33. Jaxus
THIRTY-THREE
JAXUS
“ N o one will be awake at this hour, so we need to be quiet going into the house and opening it up. It’s been ages since I’ve been here, and I don’t know what state it will be in,” Kiera said into my mind as we landed in the clearing.
“Do you think I’m incapable of being quiet?” I sent a laugh with my words so she’d know I joked.
She looked down her nose at me. “Not at that size.”
I narrowed my eyes, stalking toward her when I shifted back to my fae form. “What are you saying?”
She backed away, tossing me the bag with my clothes, giggling. “Nothing at all.”
My chest warmed and I snatched her wrist. “Don’t you try to leave me in a strange forest.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Her tone stayed playful.
“I don’t believe you!” I pulled on my pants and shirt to catch up with her, slipping my hand into hers to lace our fingers together.
We walked hand in hand under the canopy. How she navigated the dark, treacherous landscape so easily, I didn’t know. Even with my enhanced sight, I barely kept myself upright with roots and leaves littering the ground. It was second nature to her to feel her way through the terrain.
She led us to a massive tree, bigger around than my dragon form, with steps winding around the base. She took them two at a time, excitement bleeding from her. The stairs wrapped around the tree, taking us into the canopy to a level nearly invisible from the ground. I never would have known the dwelling was here if she hadn’t led me to the stairs.
A soft whisper unlocked the door, and we passed into an entryway with another staircase leading up.
“No wonder every healer I’ve ever met is in amazing shape. The stairs you have to take daily,” I muttered.
She laughed again. “Physical health is important to treat our patients.”
“If you’re so used to living this high up, why are you scared of flying?” I asked, the question not fitting with everything else I knew about Kiera.
“It’s not the heights. It’s falling.” She stopped at the landing, which opened up into a breathtaking view of the Forest Kingdom from above. The moon shone over a canopy of treetops spread out for hundreds of miles, and the sitting room opened up into a series of decks cascading off the back of the dwelling. Floating lights were low enough to draw the eye but not take away from the light, just breaking the surface, casting a warm glow of light.
“What in the Goddess—?” She stepped further into the space, her fingers brushing over the fine hand-carved furniture.
“What?” I asked, following her deeper into the room.
“This was all closed up. Covered and winterized. No one should have been here while we were gone. The last time I was here, I made sure.” She spun, bewildered, looking around.
“I opened it up for you,” a voice came from the corner of the first level of decking in the shadows.
I jumped back, my hands coming up with magic sparking at my fingertips, but Kiera jumped in front of me, grabbing my hands. My magic quelled under her touch. I don’t know if it was an unconscious response or a part of our bond, but all the power I’d drawn from the earth dissipated and returned to my stores. Passing harmlessly away.
I searched her face in a question.
“It’s my gran,” Kiera said softly, turning around to confront the tiny fae barely visible in the shadows.
“Why are you here? What are you even doing awake?” she asked.
The female unfolded herself from the chair and used a walking stick to help herself to a stand, stepping into the low light. “You youngins take your sleep for granted. When you’re my age, you’re lucky if all the aches and pains let you sleep at all.”
“Sounds like someone I know,” I muttered.
Kiera glared over her shoulder. “Shut it.”
“I like him,” Gran said, stepping around Kiera to size me up. She was approximately one-third my size, with hair so white it glowed. She tilted her face up and narrowed her eyes. “Big one.” Quick as lightning, she tapped one of my biceps with her stick, then held the end to my throat. “What are your intentions?”
“Gran!” Kiera sounded appalled.
“Mind your business, Firefly.”
“Firefly?” I asked, cocking my head to look at Kiera around her Gran.
“Answer the question, dragon!” the tiny fae demanded.
“Intentions for what?” I asked carefully, not wanting to give away more than I must. I didn’t need to be questioned about where I came from when I couldn’t even explain it to Kiera with the blood oath.
She narrowed her eyes into slits like she could see right through me. “Smart. I like it. Why are you here with my grandchild?”
“Because she needs to rest and heal,” I answered simply. I wasn’t certain how Kiera wanted to handle the real reason we’d come, so I would follow her lead on that. But healing was a part of the reason for our trip, so I would stick to the story for now.
“You know we don’t like outsiders here,” she warned.
“Does anyone?”
“We especially don’t like dragons.” She shot back.
“I assure you, I am not like other dragons you’d find in the First Kingdom. I wasn’t raised there,” I worded everything I said carefully. To give the littlest information without leaving room for questions I couldn’t answer. “My people are more akin to yours than how they are in the First Kingdom. We have our own ways of doing things.”
She nodded, digesting my words. “I really like him.” She turned to Kiera. “Don’t expose him to the others if you can help it.”
Kiera tucked her hands in her pockets. “He’s a friend. I’m not just going to leave him in the treehouse all day.”
Gran raised her eyebrows. “You know what Casimir will say.”
Kiera blew out a breath, flipping her hair away from her face. “I don’t care what he or anyone else has to say.
Gran laughed, almost conspiratorially. “That’s my girl.”
“What does she mean?” I asked silently.
“It’s nothing.”
Gran scoffed like she could hear us. “Is that why you stayed away as long as you did?”
“You know there aren’t enough of us in the cities. I have the work of at least five healers. ”
“That is not our concern. You know our ways.” Her words didn’t seem to be unkind, but there was an edge to them that told of a long-running issue.
“I have to be there, just like my parents do.”
“They always were too sympathetic.” Gran’s words weren’t upset, more resigned. “They gave their lives, but you don’t have to.”
“I do now,” Kiera snapped back, then sighed. “Sorry, I don’t mean it like that. The thing is, I have a bond with Jaxus, Gran. I’m not only a healer. I’m a ryder now, too. Things have changed for me. I’ve had a setback, but once I’m better, I’ll have to start working that role into my already busy life. I can’t just decide to move back home. It’s more than purely my work in the First Kingdom now. There are laws for the flyers. I’m still adjusting to the idea myself. but it’s how things are and they will have to accept it, just as I have.”
Gran’s eyes flashed with something I couldn’t read. “All we can do is face it.” She smirked. “Bring him to dinner tomorrow.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?!” Kiera gasped.
Gran shrugged. “I like a little chaos. It’s been boring here for far too long without you, my favorite Firefly.” She pulled Kiera into a hug.
“I’m here to relax, not cause a fight.” She scoffed, leaning into the hug. “Thank you for opening up the house for me.”
“You’re welcome. It’s good to have you home, child, even if it’s only for a little while.”
“It’s good to be here. I’ve missed it dearly.” Kiera looked more relaxed already.
Gran leaned on her walking stick, eyeing me. “You know the clan will not approve.” she addressed Kiera once again as if I wasn’t there.
“I know. I didn’t bring him here for that—” Kiera cut herself off.
“Then why did you bring him here? ”
“He brought me.” Kiera wasn’t exactly lying, but she wasn’t giving her the full truth.
“I see through you, child. When you are ready, come speak to me.” The little fae moved faster than one her age should be able to, and we were left alone.
“What did she mean?” I asked.
“Healers don’t like outsiders.” Kiera kept her words clipped.
“I gathered that. But that’s not what she was talking about.” I knew there was more.
“They won’t be happy I’m a ryder. They believe that, as healers, our lives belong to the Goddess and to the good of our kind, which means our work should be our main focus.”
“The same could be said of being a ryder,” I argued. “It’s all in service to the Goddess in one way or another. She makes the choices.”
“I know, but pure healing magic is concentrated to so few bloodlines. To preserve it, part of our duty is to marry within our kind and have as many children as possible to make sure we don’t die out.”
I searched her face, connecting the dots. “So they won’t approve of you not coming home one day to get married and make healer babies?”
“I don’t think my betrothed will much care for my being a ryder, no. But as I don’t much care for him, I’m not too concerned.”
“Excuse me?” My heart dropped to my feet, draining the blood from my face.