Chapter 42
Chapter
Forty-Two
LYRIANA
I held Rhyan tight, letting him compose himself, before he bravely turned to the former akadim, and accepted their oaths.
The applause that sounded was the most beautiful thing I ever heard.
Because Rhyan deserved it, he deserved their support, and they all deserved a chance to make things better, for themselves, for Lumeria.
And this was step one. So many wanted to come forward to thank us, offer hugs of gratitude, introduce themselves, and personally pledge their sword, or skills, or simply their loyalty.
Others had wanted to touch my hands, the hands of the person that had healed them, that wielded the red shard.
I still could barely believe it. The cure had worked.
Rhyan was saved. And so were all the akadim that had been bound to him.
It was a miracle, and my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.
I tried to stay close to Rhyan through it, to make sure he was okay.
He’d never exactly been one to make himself the center of attention.
And I knew despite his brave words, and the strength he was exuding in each interaction, he was still unsure of himself.
Still carrying the guilt of what was done to him. What had happened.
And questioning his new title. Arkasva.
Soon the numbers of people who wanted to speak to us quickly became overwhelming, and I found myself moving into various crowds as Rhyan was pulled in the opposite direction away from me.
Sean’s soturi—now Rhyan’s and mine—had been making their way to Dobrava all day long.
Which meant that after several hours, there were over one hundred of us gathered together, attempting to make camp for the night.
Dozens had gone into the nearest town to try and barter for food with gold.
Dozens more had gone into the woods to hunt any local game they could find.
Another group had risked going back across the border into Lumeria to purchase more supplies.
Spare cloaks, daggers, boots, and armor.
And of course, for those who’d been akadim, they needed clothes and shoes.
About a dozen of them who had been taken from human lands and had no magic in them, had begun to melt down Morgana’s collars in order to weld the steel into swords.
I was in shock at how much was happening and how quickly. Only a day ago Rhyan had been akadim, and I’d been on the verge of hopelessness and despair. Fighting for my life and his.
And now? Everything had shifted. Our world turned upside down, and for once, it was all in our favor.
After months of hiding and being hunted, of being forced to sell ourselves in every way to survive, we had support.
We had allies. We had a chance. It was more than I could have dreamed.
And I couldn’t stop being amazed every time I thought of it.
The soturi who had answered Sean’s call were surprisingly well prepared with tents, extra clothes, and weapons which they happily shared with the former akadim.
But even after a whole day of bartering, stealing, and sharing, we still were woefully behind in supplies.
Suddenly, feeding Rhyan was the least of my worries.
I had to find a way to feed over a hundred of us.
It was decided quickly that almost everyone would be sharing a tent tonight, squeezing in as many bodies as they could get inside.
At least half of the soturi would be sleeping under the stars.
Sean was already working out a schedule of who would take overnight guard shifts and where to place everyone, and Rhyan was working closely with him.
After the initial shock wore off from seeing the healed akadim, and his new role amongst them, he had taken on this look of utter determination.
Like he needed to prove that he was worthy of the promises and oaths given to him today. And given me.
He couldn’t see it yet. He was so worthy. And as the hours went on, I could see that there was a part of him that wasn’t fully here. It was the part of him that was still holding himself to a higher standard, an impossible one.
The part of him that had had a panic attack just this morning because he could remember hurting me. Remember the taste of my blood.
I tried to talk to him a few times throughout the day, but there was so much to do and arrange, so many new logistical puzzles appearing every other minute.
Eventually, I had no choice but to give up and keep working.
With so much happening, the day passed in a blur, and the sky darkened.
More soturi returned with food, and several bonfires were set for warmth and cooking.
And before I knew it, someone was handing me a plate of hot food.
I searched for Rhyan in the crowd. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him.
Hours ago? I asked around, eventually found myself sitting with several soturi, listening as they shared stories from home, from their countries and Kavim.
Everyone’s spirits were high, and some groups were even breaking out into song.
Celebrating the second chance. Singing away the horrors of what they’d been through.
Finishing my plate, I excused myself and began walking through the camp. Every step I took, someone called my name, thanking me, and praising Rhyan.
But Rhyan was nowhere to be found. My stomach turned, and I began asking if anyone had seen him, but everyone’s last sighting had been different and ultimately unhelpful.
Until finally, I found Sean.
“Lyriana,” he said. “Did you eat?”
I nodded. “Where is he?”
“He’s already back in your tent,” he said. “It’s all set. We don’t have enough to go around for everyone, but I’ve made it so you two will have privacy.”
I shook my head. “No, Sean, that feels selfish.” So many didn’t have a roof over their heads for the night. “We can share.”
He grinned. “No. You couldn’t if you wanted to. Trust me. There’s not one soturion here who would dare try and stay with the two of you. Not with their new Arkturion Arkasva, and—well, we haven’t decided your title yet. Savior’s been thrown out a lot.”
“Savior?” I asked.
Sean nodded.
“So Rhyan’s in our tent now?” I asked. Why hadn’t he come to find me himself? Was he sleeping? “Is he okay?”
Sean shrugged and sighed. “I sent him there a little while ago. He needed a moment. Alone.”
Alone. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
A sad smile played upon his lips. “Nothing. Everything. It’s Rhyan, you know. He’s … he’s still taking it all pretty hard.” Sean’s face hardened, his eyes racing and back and forth across my face. “He’s going to do that. Probably for awhile. But he also needs to look strong for the others.”
“He is strong,” I said, my voice shaking.
“He is, Lyriana. Very. But he’s also hurting. He needs to be strong for them, for everyone here. My job though, is going to be making sure he feels it.” He touched my arm. “I imagine yours, too.”
“More than you know. Now tell me. Which tent?”
Sean shook his head. “He wanted to be alone.”
“Which tent?” I asked again, my voice hardening. “Sean, he’s been alone. His time is up. I’m going to go see him. Now. So just tell me.” I knew Rhyan needed his space at times, but I also knew he had a habit of running away, and isolating himself when the guilt and shame overwhelmed him.
Sean’s eyebrows drew together, but he pointed to the center of the camp. A modest sized tent, one of the smaller ones, which was fitting, as it was only for two of us. But someone had placed a flag on top. The sigil of Ka Hart.
“Just be patient with him. As long as I’ve known him, he’s always had to figure things out on his own.”
“He can figure out all he wants to. But he’s not going to be alone.”
Sean’s eyes crinkled. “I thought you’d say that. And I’m glad. Go on.”
“We have sentries stationed overnight?” I asked.
“The schedule’s all set, our borders protected, and scouts are monitoring the perimeter. You can rest. You should rest. You both deserve it.” He turned and pointed to the other end of camp. “I’ll be over there for the night shift. If you need me, you know where to find me.”
“Thank you.”
I started making my way through the tents, walking over exposed cloaks that were being turned into makeshift sleeping bags.
But I could barely move two steps without being stopped.
I debated retreating into the woods and putting on a glamour.
But even out here, outside of Lumeria I could barely feel the power of the red shard on my back.
At last, I made it to our tent, the Ka Hart sigil flapping in the spring breeze. The night had grown cold, the wind strong enough to blast my hood off my head.
“Rhyan,” I called from outside. “It’s me. Can I come in?”
“Of course,” he said, but he sounded hollow and stiff.
I pushed the tent flaps apart and walked inside.
Rhyan had folded his cloak into sections on the ground, creating a small bed, just like he’d done on our countless nights sleeping in caves.
“Hey,” I said, removing my cloak. I sank down beside him, noting he’d removed his armor and weapons, and once more, had piled them neatly into a corner. My chest tightened.
“Hi.” He sounded breathless.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, taking his hand.
He shook his head. “I’m just tired. Really tired.”
I nodded. “I figured. You didn’t come find me.”
“I know. I just … I don’t know.” He released my hand and turned on his side, facing away from me.
I reached for my chest plate, quickly unhooking the clasps and placing it down beside the make-shift bed. I removed my belt and weapons next, then finally tackled the armor across my torso, until I was down to my tunic and riding pants.
I laid down beside him, shifting until my front pressed against his back. Then I wrapped my arm around him, my hand sliding into his tunic, over his heart.
He shook, then stilled, still turned away from me.
“Will you talk to me?” I asked.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked.