He smirks faintly. “Good.”
His arm snakes around my waist, pulling my naked body against his, his other hand grabbing my thigh possessively as he lifts it to his waist. He begins trailing light kisses along my neck and shoulder, making my heart pound and pleasure rush through me. I sigh breathlessly, running my hands down his firm back.
“Kai…”
“Sira…” he replies teasingly, matching my tone. I tilt my head and look up at him. He’s smiling slightly.
Gods, he’s beautiful…
Thunder cracks outside, and Kai inhales deeply before he moves back. “I should go put their supplies back in the shed before they get ruined in the rain.”
I nod, my cheeks burning as he leans down and picks up the black and green dress and hands it to me. I take it, my fingers brushing his before he turns and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I clutch the dress to my chest, brushing myfingers along my neck where his lips had just been moments ago.
What are we?
It’s later in the evening, Dorene is doing better, and her arm is bandaged up. The girls have been put to bed after having some soup. Kai and I are now sitting with the couple over cups of hot tea. Kai had managed to locate the scared horse as well and bring back the rest of the family’s produce supplies.
“We will leave first thing in the morning. I know we’ve brought a lot of trouble to you,” Kai says.
Alfren sighs. “So youwereone of them. Well, at least you’re not one of those fae folk; I never liked them,” Alfren says, making me smile slightly.
“Thank you for protecting our daughters. We will always be grateful, and our home will always be open to you. I don’t care what the village has to say,” Dorene says firmly. “You are welcome here at any time.”
“I wish I could stay and help you around the house, especially now that you are injured, but Kai is right, we should go,” I say.
The couple nods. “We understand. I hope wherever you are going that your journey is safe and successful,” Alfren says, smiling at both of us. “Is she a dryad?” he asks, pointing at me.
I laugh. “I’m not,” I admit apologetically.
“Well, the girls were saying you were too beautiful to be one of us! I guess we should listen to them more often,” he chortles. “Now get some rest. It’s been quite a day.”
“Thank the gods for the rain, though. There would have beena lot more damage to the village if it hadn’t rained. The fire would have spread,” Dorene adds grimly.
“Indeed,” Kai answers simply.
We finish our tea, talking about mundane things before retreating to bed.
I made the rain continue through the evening, but it has exhausted me. I slip between the sheets, staring at the flickering flame of the lantern.
The chaos and despair of the villagers brought back memories of the day the evil monsters came for my mother. The screams that tore from her mouth as she tried to fight them… Even to her last breath, she was terrified for me.
The door opens, and I jump. Kai enters, observing me. “Is something troubling you?”
I shake my head; I’ve never talked about it, but I want to now. “Just thinking about the past. The villagers, their screams of fear and despair, reminded me of my mother. The day they came for her.”
He’s silent as he watches me. “She had hidden me away, telling me to remain silent until she returned, but not knowing she never would be able to. They stormed our home. In our home, that should be the safest place in the world… they beat her, and I ran out of my hiding spot, begging them to let her go, but they just pulled me away as they raped her,” I whisper, distraught, hugging my knees tighter, the pain becoming overwhelming as those memories return with blinding vengeance. I close my eyes as tears trickle down my cheeks.
“Was it bandits?” he asks, and I hear him sit down on the other side of the small bed.
“No, it was our own kind, people who worked for my father. Those who were considered his most trusted, people we hosted and dined with. They said my mother was a witch and that she was cursed. They wanted to kill me, too, because it would pass on to me, but shockingly, my father didn’t let them. Yet, when he came, he simply dragged me from the room, leaving them to abuse her. I screamed and screamed for them to let her go, begged my father to help her, but he said he couldn’t, that this was the law.”
He let them take her, let them hurt her…
I open my eyes, staring unseeingly ahead.
“When they finally came out, I rushed inside, but she was dead.”
Silence follows, and I brush away my tears, looking at my lap.
