44. Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Four
Kya
H elerie was the third largest city in Oryn.
Thousands of citizens had resided there when the Glaev hit.
It spread from the center, voraciously consuming life after life until it reached just past the last remnants of the settlements.
Males, females, and children, all lost within minutes.
A few dozen had barely escaped with their lives and fled to nearby towns for help.
But there was no one else left to save in the city.
There was no city. Not anymore. Not according to the report that Ryker and I were bent over.
We had opted to eat in his study so that we could go over the reports while he later coordinated operations with his chiefs.
I remained in the corner, seated at a small table with my legs folded underneath me, keeping to myself and staying out of the way as Ryker’s study became a bustling of people coming and going.
Tuning out the roar of the chaos, I concentrated on the reports as they came in, looking for any mentions of the origination point for the Glaev and its exact path, while simultaneously creating a timeline map to break it down for better reference.
Well into the early morning hours, the throngs of people began to dwindle until it was just Ryker, Mavris, and Hakoa standing around his desk and discussing something.
I wasn’t paying attention to what they were saying, too concentrated on pouring over the recounts of the attack from the remaining survivors.
When I finished, I stared at the parchment before me for a long while, astonished at the map I drew.
“Hi.” Ryker’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. He crouched down next to me, cupping my face and rubbing his calloused thumb over my cheek. His eyes were heavy from exhaustion.
“Hi back.” I offered a smile and he returned it.
Mavris and Hakoa were excusing themselves, leaving and closing the double doors behind them.
“I think we’ve done all that we can do for now tonight. We’ll meet again in the morning to assess further.” He gestured to my makeshift map. “How’s that going? Learn anything useful?”
I turned my head back to my drawing. “Only that I know for certain that the Glaev is controlled by someone. Someone who calculated the highest population points and attacked in three strategic areas to inflict the highest damage possible.” I sighed.
“But I do think I found out something else as well.”
I pulled over another page. This was an actual map, marked with the areas over Oryn that had been attacked by the Glaev since the Trial, along with the dates. Pulling out the notes from the book, I laid it all out in front of us.
“Even without understanding most of Rolim’s notes, I think his theory was correct on it being magic. Here he listed out numbers, I think it’s some sort of measurement of the Glaev.”
“Like its…intensity or damage or something?” He pulled a chair over and sat next to me, resting his hand on my back as we both leaned over the table.
“Your guess is as good as mine. But here’s what I do think I understand: he listed them all in a timeline, just like I did over here for the attacks on Oryn and one thing in particular correlates.”
“And what is that?” he asked.
“The longer the spans between attacks, the larger the affected areas are and vise versa, the shorter the time between them, the smaller they are.” I turned my head to look at him.
“Power,” he said after a moment before those silver eyes met mine.
“Rolim’s numbers are power. If Vicria is honing this dark magic, she may only be able to use so much at a time until it needs to be restored.
Probably similar to that of our own magic reserves.
Maybe that’s why there are smaller attacks.
The dark magic hasn’t had enough time to replenish from the previous one. ”
My mouth fell open in astonishment. Listening to his deductions about my findings was one of the sexiest things I had ever heard, and if it wasn’t for the impending doom that hung over us, I would have had him claim me right there.
He smirked and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “You haven’t even scratched the surface of what I’m capable of.”
My mouth snapped shut, and I reared my head back. “Did you just listen to my thoughts?”
“I told you I can’t always help it, especially with you and that beautiful mind of yours,” he chuckled.
“Once we are fully bonded, you will be able to freely speak into my mind as well. Just as you are able to do with Odarum,” he said into my head.
“How do you know that? I’ve never heard of that before,” I thought, knowing he was listening.
He held my hand in his. “It’s not known to anyone other than mates. My parents were mates and my father told me.”
“If it’s known only to mates, then why did your father tell you? ”
“He only disclosed it to me after I had told him of my mate.” He smiled.
“Hold on, why is it that I’ve met your brother but not your parents?” I asked.
Ryker’s shoulders dropped slightly, and his smile was tight.
Were. They were mates.
“Oh. I’m sorry. What happened?”
He shook his head. “Another time. Right now let’s get to bed, and we can revisit this later and continue our findings on the Glaev in the morning. Which is in…” he paused to look at the clock. “Two hours.”
I nodded in agreement, feeling the drowsiness hit me. But I wanted to know about his mother, his past. I supposed I couldn’t entirely blame him. I still hadn’t told him I was from Atara and I didn’t plan to until I knew that I could bring my people back.
Ryker gathered the papers and book from me and tucked them under his arm, pulling me to him and walking us out of the study down to the bedchamber with his other arm around my waist. We got to the room and Ryker began to unbutton his black shirt and I couldn’t peel my eyes off him.
It was late and I was tired, we were tired, and I still needed to tell him that I was leaving to go back home to Morah in the morning.
But right then, all I wanted to think about was him and his bare chest.
I stepped closer and ran my hands up his stomach to his bare chest, around to his back, and suddenly I wasn’t quite as tired anymore.
Ryker wrapped his arms around me so that we were completely entwined.
I didn’t want to think about all the problems weighing on us, I only wanted to get lost in him as I looked into those bright silver eyes, breathing in the scent of him.
Our bond was getting stronger and stronger every single day, every moment we spent together.
We could feel each other’s emotions as if they were our own.
And at the moment, what I felt from him, what I saw reflecting in his eyes, was something I never thought that I would feel in return.
But I did, I knew it. And from the rising smile of my mate’s lips, he knew it too as I flooded the bond with what I had yet to put into words.
We let go after a while and crawled into bed, facing each other with his arm around my hip, holding me close to him.
I lightly traced the tattoos on his chest with my finger as my mind wandered.
And as much as I wanted to forget the troubles surrounding us, I couldn’t.
Running it over and over in my mind from Kleio’s command to the Glaev attacks, from the mating trial to the dark book.
Ryker drowsily brushed my hair behind my ear and kissed my forehead, drawing my attention up to him.
“What are you thinking about, little gem?” His voice was deep with grogginess.
When I didn’t answer, he peeked an eye open. “I can always find out for myself if you won’t tell me,” he said teasingly.
I rolled my eyes, eliciting a chuckle from him. “Just…everything. I can’t clear my head, there’s too much noise,” I said softly.
“What do you normally do to quiet your mind?” He propped his head up on his fist and rubbed his hand down my unmarked arm.
“I usually read, but I haven’t done that in awhile.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Yeah?”
I nodded.
“Well then, let me find something to read to you.” He threw off the covers and jumped out of bed.
He returned a minute later with a few books in hand, crawling into the bed to lean against the cushioned headboard. I giggled and sat up to rest my head against his chest.
“I don’t know what you typically like, but here we have,” he held up the first book.
I doubted he had anything close to the books I read, full of romance with happy endings, but I was pleased with his efforts regardless.
“ Histories of Oryn - Biographical Appendix Volume two . Riveting stuff right here.”
I snorted a laugh.
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye with a playful smirk as he continued, “No? Well how about Strategic Studies for Noavo Warrior Combat ?”
I shook my head with an amused grimace.
“Damn, I was sure that was the one. Alright, if those won’t do, then how about I bore you to sleep with mispronounced ancient words from a mysterious realm. Sounds intriguing already.” He held up the dark magic book and squinted at the faded title. “The divi…divination of dar…dark con…jugation.”
I shot up in the bed with wide eyes as I stared at him with disbelief. “What the fuck, Ryker? You could read that this whole time?” I looked down at the strange, unknown language.
“What? No. I just sounded out the letters, I have no idea what I actually said.”
“No. You just said ‘the divination of dark conjugation’.”
His eyes narrowed and he shook his head slowly. “That’s not what I said, Kya.”
I scoffed. I threw back the covers and sat on my knees, flipped open the book to a random page and pointed to a random word.
dauei
“Read this word right here.”
He looked at me skeptically before he fumbled with the word. “Dea…death.”
“You just said ‘death’.” I sat back on my heels.
Listen and you shall learn.
The memory of Kleio’s words replayed in my head over and over.
“Oh shit.” My voice was barely a whisper. I looked up at Ryker and grabbed his face before leaning forward to kiss his head, smiling when I pulled back. “I know how to translate it.”
“You mean to tell me that one of your abilities, given to you by Kleio, is being able to understand languages when they’re spoken to you?
” Nikan rubbed the sleep from his eyes the next morning.
He stood from his large bed in one of the guest suites he had been occupying just down the hall from Malina’s.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
I walked over to the window and pulled back the drapes to let in the morning light, which brightened the room enough that I could see the symbolic tattoos of the Atara Nation across his back. Nikan went to the wardrobe and pulled a shirt over his head.
“Well, that’s awfully fucking convenient,” he mumbled under his breath.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. I could tell he was holding back. “Nothing. Never mind. If you really think you can understand it and translate it, then I’ll take your word for it. But don’t you think it’s a bit odd that you can understand this one particular language?”
“It’s not just this one. Ryker and I tested it with other languages that I don’t know, earlier this morning, and when spoken to me I hear them as if they were spoken in the common tongue. ”
“You’re an aligist? You can understand any language spoken to you?”
I nodded. “Another one of Kleio’s gifts.”
“Then I suppose our work here is done.” Nikan leaned against the wardrobe with his arms crossed.
“Who?”
“Mal and I. Our mission was to help you find the book and help you to get it translated so that you could solve the Glaev. You’ve been successful, without our help, might I add, so Mal and I will still go back to Morah.”
“But you can still stay here to help me. I haven’t solved it yet.” A pang of sadness knocked in my chest.
“We’re still Roav, Kya. We swore a life oath. I think you get a pass on it since you’re Worthy now and mate to a Lord, but that doesn’t apply to me and Mal.”
“I know that, but Ryker would let you—”
“We’re not citizens of Oryn. We’re not citizens of anywhere . We made the oath and we will not break it. We’re going home.”
“Morah has never been home and you damn well know it.” My voice began to shake with fury and agony. The word home never elicited anything other than bitterness from me.
“How can you say that? You’ve lived there practically your entire life. Your nightmares are your only memories of—”
“Do not compare the longevity of our lives there as justification. Just because you were there longer than I was doesn’t make it any less mine than it does yours—” I was yelling.
“Kya…” Malina’s voice cut in. I felt her and Ryker behind me but I ignored them. Tears began to stream down my hot cheeks.
“—or maybe you just don’t care anymore because you have no one left from there whereas Mal and I do.”
“Don’t you dare say that I don’t care! The Glaev took my entire fucking family, and I’ve had to live with that every day since. But I’ve moved on, I found a new family, a new home. Why do you think I’m so godsdamn protective of you and Mal and Eamon?”
“Enough.” Ryker’s deep voice rumbled through the room.
“Nik. Let’s take a walk,” Malina said from the doorway behind me.
We continued to hold each other’s stare until Nikan reluctantly stepped around me and walked out the door.
“Take her to a sparring ring.” I heard Malina whisper before I felt her follow Nikan down the corridor to the staircase.
That argument was just as bad, if not worse than the one we had before. I didn’t understand what it was about us, but Nikan and I always found a way to get under each other’s skin and turn a simple conversation into a heated fight.
Atara was always a sensitive subject with any of us.
We rarely talked about it with anyone, even each other.
But I hadn’t really thought about why Nikan was so much more accepting of Morah, so content and happy there.
I had always assumed that he had adjusted more easily than Malina and I because of his age, and he was planning on leaving Atara anyway.
That’s why he was gone in the first place when Atara was destroyed.
He had left his family, who lived in the center of Atara, to visit Ulrik, considering taking citizenship there once he reached his staying age.
The Glaev had hit before he ever made it to Ulrik, taking his parents and his sister.
His sister.
Gods I was so stupid. I never put two and two together.
He wants to protect Mal and I because he couldn’t protect Tsirra.
I turned around to face Ryker who was standing just inside the room dressed in his usual Lord attire, with a black button up with the sleeves rolled up and his hands tucked into his pant pockets. He waited patiently for me to speak, but I didn’t want to talk.
“Let’s go.”