A smile played on his features, and something I couldn’t place danced in his eyes.
“What?” I asked, with a bit of a rasp.
“Did you know your eyes change colors?”
“So I’ve been told.”
He smirked. “Crying suits you.”
“Crying suits me?” I asked, amused.
“Yes, your eyes are normally stunning, but they are currently the most captivating green I’ve ever seen.” I went to avert my gaze and step away, but his grip tightened. “You are one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, Nyleeria.”
“He says to the weeping mess of a woman who’s crying in his arms,” I joked, not hiding the cynicism in my voice.
His eyes narrowed. “Nyleeria, many would have crumbled under the weight of what has been thrust upon you. Many have, and for less. Not only have you held yourself together, but I watched as you fought to stay in this world. I’ve seen grown men in battle give up with less strain on their bodies. You do not truly appreciate just how ravished you were, how your mind and body were being ripped apart by forces beyond our control. But you fought. You held on. I’ve lived many lifetimes and have never witnessed anything like it—or felt more helpless.”
He paused and looked at me as if beseeching me to believe him, his fingers stroking my cheek. “When I say you’re one of the strongest people I’ve met, Nyleeria, I mean it.”
I let his words wash over me and wondered if a day would ever come when I could believe them.
Chapter 16
A New Normal
The following day, I ventured to the study in hopes of finding the king. The doors stood open in an unspoken invitation. His steady voice filled the room as I crossed the threshold. Stepping further in, I halted. He was sitting at his ornate desk, addressing a stranger. I was already halfway through pivoting on my heel in retreat when the king’s eyes caught mine, stopping me with a raised brow in silent question.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude,” I said and continued back toward the hall.
“No. Stay, we were just finishing up.”
The stranger bowed deeply and left the room, closing the doors behind him and leaving me alone with the king.
“Truly, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
He waved away my comment as he stood and walked toward the sitting area. “Would you like a tea?”
I offered him a small smile of gratitude and joined him. Settling into the chair next to his, I scooped up the warm cup from the shared side table between us and took a sip before my gaze wandered past him and I got lost in my thoughts.
“Nyleeria?” The king’s voice pulled me back from the deep thoughts I hadn’t realized I’d been lost in.
“Sorry, what?” I asked, shaking away the daze.
“Where did you just go to?”
The teacup now resting back on its saucer, my eyes fell downward, resting upon my tightly clasped hands. I hadn’t a clue where to begin. The words felt heavy on my tongue, and I had to swallow them several times. It seemed guilt and shame had a firm grip on my ability to articulate what I’d come to say.
He put his tea down, attention now fully on me. “What is it?”
“I…” Choking down the rest of the sentence, I steeled myself and tried again. “That day you told me about why I’m here, about the spark, when you recited that passage about thekey?” I paused, dragging my gaze up to see if he understood.
“Yes, I know it well. It was the only reason I had for believing in your existence. I could never forget.”
I inwardly pulled away from the weight of those words but trudged forward anyway. “After you finished reciting it, there was a tingling in my right hand, and when I went to put my fingers together, a tiny spark formed between them,” I said, mimicking the movement.
His eyes widened. “What did it feel like?”
“Nothing, really, a more intense vibration perhaps, or static at most.” My words felt clumsy. I wasn’t entirely sure how to describe it.
