It dawned on her. All Moryna could do was reach out and take Kaya’s trembling hand. “You’re afraid of love.”
And it was true.
Prim took every sweet and jaded idea of love from her and ruined it—made her terrified to be vulnerable, to be open. All her life, Kaya loved hiding. She hid from the world, from responsibility. As a child, she loved to hide in the most inconspicuous places and reveled in her parents searching for her. As a grown female, she’d learned to hide her heart. To her, it only meant survival. Because if no one could find it, they couldn’t take it.
A soft knock on the door startled them, both of them turning to see A’Nachnikara entering the room. Kaya rubbed the last of her tears away and slid off the bed to move into her mother’s opened arms. The swell of her stomach was hard to maneuver around, but she smiled nonetheless.
“A married woman.” A’Na chuckled. “Even if it is all a rouse, I still could not believe my ears when your father told me.”
Kaya sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before she plopped back onto her bed. “I couldn’t believe mine when I heard myself sayyes.”
“Icouldn’t believe that anyone would want to marry someone with such a bitter outlook on the world.” Moryna grumbled, only to break out into laughter when Kaya chucked a magnifying glass at her. “And a shoddy aim, to boot.”
Kaya rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to her mother. “Why you thought this little pest and I would be good friends is beyond me.”
A’Na merely chuckled, wincing as she took a seat beside Kaya. “There are many things that won’t make sense to you until they do.”
“Much like that statement, mama. Thank you for always beingconsistentlyillusive.” The room fell silent, both her mother and Moryna watching her closely. Kaya felt her cheeks flush under their scrutiny and toyed at the hem of her blouse.
“I have something for you.” A’Na stated. She reached into the pocket of her dressing robe, retrieving a tiny, black velvet box with a silver latch. “My mother gave it to me the night of my wedding—an heirloom. For years, itwas my wedding ring, but then your father replaced it with the one I wear now. Once we were able to afford one.” She placed the box in Kaya’s hand and watched as her daughter turned the latch, flicking back the lid to reveal its contents.
Kaya drew in a deep breath, a smile curling into one side of her cheek as she plucked the ring from its creased cushion.
She looked into the opal situated in the center of the ring, watching how the blues, reds, and purples within the stone caught the light. With each simple tilt of the ring, the colors seemed to move at the bend of light, giving it the effect that the stone had a pulse. It was beautiful, yet simple. And when she slid it onto her finger, she felt a dull hum of power radiate through the silver band.
“Is it enchanted?” Kaya asked.
A’Na shrugged. “My family passed down stories of it being blessed by Cadaith, herself. But one can never be too sure. They burned the majority of the books on such topics during the war.”
“Of course they did.” Kaya huffed, eyes still fused on the ring.
Another beat of silence. Kaya wasn’t too sure what to say. She could sense that her mother and Moryna were either wanting to say more or they were waiting for her to speak—to give some kind of farewell speech and promises of a safe return from Credula. She would be leaving in a few days and couldn’t understand why they lingered so intently when there was still time.
“Everything will be alright.” Kaya sighed, forcing her irritation down and snuffing it as much as she could. “One thing I know for certain is that I’ll always come home. I can’t stay away from you all for very long.” She extended her hand to lay it upon her mother’s distended abdomen, smiling at the soft kick she felt under her palm.
“We do love you, you know.” Moryna picked at the lace of her boot, purposefully avoiding eye contact.
“And I, you. Even if I seemed reluctant in the beginning, I swear it to you both that I will do everything in my power to keep Holiadon and our people safe from harm.” She swallowed, the words burning in her throat. Because she didn’t know how much power she had—how she could manipulate thoseshadows and hold true to her word. There was no telling if she would be able to keep them safe at all.
They talked for a while longer before both Moryna and her mother retired to their own rooms. Kaya shoved her things off of her bed, looking at the mess of books and clothing she would need to put away in the morning that was now just a heap of junk on the floor. Her thoughts were muddled—her mind a frenzy of mixed emotions that probably would not allow her to sleep. She sighed, staring at her mattress before she turned towards her washroom. She conjured her bath water and stripped herself of her clothing, avoiding her reflection as she moved into the tub.
Without an ounce of hesitation, she held her breath and dunked herself under the water, peering up at the distorted view of the washroom ceiling that opened up in the center to reveal the star-speckled night sky. She stayed under the water until her lungs ached and then launched herself to the surface, wishing that the water could wash away everything she felt. But to no avail.
“Kaya.”
A scream flew past her lips, her heart nearly lurching out of her chest as she turned to see Ilias standing merely feet away. He licked his lips, eyes dropping to the purpling ring around her neck.
The muscle in his jaw jumped with how hard he clenched his teeth, his breathing sharp through flared nostrils. “I should have fucking killed him.” He growled, his stride brisk as he cleared the space between them. Kaya gasped at the sudden feeling of his lips against her neck, allowing her arms to fall away from her chest. She wove her fingers through his hair, panting and whimpering at each kiss he placed along the bruising—at each flick of his tongue she felt on her sensitive flesh. Her shadows swirled instantly. They wove around them, pulling him closer.
“One day, I will kill them. Him and his pathetic excuse of a son who thinks he can justhave you.”
“Ilias—” She felt his incisor scrape against the bruising. Her body reacted, head falling back as if to push the column of her neck closer to his mouth. “They’ll never have me.” She breathed, words stumbling out of her so frantically that it was almost pathetic. But she couldn’t help herself. Couldn’thelp the pulsing between her legs, nor how she arched her body against the hand that was now under the water with her, pressing against the slope of her stomach. The shadows that were twining around their limbs moved, sifting through the locks of his hair. Ilias groaned against her skin, inching his hand closer to the apex of her thighs.
Fear pooled deep in her chest, her stomach hollowing. She gripped the hand that was on her, drawing in ragged breaths as she broke free from him. “Ilias,please.”
He moved away quickly, falling onto his knees with a shocked expression taking over his face. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, reaching forward to take her hand. “Kaya, I didn’t mean to—” His voice broke off when his thumb ran over the ring on her hand. His eyes dropped to the stone, widening just briefly. “Where did you get this?” He asked.
Kaya’s brow furrowed. “My mother gave it to me. It’s an heirloom.”
