17. Naeris
We left my quarters together. Thyros’ presence at my side felt different now, more normal. I was intensely aware of him: the way he walked, the faint heat that radiated from his body, the low thrum of the golden thread that refused to quiet.
I spent the last few minutes in my room trying to convince myself that the pull was just the bond, nothing more.
But when we walked down the corridor, I couldn’t lie to myself anymore.
I was starting to see him. Not as the arrogant Arkhevari male who had tried to control me, not as the monster from the Abyss, but as a man.
A complicated, scarred, fiercely protective man who had torn through flooded tunnels and ancient guardians just to reach me.
And the sexual pull… stars, it was stronger than ever. Every brush of his arm against mine sent heat curling low in my belly. My thighs pressed together instinctively as we walked. I was wet again, just from being near him. It was infuriating and exhilarating at the same time.
We didn't speak, each of us dwelling on our trains of thought while we walked to the main conference room. The moment we approached, the sliding doors opened in welcome, exposing a large holovid dominating the center of the table, projecting both Earths, the current one and the ghostly overlay of what the ancient map suggested was the original configuration. The real Earth hung in the viewport behind it, blue and white and slowly becoming familiar, yet somehow… off. The planet still resonated with me, deep in my bones, but the resonance still felt incomplete. Like a song missing its final note. I was more convinced than ever that something was wrong with this world. I just couldn’t put my finger on what.
Zapharos was speaking as we entered. “—I say we return to Nox Eternum. The Shard of Echoes is there. We need it.”
Dravok nodded immediately. “Agreed. We’ve learned what we can here to learn.”
Thyros glanced down at me, silently checking my reaction. The small gesture warmed something in my chest. He was trying—actually trying—to include me instead of deciding for me. I gave him a tiny nod of appreciation.
Ella looked torn, her eyes were still lingering on the holovid of Earth. “But… there’s still so much to discover down there. The ruins, the city…”
Zapharos' voice softened as he pulled her closer. “We’ll return, little one. I swear it.”
Xandros crossed his arms, his violet face set in determination. “I’ll take you.”
Zapharos shook his head. “Not happening. The Dark Abyss is Arkhevari business.”
“The drek it is!” Xandros thundered, stepping forward. “This is about the future and fate of the entire universe. I will not stand by and let you handle this alone.”
The two powerful men faced off, tension crackling between them.
I stood there, Thyros’ arm still loosely around my waist, and felt the weight of everything pressing down on me.
I had two Sythari prisoners to deal with.
A possible rendezvous with Kael’Varyn, if he was even still alive.
Two surviving crew members who needed leadership.
And Marek… we had talked late into the night about him.
The decision had been unanimous: we would bury him on Earth, in the soil of the world his ancestors had come from.
Yet despite all of that, despite every logical reason to stay or return to my own people, I knew I needed to go with them to the Abyss.
Because this was bigger than my rebellion.
Bigger than my crew. Bigger than me. It had nothing to do with the man standing beside me—the one whose touch made my body ache and my heart stutter—and yet it had everything to do with him. Whether I liked it or not.
I leaned slightly into Thyros’ side. He stiffened for a fraction of a second, then his arm tightened around me, pulling me closer. The golden thread sang between us, hot and bright. Whatever came next, it looked like we were doing it together.
The tension between Xandros and Zapharos crackled like live wiring. Two massive males, facing off. Zapharos’ aura was flaring just as much as Xandros' temper, and the air was thick with the kind of male pride that could get people killed.
I stepped forward before it could escalate.
“As an officer, I can appreciate your position, Commander Xandros,” I intervened, keeping my voice calm and measured.
The room quieted immediately. There was a lot I hadn’t told them yet.
Not about Kael’Varyn. Not about the rebellion.
Not about the past five years of the life I'd spent building in the shadows.
I'm sure they had figured out something was off after I'd casually admitted to kidnapping a High Priest and a Grand Magistrate. Still, there was a difference between suspecting and knowing.
“I wasn't supposed to leave the Temple,” I began.
“Prime Luminae don't. We spend our lives inside sacred walls, being studied, tested, paraded around, and eventually paired according to whatever breeding charts the priests decide are most useful.” The disgust in my voice was impossible to hide.
“Most accept it.” I shrugged. “I was never particularly good at doing what I was told.”
That earned the faintest snort from Ashley.
I continued. “About five years ago, I met a male named Kael’Varyn. Actually, he met me. He and his friends attacked the Temple, and I decided I wanted to leave with them.”
“Rebel?” Ashley guessed.
“Rebel leader,” I corrected.
“Kael’Varyn had spent decades building resistance cells throughout Sythari territory. Human settlements. Labor camps. Temple servants. Smugglers. Disgruntled soldiers. Anyone willing to fight.”
I felt Thyros' attention sharpen beside me. “He showed me things the Temple never would. Human worlds. Human families.” My voice softened slightly. “Human freedom.”
For a moment, I saw Kael’Varyn again. The old rebel standing over a star map, looking exhausted and determined all at once. The closest thing I'd ever had to a father. “He freed me in every sense. He taught me how to fight. He made me part of the rebellion.”
"My last mission was to capture the two men you're holding for me now.
" I looked at Xandros. "The last message I received from Kael’Varyn was urgent and distressed.
I don't know if the Sythari found our base, or if they took him prisoner.
I was ordered to bring my prisoners here and wait.
So," I met Xandros' eyes, conveying how important this was.
"If there is any chance that Kael’Varyn is still alive, he will come here.
But if he doesn't, the Sythari will. And they won't stop until they have those two men back and Earth is annihilated. "
"Let me guess," Xandros crossed his arms, "You want me to babysit your prisoners, protect Earth, and play messenger to your boss Kael’Varyn, does that sound about right?"
I nodded and stood my ground. "Yes."
Xandros took a deep breath, "I'm not?—"
"We'll do it. You can count on us. Earth will remain safe." Ashley assured me.
Xandros only stared at her. She shrugged.
“What?” Ashley asked. “It's literally what we do.”
“We absolutely do not?—”
“You absolutely do,” Ella interrupted.
“Repeatedly,” Nadine added.
“Against my better judgment,” Xandros grumbled.
“Every time,” Ashley said.
For a moment, despite everything, laughter rippled through the room. Even though it was small and brief, it bound us. For a moment, it felt like I had found a new family. One I hadn't even known I was searching for.