“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” I said, my voice hushed.
“Hey, now. I’m still a God.”
I sniffled.
But Auriel cleared his throat, choking back his own emotions and hugged me to him. “I think we’re safe tonight. I don’t sensethat they’re any closer than before. Even if they do uncover the green shard—they’re under orders to hand it over to Morgana, right? And Rhyan said she’d be here in a few days?”
I nodded.
“Perfect. Plenty of time for me to recover it myself. So how about this, why don’t you take a hot shower, and get into bed, try to relax. I’m going to go out and find something for you to eat. And then,” he pulled his hood over his head, casting his face in shadow, “I’m going to bring you weapons.”
I laughed. “Exactly what I want for dessert.”
He smiled, and brushed my hair back, his hand lingering on the bandage across my neck—the place where Rhyan had bitten me, had sucked my blood. Anger sparked in his aura, but he let it go. Then he leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Go on. I’ll see you soon.”
I grabbed his hand as he stood. “Auriel—wait. About earlier—the kiss … I’m sorry.”
He let out a sharp breath, and shook his head, a rueful smile on his lips. “I’m not. I’d do it again. I’d do it all again for you,Meka. Fall. Steal the light. Burn my hands. Cross the realms of time and space and defy every member of the Council. All just to be with you—even if only for a moment. Even for just one kiss. In every lifetime, every body, every name, every face.” His eyes crinkled. “It’s an honor to fall in love with you in every life. I’m yours. Always. But you knew that. My soul has always been yours.”
‘‘Rakame,’’I said. Your soul is mine.
He grinned widely, a tear running down his cheek. Then he nodded, squeezing my hand. And he was gone.
Hot food was waiting for me when I got out of the shower, and hours later, when I opened my eyes, I was tucked under the blankets and drowsy with sleep. A sword had been laid on mynightstand. Auriel kissed my forehead, pulled the covers over my shoulders and whispered my name. I fell back asleep.
When I dreamed, I dreamt of Rhyan. Of emerald green eyes, and a soft Glemarian lilt. Of my lover on a boat in the ocean, and waves that were finally calm.
Chapter
Thirty-Four
LYRIANA
The next night, Auriel knelt before me, strapping the final knife to my thigh. I was covered from head to toe in new armor and weapons. Well—new to me, at least. I didn’t even need to use glamour magic to blend in now—I was dressed as a wolf. Silver armor covered my torso, and matching cuffs were at my wrists. Auriel had located a soturion belt with fresh Valalumir stars embedded in the leather straps. Two swords crossed my back, and another hung from my hip along with two daggers, one on either side, and a knife, hidden in two garter belts. If only we’d had these when we were investigating each town. But I much preferred my own effects, my own armor and weapons.
I had tried to ask Auriel how he procured each item, but he wasn’t willing to discuss it which made me think it wasn’t exactly legal. Then again, it wasn’t like these were items one could simply purchase—especially not late at night in a small hillside town on the western border.
He tightened the leather belt of my garter, tugging on the strap to make sure it was firmly in place. His eyes flashed as he looked me up and down, and for a second, I caught a hint of the passion that had burst between us yesterday. His hand lingeredon my thigh, giving my leg a squeeze before he let go, and rose to his feet, looking me over studiously, checking that each weapon was in place, and secure.
Exactly like Rhyan would have done—even down to the squeeze, like he needed just one more touch. One more reassurance that I was there and so was he.
My throat was dry as I pulled my gaze away and looked out of the window of our room at the inn. The sun had set and the sky had darkened. It was time to make our move.
Auriel slid his hand over the hilt of his swords, something I’d started to notice he did before battle, a small moment to familiarize himself with the weapons. The rest of his body was preternaturally still. There was something else in the air between us, passing back and forth from our auras—this kind of feeling of finality. Like this was it.
And on some level, deep down in my soul, I knew it was. I wasn’t going to get another chance to attack Rhyan, or to cure him. If I failed tonight, it was likely because we didn’t make it. Either because I failed to cure him, or I failed myself in going up against him. And much as akadim Rhyan still wanted me, even he was going to prioritize his own survival at some point. I’d spent some time in the morning reading again from Auriel’s Valya, focusing particularly on the sections that spoke about the akadim. Sections not included in the Mar or Tavia versions I’d always known. We’d never been taught about this in the Academy since the cure had gone out of existence. According to Auriel’s writings, akadim when faced with the idea of becoming mortal again, being cured—reacted similarly to the way we did when confronted with being turned. They saw it as a death sentence.
The moment he began to truly fight back, to use all his strength against me—I was going to need to call onRakashonimto survive. And then I wouldn’t have long before it wore out.
Whatever we did tonight—it had to fucking count.
Auriel met my eyes, his jaw tight, and his shoulders tensed. He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something more, but then he snapped his jaw shut. Instead, he nodded, and flipped up his hood, covering his head, his face darkened in shadows. I did the same, and then quietly, we crept out of the inn, into the silence of the night.
The air was cool against what little skin I had exposed, and felt far colder than it had the last few weeks despite the fact that we were now even further into spring. In another month, the weather, especially this far south, would begin to heat drastically.
I closed my eyes, trying to imagine it. The warmth of the sun on my skin, the familiarity of the heat. Home. Bamaria. Hot and safe. And Rhyan by my side. My Rhyan. It felt like a dream. One I could barely grasp. Especially now I was forsworn, not even allowed back in my own country. Now my country didn’t even exist. If Rhyan and I got through this, our best-case scenario—after I found Jules and Meera, and made sure they were okay—was likely exile.
“You all right over there?” Auriel asked. He reached for my hand and helped me climb the hill we were on. They surrounded the town and the inn we were staying at. There had been a more direct path leading from there to the mouth of the caves—but the only time we’d used it, was yesterday in our escape.
