Kalon sat back, chuckled, and looked at her as she played with the ends of his hair.
“You are sooo handsome,” she said, foregoing her usual filter, her honesty spewing out like a broken hose.
Seda sighed. Her filter no longer mattered, not at the moment. She felt free from her usual chains of reservation.
She should find more mead. That sounded nice.
She looked around at the glowing balls of light and the cheerful people nearby. “So beautifulll…” she said, feeling at peace for the first time on their journey.
Kalon remained silent, and Seda glanced back at him.
“Yes. It is,” Kalon whispered, his eyes flickering between hers.
Heat blossomed in her chest and pooled into the depths of her stomach. She felt transfixed, her eyes locked onto his, gazing into a sea of obscurity.
“May I?” he asked as he held out his arm in invitation.
“Yess,” she said sheepishly. She let go of his hair and dipped her chin down, trying to hide her pink cheeks. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. His warmth and size made her nestle in closer.
She immediately thought about how Cahir would hold onto her the same way and recalled his dimpled smile. She would never get to experience that with him again. The safety and sense of home she felt with him now felt lost forever.
She let out a small sob. She felt Kalon pull her closer, and she buried her face in his chest, inhaling his sandalwood scent as she wiped away her tears. “He lied to me, Kalon. What if he is in danger?”
Kalon tensed and then said, “That man is not in danger. He is a king, Seda. He likely has multiple women in his bed right now.”
Seda felt a strange, ugly feeling grow inside her. She hadn’t considered that. She thought about Cahir with another womanpressed into him, his arms wrapping around her, making her feel safe just as he did with her. She felt the burning fire of anger race out through her chest, and the hints of purple lit up her fingertips.
“Whoa, whoa…” Kalon began as he gently placed his warm hands over hers. “None of that. He’s fine, Seda. We’ll find the Wisps and figure out what to do next. Have you seen Benny?”
She didn’t know why she had that reaction. She pulled her powers back in and looked around for her brother, but things were blurry. She shook her head.
“Let’ssss go find him. Walking around might help,” she said as she fumbled to get up. She was wobbly, and Kalon held out his arm for her to take. He guided her around the area, looking for her brother.She absentmindedly ran her fingers up and down his strong, veiny arm, playing with the goosebumps that appeared along his skin.
They stumbled and laughed as they tripped over people lying on the ground and dancing haphazardly. When they couldn’t find Benny, they walked along the edge of the village. They heard rustling in the nearby bushes and moved closer, curious to see what was making the noise.
Benny popped his head out, facing away from them with his hair a disheveled mess. A thin hand with sharp, blue nails popped up from the bush and pulled Benny back down. They heard the sounds of moaning and kissing coming from the bushes.
“Oh! Oh wow…” Seda whispered in shock. She didnotwant to see her brother engage in those activities. Such behavior was not allowed in Joro in public places, and watching Benny interact with Roya made her question why anyone would want that. Her only experience was deeply traumatizing.
She turned away quickly, facing the dancing Vatte in the distance.
Kalon laughed. “I see he is doingjustfine.” He looked at Seda, and she made sure not to meet his eyes. The sounds they were making rang through her ears, and she grimaced.
They walked back toward the Vatte, and nausea washed over her from both the mead and the sounds from her brother. “I think I need to lie down. I don’t feel so good.”
They found Lucja, and she led them to a small house. She opened the door, and Seda looked into the room. Small furniture lined the walls, and a short sink was in the corner. She looked at the single bed and at Kalon.
“Will you stay with me?” she asked him quickly, before she thought better of it. She really did not want to be alone.
He nodded, and Lucja left the room. As they stood in silence, Seda’s nerves flared. This wasn’t like being alone with Cahir. She played with her hands and ran her fingers through her hair. Maybe asking him was a mistake. She sat on the side of the small bed, and Kalon sat beside her, making the bed creak loudly, his body pressing into hers as they sat in silence.
He looked down at her with a gentle smile. Seda’s heart was pounding as he gazed into her eyes, as if he was looking into her soul and seeing something she couldn’t quite understand.
He softly traced his finger along her hand, and she looked down at it and back up at him, noticing his eyes had darkened. She held her breath as he gently reached out and cupped the back of her neck with his large hand, making her feel small.
Leaning in close, he whispered into her ear, “My little lunita.”
His breath sent a shiver down her spine, and she gasped as he pulled back, his fingers grazing her necklace and leaving a trail of tingling sensations on her skin.
