doesn’t like to meddle in the workings of kingdoms.” He says, and all I can do is grunt, accepting his truth. Kaeleith, while helpful in many ways, can be quite the pain in the ass.
“For now, put your scouts on alert for any word on Mavros, Zinya, or Viltarin. I need to know they’re okay.
There was a girl with them, a redhead. Her name is Colette, and she has my protection if you catch any word of her, too.
If we can get specifics on where they are, it would help us know if we need a team to extract them.
My magick is still…” I shake my head, and Shayd purses his lips.
“I would call for Drabek, but if he’s spotted coming to me here, I have no doubt that Phaedra’s men would be the next to arrive.
And after the spectacle in the dunes, I know that it will not be with open arms that she will greet me.
” Shayd makes a noise in the back of his throat, but I draw my attention back to the woman sleeping in the room as she stirs.
“Kyros?” Astraea’s voice breaks on my name. The sound is so sad that it nearly chokes me as I look up to see that she's still trapped in sleep.
“When she wakes, we’re leaving. Have a horse ready for us.” I say as we both stand and Shayd quietly crosses the room. He opens the door but pauses briefly before he leaves, turning to look back at me.
“I know you are worried about the girl, but you need to rest too if you have any chance of making it anywhere, Kyros.” He doesn’t wait for a response; he just glances between me and Astraea once with a look I can't discern, then closes the door with a soft click. I purse my lips as I look down at my hands, palms up, before clenching them into tight fists. Useless. My magick has still not been restored. It’s never taken this long before.
I know he’s right. I will need to get some sleep if we’re to make the journey to the Creshian Forest, with or without portaling.
Kaeleith has to be able to help with something.
If not the nightmares, hopefully she will be able to help with the issue of my magick.