Chapter 18 #2
Needles prick the back of my eyes at the sight of millions of tiny lights covering the sky where the Smog used to be.
“I've heard of the stars,” I say in a whisper. “I've just never seen them before.”
It takes effort to peel my eyes from the lights twinkling above us and find his face. I had been so distracted by the attack that I did not realize how much lighter my body felt until now.
Raiden gives me a pitying smile, and I hate it. I don't want him to feel sorry for me. I'm not the only fae who's never seen the stars. A pang of guilt hits my chest. I don't know how to enjoy this knowing there are still people within the Smog suffering.
“You're allowed to be happy and feel relieved to be free of it, you know,” he says, doing that thing where I swear he's inside my mind.
“I know,” I sigh, though it does little to convince even me. “I just don't understand.”
He tilts his head to the side, and damn, if it isn't the sexiest thing. Focus. “Understand what?” he asks.
I lay my head on my pack and roll onto my side, facing away from him. “Why would the gods allow so much suffering?”
“They're not allowing it. They're fucking orchestrating it.” There's deep anger in his words.
My eyes are heavy, and I close them, but he's not making sense, and I still want to listen to him talk. “What do you mean?”
“We all have a part to play in the games of the gods.” I can hear the shrug in his tone.
“And what is your part?” I ask through a yawn.
“To rebel, of course.” I can hear the wicked smile in his voice.
I have more questions, and he seems so willing to answer, so I poke a little further. “Are you from Ophis Isle?”
“Hmm?” he asks.
“In the tunnels, you said something about home, and you speak the language …”
“No. I'm not from there. But it has been my sanctuary for a very long time. The only place I feel like myself anymore.”
I don't expect him to tell me anything else, but he releases a long breath and starts talking, and I settle in for the story.
“When I was very young, my parents sent me here, to Clestraya, to learn.
They said they wanted me to have a diverse education, and I think they didn't know what to do with a small child underfoot.
I was here when Lukasia was cursed. King Giddeon and Queen Kyrrah took me in, and when I turned eighteen, they allowed me to find a way back to Lukasia.
When I finally got in, it was clear to me that Queen Daphne had been…
compromised, and I've spent the last thirty years trying to prove it. Trying to undo it.
I rallied the Rhiza, begged your father to lead them for me, and have been doing everything I can to save Lukasia and the people stuck within the curse.”
I'm quiet for a long time, letting the information sink in. I think I know the answer, but I ask anyway, "Raiden, who are your parents?"
“Queen Daphne is my mother. I am the heir to the Lukasian throne,” he confirms, and even though I had suspected it, the hairs on my arms stand on end.
A laugh escapes me. “What's so funny?” he asks.
“I'm sorry, it's just my friend. She is going to die when I tell her ...” The words die in my throat, because I don't know when I'll ever see Phillipa again, and I miss her.
“And how does my father fit into all this?” I ask.
He gives me a rueful smile. “Your father was the king's advisor.”
There is so much that I just never knew, and I can't help but wish my mother had better prepared me for all of this. “Of course he was.”
Raiden settles in next to me, careful not to get too close. When his arm brushes mine, liquid hot electricity drops into my core at the contact. What in the name of all the gods is that?
I breathe out slowly, trying not to move in case he decides to stop touching me. “Here I thought you were just another low-life like me with a big heart. Every time you said ‘my kingdom’ you meant it so much more literally than I did.”
He doesn't laugh. He just touches the skin on my arm, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps.
Raiden
THE SUN CRESTS over the edge of the ocean, peach-gold rays shimmer in the clear blue water while a few stars still cling to the sky.
I take a deep breath and nudge the sleeping bundle at my feet.
"Arina," I half whisper. "It's time to wake up."
She groans in response, fighting consciousness.
"I know, little snake. But you'd kill me if I let you sleep through this." And I don't doubt it. The first true sunrise of her life? She can't miss it.
Unladylike sounds come from where she is attempting to rouse herself. I don't bother hiding my grin when she finally sits up and shoots me a look like she'll rip out my throat right here.
She puts one hand above her eyes, shading them from the light. “What the fuck is that? Why is it so bright?” She is certainly a treat in the morning.
I study her silently, waiting for her to fully grasp what she's seeing. She snaps her head from side to side, eyes adjusting to the Smog-less daytime sky. As she scrambles to her feet in shock, her shoulders go slack, and she inhales the crisp, untainted air.
I can't help but mirror the action.
The sun's golden rays dance in her hair, and she laughs, holding her arms out and bathing in them. I appreciate the rare moment. It's as if her walls have come tumbling down because she no longer carries the weight of a curse.
A gull screams overhead, and she whips around, watching with glittering eyes as it soars.
In this moment, I ache to be the one to see her experience every new sound and sight that an uncursed world will bring her.
She is so full of wonder and child-like joy. She's been through some of the worst things the world has to offer, but still finds a way to appreciate these small wonders. She may be hardened, but she's not made of steel.
I want to grab her and hold her close to me again. I reach out, moving to do just that, but before I can get to her, a wave hits the boat, knocking Arina off balance, and sending her head first into the ocean.