Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
The truth
nik
Early mornings were becoming part of my everyday routine.
If I wasn’t flying off to see Adalia or studying before patrols, I was usually headed to The Grey to find Sapphire.
But it’d been four days since I’d seen her at the cemetery, and I hadn’t gone back.
I’d kept my distance, not because I wanted to, but because she’d told me to leave her alone, and I wanted to respect that.
Even though the king had asked me to be persistent.
Space had given me time to think. Perhaps I’d been too much for her—too forward. Like most things, I’d gone in headfirst, acted, and thought about the repercussions later. Perhaps I needed a different approach.
A sigh escaped my lips as I headed through the Lucius gates and into District Five. It may have been a handful of days since I’d seen her, but that wasn’t to say I hadn’t thought of her the entire time.
I’d just check in on her, then I’d proceed to the compound where River was waiting for me. We were on patrol together this morning. After that, I had weapon training—which Noah—a fellow soldier—threatened to ‘whip my ass’ at. His words. Not mine.
He could try, and for a handful of fleeting moments I’d let him think he was winning, and then I’d rip the victory from right under his feet.
Watery grey mist curled around my boots as I strolled through the outskirts of District Five in The Grey.
The Veil glittered behind me, a shimmering reminder of why I rolled out of bed every day and why I was applying for the upcoming promotion.
Rank meant more responsibility, more trust, more say in how we protected the Veil.
I’d be able to choose my patrol routes, review reports myself, assign guards where they were needed most instead of just where I was told to stand.
The Veils needed protection at all costs.
It was my honour and duty to serve the Light King.
I really needed to focus, and not let too many thoughts of a certain blue-haired woman cloud my head.
As I neared the confines of the town, my heart beat a little faster in my chest at the thought of seeing her again. I so desperately wanted to reveal myself—to speak with her. There was a desire to apologise for anything I may have done to cause her distress.
But perhaps it was wise to stay in the shadows. View her from a distance. For a while anyway.
The first place I looked for her was the most obvious.
At this time of the morning, the Silver Finch was motionless.
No bodies of male Shadowkin littered the streets, waiting to catch a glimpse of the beautiful women who dwelled inside.
I shook my head and pushed off the ground, launching into the sky.
My wings unfurled into a display of ruby red feathers.
My boots hit the dark slate roof without a sound.
I took a deep breath before moving towards the window.
I didn’t understand why she stayed in this place, but somehow I wanted to find out—if she would let me.
For a moment I let myself gather my composure, shifting weight from one foot to the other as I bit the inside of my cheek.
Once my head was clearer, I leaned around the window frame to peer into Sapphire’s room. The curtain was pulled back, which was unusual for this time of day.
Although, it was still early. Certainly she would be sleeping. I just needed one look at her to make sure she was okay, and then I would leave her be. It was almost time to be back at the Lucius compound anyway.
The room was low lit, the bed perfectly made. But the door to her room was wide open. I stepped closer to the glass, peering inside. It felt wrong to be staring into her private space, but I just needed one glance.
But she wasn’t there. Disappointment bloomed in my chest. No doubt she’d gotten up before the sun and headed into town. I’d often seen her in the marketplace before dawn. Perhaps she was at the herbalists.
I combed a hand through my unruly locks, and let out a sigh. I guess I’d have to wait until after work before I could check in. There wasn’t time now.
I pushed off the roof and launched into the skies, heading for Lucius.
~~~~~
For seven hours I patrolled the Oscuro borders on horseback with River and a few other Lightner soldiers.
We’d gone from the most northern point of District Five all the way south towards the fringes of District Six.
Multiple Thorns had been caught trying to sneak their way through small tears in the Veil.
But we’d forced them back where they’d crawled from.
I’d made note of the tears, so I could let the healers know once I returned to Lucius.
The dark brown hide of my warm-blooded companion shimmered under the dappled afternoon sun.
Lucius's horses were different to those of The Grey, as if the blood that ran through their veins was made of light.
Muscled frames, with flowing manes and tails—each strand like thin spider silk.
They all had such calm, and welcoming natures too.
River pulled up beside me on his steed, ducking low to miss a branch stretching towards us from the Aspen pines. “How are things with the woman?”
My mind went straight to blue hair and eyes to match, then to the way she’d flinched when I said her name for the first time—like she didn’t like the sound of it on my tongue.
“Sapphire?”
“That’s her name then, eh?”
I dipped my head and shrugged. “All my life I’ve been told to think before acting, but in this situation all I want to do is act, and not calmly.”
A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops as we passed underneath the lush green canopy. “I take it that things are difficult then?” River asked.
Leather groaned in my grip, as I squeezed the reins tighter. “I just wish I knew how best to . . . support her. Or why the king wants me to follow her around.”
River’s brow pinched. “Do you trust him?”
“With my life.”
“Then maybe soon the answers to your questions will reveal themselves,” River said, before his mouth softened into a smile.
“By the light, that would be nice,” I muttered to the wind.
River straightened his back, shifting in the saddle. “Have you talked to her before? Like, without your glamour on?”
“Oh yeah, a few times.”
“Wow. What’s it like to be in the land of the Shadowkin?” River asked, his voice full of intrigue.
The king had given me permission to move among the Shadowkin when necessary, but under normal circumstances Lightners were only meant to reveal themselves out of duty, not conversation. Not curiosity, and certainly not because of a beautiful sapphire-haired woman.
“The same as it used to be . . . probably worse. Give me Lucius any day of the week.”
River huffed, a smile playing on his lips. We rode in silence for a while, the steady sound of the horses' hoofbeats clopping against the gravelled path.
“I broke a man’s nose with my forehead the other week,” I confessed, then watched for River’s reaction.
His brow creased as he turned to face me. “What? What do you mean you broke a man’s nose? Obviously for good reason?”
My shoulder lifted and fell effortlessly. “Is getting called a moron a good enough reason?”
River was silent for a moment, pondering, then he nodded with a smirk on his lips. “Yeah, I reckon it isn't."
A chuckle escaped, and I nodded in agreement. “Now that I think about it—you’re probably right.”
River laughed as he ran a hand through his hair. “You’d better be careful with that temper. Other Lightners might catch wind and think they can do the same.”
I tipped my head towards the sun and let it warm my face. “He had it coming.”
River grinned and then nudged his heel into the horse's side. I believe you.”
He took off for the break through the dense forest, his shaggy hair catching on the leaves as he tucked low. A faint smile pulled at my lips. I could always count on him. I knew he would never truly scold me. He'd had my back more times than I dared to count.
The woods around us became a blur of brown and green smudges as we raced between the trunks, making our way to the gates of Lucius.
A thrill of freedom skittered across my skin as the wind whipped through the crimson feathers on my back.
For a moment, my worries couldn't keep pace.
My gaze never wavered, and I refused to look back.
We passed through the gates, heading to the compound. I slid from the saddle, handing over the reins to a stable boy. Then I thanked him and drew in a deep breath. River gave me a quick nod before heading for the offices. He’d fill out the paperwork needed for the healers to repair the tears.
I was relieved the patrol was over, exhaustion heavy in my bones, but I couldn’t relax yet. There was still one other task that needed to be done before I could look for Sapphire. It required strength—both mentally and physically.
The training yard greeted me with its thick air.
Steel rang sharp against steel, their wielders grunting with the force of their swings.
I shrugged my jacket off, tossing it on the ground at the side of the ring.
Noah was already on the sand, blue eyes dancing with excitement, his long black hair knotted and sitting on top of his head.
He was a Lightner soldier like myself, same ranking.
His hands were quicker than the strike of a venomous serpent, and his feet danced a deadly ballet.
“Ready for me to beat your ass, Nik?”
With a smile, I drew the sword from my side, the weight familiar in my hand as it settled into my grip. “You’re all talk.”
Noah flashed his blade, readying his position. “Let’s dance.”