Chapter 26 Aethra
Aethra
Dozens of chambers sprawled beneath the pyramid, meant for the tombs of the deceased. Two housed the noble line Seth descended from, but most lay empty. Duath Nun had conquered the country that no longer had a name, and the tradition had died.
Seth described his home as purgatory, but down here, it felt like the underworld itself. Dark walls closed in on me, and the torches illumined eerie green runes painted along the stone.
Leaning against the wall, I cradled my broken wrist. A wagon rolled by, carrying supplies, and people walked past constantly. Cerys had managed to gather most of the insurgents from the scattered cells.
They looked so ordinary. Some wore rags; others were well-dressed. Men and women, from young teenagers to parents, though the people of Duath Nun never looked older than forty.
Had I not known the insurgency hid beneath these walls, I would have thought them commoners going about their day.
Turning my head, I stared into the darkness at the end of the corridor. Aeacus was imprisoned there. Phaedrus had taken over controlling him, giving Eleos a break.
Once we’d escaped the fort, Seth had handed me over to a healer and disappeared into the prisoner’s chamber. Eleos was in there with him.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to see what was happening behind those doors.
Seraphim emerged from a nearby door and sauntered toward me. Sweat dampened her brow, and her red locks clung to her face. Torchlight gleamed on her golden armor.
“That went well.” She leaned beside me. “Better than I expected.”
“Thanks to you,” I said.
“Flatterer.” She nudged me with her elbow and fell silent. We watched the passing insurgents as they carried supplies to and fro. “It’s so few,” she breathed. “So much fewer than we had ten years ago.”
“Is this going to work?” I asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” Seraphim said. “All we can do is put forth our best effort and hope.”
“What if we’re too late?” I turned, leaning on my side. “What if the Merchant Isles are being consumed as we speak?”
“Then, maybe we’ll be able save this place.”
Or we’d fail, and save nothing at all. My body went numb, thinking of my home, blanketed in the abyss. All of the people there, dead. Forgotten.
Biting my thumb, I dug my teeth into my skin until pain snapped me from the numbness.
The whispers from the abyss echoed in my head. I needed to talk to Cerys.
“Ah,” Seraphim said. “The royal messenger is here.”
Percy approached, tapping a scroll against his hand. He’d finally freed himself from the drab gray robes and sported his old, colorful sash. “I’d prefer to be the royal jester, honestly.” He smiled at me, holding out the parchment. “Letter for you, from the Lady Oracle herself.”
“A letter?” I asked, taking the scroll.
“Oh, the message was verbal at first, but I couldn’t remember half of what she wanted to say.” Percy folded his arms. “Directions aren’t my forte.”
Chuckling, I unrolled the scroll.
In the hall between the fourth and fifth chambers, find a loose brick beneath a sconce. Pull it loose to reveal a hidden passage. It leads to natural underground hot springs. The water there will soothe your wounds.
I looked up. “Doesn’t she have more to worry about than me?”
Percy’s smile widened. “Apparently not.”
“You should go,” I suggested. “You need it more than I do.”
“I’ll go when you’re done. Ladies first, and all that.”
Seraphim pushed me off the wall. A hot spring did sound nice. Some time alone to think would be welcome.
“Alright, alright,” I muttered, rolling up the scroll and following its directions.
The sconce she’d spoken of rested alone in a quiet hall, and I tapped the brick beneath it. Hearing it budge, I pulled it toward me.
The wall shuddered. Lines appeared in the stone as a section of bricks separated and slid open, revealing a narrow passageway. Taking the lantern from the wall, I stepped inside and followed the path.
Warm air filled the chamber at its end. Brilliant blue water pooled in a recess, lit by a thin shaft of light descending from the ceiling, high above. Setting the lantern down on a rock, I peered into the spring, marveling at the vibrant green shades in its depths.
Carefully shrugging off my cloak, I peeled off my clothing, leaving only my small clothes. Tapping a toe into the water, I tested its temperature. Warm and inviting.
I slid down into the water, submerging myself up to my chest. Laying my broken arm in my lap, I leaned my head back and tried to think.
Silence hummed in my mind, and before long, I started drifting off.
A voice woke me from sleep. “Did I stumble upon a sleeping princess?”
Water splashed from the pond as I sat bolt upright, wrapping my good arm around my chest. Whirling around, I saw Seth sauntering toward me. He glanced down at my pile of clothes.
“You couldn’t knock?” I asked.
“This is my city,” he reminded me. “And I used to come here a lot.”
“It’s not your city quite yet.”
“Seraphim says confidence comes from believing that which has yet to happen.” Seth tucked his boot under my pile of clothes and kicked it away from me.
“You’re such an ass,” I said, exasperated. “What, do you want me to strut like a peacock, the way you did?”
“I can’t say I’d mind that,” Seth teased. “Can I join you?”
Biting my lip, I considered saying no. Instead, I spoke the first word that came to mind. “Sure.”
“Color me surprised; I thought for sure you’d say no.”
Turning around, I slipped back into a comfortable position. I heard him quickly undress before stepping in beside me, taking great care not to get his precious hair wet.
“Did we ruin everything,” I asked. “Or did we make the right choice?”
Seth frowned at me. “I don’t want to talk about any of that.”
“But—”
“Every moment since we’ve met has been doom and gloom. Can we just . . . forget, for a night?”
“ . . . Okay,” I breathed.
Water trickled down the far wall, the only sound to break the silence. My thoughts whirled, but I couldn’t grasp any of them.
“Princess . . .” Seth said softly.
Sniffling, I slid to his side and leaned against his shoulder. Wrapping an arm around me, he pulled me against his chest, laying his other hand on the back of my neck.
We sat like that for a while. Sleep threatened to take me, with both the warmth of the water and his body enveloping me.
“I don’t . . .” Seth started. “I don’t deserve to ask forgiveness.”
“No, probably not,” I agreed, closing my eyes.
“There’s not enough time left for me to make it up to you. But I can spend every day we have left trying.” He brushed the bottom of my chin, lifting my eyes to meet his. “Whatever you need. Whatever you want, ask it of me.”
I chuckled. “A nap would be nice.”
“I’m being serious, Aethra.”
Taken aback by the severity in his voice, I stared at him blankly before blurting out the words nestled in my heart. “Please don’t leave me again.”
His emotions flooded the room. I’d torn a hole in his heart with my words.
Cupping my cheek, he rested his forehead against mine. “That’s all you want? You have a prince—a god—willing to fall to his knees and beg forgiveness, and that’s all you want?”
“You’re a shitty god, Seth. What could you possibly give me?”
Laughing, he kissed the top of my head and pulled me back to him. Nestling beneath his chin, I closed my eyes.
One night. That’s all we had before we could no longer afford to forget.
My thoughts drifted to the first kiss we’d shared on the boat, to the day in the training yard. Lifting my heavy eyelids, I reached for his mind. No walls guarded his thoughts—they flowed to me freely.
Seth dwelt on the same memories. His gaze drifted down to my body before flicking back up. He kept telling himself he didn’t deserve me.
It struck me then that I didn’t want to hold a grudge until the day we died. Pressing my uninjured hand to his chest, I leaned back.
Our gazes met, but neither of us spoke. An unusual softness touched his features, and he reached out before retracting his hand.
Entranced, I traced a hand along his cheekbone and down his sharp jaw, landing on the collarbone where black lines of his tattoos brushed his skin. Thoughts of betrayal and lies faded, and I recalled all the reasons I’d fallen in love with him.
‘You’re okay, princess. I’ve got you.’
Seth grabbed a fistful of my hair and pressed his lips against mine. My teeth grazed his lips in my fervency to have him, parting his mouth and intertwining my tongue with his.
His hand ran down my back, following the curve of my hips, before slipping around to my inner thigh. Shivers ran through my body. I pulled myself into his lap, melting into his touch.
Seth’s eyes flew open when his hand brushed clothing instead of skin. Releasing a growl of frustration, he grabbed the clasp of my breast band and ripped it off.
Dropping his eyes to my chest, he slowly traced the shape of my breasts. Sparks bristled wherever he touched me. Whimpering, I grabbed his neck and pulled his lips back to mine.
He cupped both my breasts and released a soft chuckle. “I can’t believe you’ve never groped me before.”
Offended, he met my gaze. “What do you take me for?”
“A rogue? The butcher of lords and ladies?”
Grabbing my good arm, he pressed it against his chest. “As if you haven’t wanted this, too.”
Oh, he had me there. Taking my time, I traced every inch of his tattoo, feeling the hard muscles in his chest. My fingers brushed the deep scar on his side, and I followed its line down to his hips.
Exhaling, I leaned my head back, closing my eyes as he pulled me closer, planting kisses down my chest and breasts before biting at my nipples. Wrapping an arm around my lower back, he tugged at the last scrap of fabric guarding my modesty and pulled it off.
Pushing my legs apart, his fingers danced up my thigh and brushed my opening. Heat and desire rushed through me. I tightened my legs around his waist and grabbed his wrist, forcing his hand back between my legs.