Luke
The next several days had been a whirlwind of activity. We worked with tutors to become educated on Illyrian society. We worked out issues between factions and started everyone in a basic education program. Most of the Mageians education had ended when they had been sent to the Legion, except for in areas of magic and combat.
I sat at breakfast with my brother, Hel, Deliah and Tik about a week after we had arrived in the city. We often seemed to find ourselves bonding over food, and the more I came to know about my brother’s Bonded, the more I liked him.
Deliah was with us, like normal. I had avoided asking about Rhuyin, but Deliah had brought him up anyway when I’d asked how Dagan was doing.
“Still trying to figure out where Rhu is. Dagan said Rhu is making himselfveryscarce,” she said between mouthfuls. “He figures he’s spending all his time with someone. He’s hoping it’s his new Bonded.”
The sound of a bell began ringing and it took me a moment to realize that it was coming from the cell phone I had stuck in the jacket Lottie had given me.
“Are you going to answer that?” Deliah asked pointedly as the phone continued to ring.
I sighed, because I was pretty sure I knew who it would be. I’d been dodging his calls for days, somehow uncomfortable with Captain Kopanos. I knew he wanted me to meet with the other Somas I had matched with, but every time I thought of a certain green-eyed Soma, I couldn’t seem to follow through. But he was gone now, he was Bonded with someone else. I opened the phone reluctantly and answered it the way I’d seen Helios answer his.
“Hello?”
“Is this Prince Lucien?”
I sighed. Dammit.
“It’s just Luke, but yes. How can I help you, Captain?”
“Your highness, I have the four Somas you matched with at the Touchpoint, and they’ve been patiently awaiting the opportunity to meet with you.”
I groaned inwardly. I was exhausted, but thiswaswhy we were here. I hadn’t slept well since I arrived in Illyria. Images of a certain green-eyed Soma haunted my dreams.
“I just got up, Captain. Can you give me a little time to shower and get cleaned up? Then I’d be happy to meet with your Somas.” I forced myself to pack away thoughts of Rhuyin. He had found his match. Now it was time for me to find mine.
We arranged a time and agreed to meet in the main lobby of the Pavilion.
Hel smiled at me sympathetically as I hung up.
“I told you my people are anxious to match every single Mageia they can.”
“I get it. It’s just…something about that guy sets my teeth on edge.” I glanced at my brother. I wouldn’t say it out loud, but the captain reminded me of Maalik.
“You don’t have to meet with him,” Elex said immediately, his eyes narrowing. “I’ll tell him to fuck off.”
“I don’t need you to do that. I can take care of myself,” I said, more sharply than I intended, if the looks I got from Hel and Deliah were anything to go by.
“Sorry. I—I haven’t been sleeping well. If I’m going to be able to make my appointment, I need to go get cleaned up now.” I said as I took my plate to the kitchen. I stopped and went to turn, then something struck me.
“Hey, whatever happened with Polemos?” I asked Elex. “With the explosion and all the craziness afterward, everything you never really said.”
A strange look crossed Elex’s face, one I couldn’t identify. Which was odd in and of itself, because I knew my brother better than anyone.
“It’s a long story, too,” he said, echoing my response to Deliah. “How about we meet up after your meeting with the Somas? We should have time to talk then.”
I nodded, and I saw Hel bring his arm up and lay it across my brother’s shoulders in a protective fashion. What had happened at that meeting? I saw Elex visibly force himself to relax into his Soma’s embrace. Bond or no, Hel was going to have a hard time getting through the barriers around his heart.
I left the three talking and made my way back to my room. The facilities were spartan, but they did the job. Within a few minutes I was in the shower.
The hot water felt amazing. Though I’d gotten my shield up in time to protect us from the blast at the Pavilion, my body had still taken a beating. My leg still ached, and the Illyrian medic who examined it said he thought I might have had a hairline fracture. The scratch had mostly healed, but I never did find out where all the blood had come from that had covered Rhu’s hands. It seemed like far too much to have come from such a small scratch.
As I stood under the water, letting the heat pound into sore muscles, I couldn’t keep myself from thinking about Rhuyin. I’d only spent a short time in his company but I couldn’t seem to get him out of my mind.
I remembered how his dark hair would fall forward across his face, shading his eyes. Which was a pity, because they were such a beautiful green and the way they had changed while we talked had captivated me. His hands were so graceful as he used them to communicate; sometimes they were slow, sometimes quick as he began signing about something he was passionate about. His body had been long and lean, muscles defined in all the right places. I remembered his laugh, and the way his lips had pursed in thought.
