Chapter 1
Nathan
AURATHIA
Iwoke from a restless sleep and slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes. The room I was in was more of a cell than anything else. It was an 8x12 box containing a single twin bed that my feet hung off. (There was no way Hayes slept on a bed this size.) My cell had a tiny bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower, but no door.
I was grateful it was at least partially enclosed by walls, even if the walls didn’t quite meet the ceiling. Not because I had anything to be ashamed of, my body was complete perfection, but because I preferred to take a shit in private.
I sighed and stood up. It was hard to get excited for a new day when my Nexi wasn’t part of it.
Walking to the sink, I splashed water on my face. I’m sure if there was a mirror, I’d see bags under my eyes and a face that had aged ten years. This place was Hell, exactly like Damien had said. Missing Reverie was Hell all by itself, and I was coming to the end of my patience.
These weeks without her would’ve been unbearable if training hadn't taken up every spare minute of my time. I barely had the strength to shower before falling into bed.
Unfortunately, I was plagued by nightmares of Reverie calling out for me, leading to a night of tossing and turning. I had tried repeatedly to contact her, but she was too far away, and our Faction wasn’t complete.
I guess I should have been nicer to the gingers.
Each morning I rise before dawn, take a quick shower and put on clothing that feels distinctly medieval. The clothing may very well be my favorite aspect of this world. Pulling up leather pants that made my ass look amazing, I mourn the fact that Reverie isn’t here to admire it. I slip a lightweight shirt over my head, perfect for long hours of training. Sitting back on the bed, I pull on boots that lace up the front and stop just below my knees.
There was a knock on the door, “Come in. It’s open.”
I laughed at myself. Of course, it was open. The knock was purely for politeness’ sake. The door had no lock and the slightest touch would have cracked it open. That little fact contributed to some of my sleeplessness.
“Hey, are you ready to head to breakfast?” Taylor asked, running her eyes up and down my body then glancing away quickly as her cheeks heated.
“Yes, just give me a minute,” I said sharply. She nodded, then stepped back into the hallway.
Taylor had been assigned as my training partner on my first full day here. I’d protested the pairing to Damien but he said, and I quote, “I have much more important things to deal with than your stupid bullshit.”
Taylor hadn’t been here long, maybe a week before I arrived and was only eighteen. I had nothing against her but didn’t have any interest in having another woman’s hands on me, even in training.
Some of the guys grumbled about how lucky I was because she was beautiful and had a body that wouldn’t quit. I guess, objectively, she was, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Shewas around 5’10 with a cleft chin, full lips, and long lashes. Taylor was fierce on the training field, and I learned the first day not to hold back or I’d get my ass kicked.
But she was no Reverie.
Everything with Taylor was fine at first, but I’d caught her staring at me with “heart eyes” more than once. She also managed to sit beside me at meals no matter how early or late I showed up. The person beside me mysteriously finished their food right as she appeared, giving her their seat.
I treated her respectfully but didn’t speak to her outside of training. I didn’t want to encourage any kind of relationship, even friendship.
Taylor attracted a lot of attention from the other guys, but she ignored them completely. If I were just an ordinary guy without a Reverie, I'd eagerly grab the opportunity to be with someone like her.
However, I was as unavailable as one could possibly be. My Nexi was the very breath in my lungs and the blood in my veins. I didn’t exist without her. I refused to exist without her. There would never be anyone for me but my Nexi and that was that.
I finished getting dressed and left my room to find Taylor waiting outside my door. She’d shown up to walk with me for breakfast the last two days. It annoyed the fuck out of me. I had no problem hurting her feelings, but she was my practice partner and would most likely fight with me in the arena if I was here that long. It didn’t seem super smart to alienate her completely.
“You didn’t need to wait for me,” I said as I shut my door and started walking toward the dining hall.
“I didn’t mind,” she ducked her head and gazed at me through her lashes. “I can’t start training without you anyway.”
The blush returned to her cheeks. Taylor reached hesitantly into her pocket and pulled out a hair tie.
“I noticed your hair getting in your eyes yesterday, so I thought I would bring you something to hold it back.” I couldn’t argue with that. My hair had grown out in the weeks since I’d been here and was starting to interfere with my training. I took the tie from her and pulled it away from my face.
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” She blushed again and looked away from me. I couldn’t blame her for her good taste but this snack was all for my Nexi.
We entered the hall and I went straight to the food laid out in huge serving platters on a large buffet-style counter. They fed us well because training and fighting took a lot of energy. I grabbed a plate from the end of the table and scooped a huge portion of eggs, potatoes and about ten slices of bacon onto it. I finished my masterpiece with a colossal ladle of gravy over everything.
