It looked like a name, and one that struck her to her very core.Deyanira. Why did it sound so familiar?
After a fewseconds, Airessclosed it, clutching the jewelry in her fist and headed back to the room. Call her superstitious, but she couldn’t help but feel like she was on the brink of discovering something life-altering.
Airess finally settled into bed and stared at the ceiling as Taryn rustled to get comfortable on the floor.
“Well, this is certainly better than camping out on the forest floor.” Airess said, breaking the silence. “Only one more week.”
“One more week.” Taryn replied weakly. Airess noted the doubt lacing in his voice and frowned.
“Aren’t you excited to finally go home?”
“I am. It’s just been so long.”
Airess sat up and looked at him. Taryn was lying on his back, shirtless, with his arms folded behind his head. She studied the sleeve of tattoos inked in red on one arm, particularly the dragon depicted on his bicep. She wondered what made him choose the extinct animal.
His gaze snapped to hers, and the thin nightdress she wore. He ripped his eyes back to her face as quickly as he could and swallowed.
“Taryn, what happened all those years ago? How did you end up in Luciena?” Airess whispered, softly asking for an opening into Taryn’s mind.
For a moment, she thought that he wasn’t going to answer. He swallowed and closed his eyes. “I was fourteen years old when Rune drafted all the young males into the war on Luciena. The war had taken a toll on our population, so we were all that they had left. I was young and eager, and gladly welcomed being shipped off to war after the loss of my grandmother and… becoming homeless.
“But when we arrived on Luciena’s beaches, we were severely outnumbered. The Luciens had created these – theseexplosives. A device that wielded power that no war had ever seen before. I fought as long as I could, I really did. But then…”
Taryn loosened a breath. “I barely remember what happened. An explosive landed near me. I woke up ten feet away, in a ditch, bleeding to death. That’s when Eryx, the leader of the Mrkynian Guild, found me.”
Airess stilled, not realizing she was gripping the fabric of the quilt until Taryn spoke again, “He made me a deal I couldn’t refuse, offering me shelter and a place to belong. Hell, I wasfourteen. I gladly took his offer. It didn’t matter how steep the price was.”
His gaze slid over to her, and for the first time, she identified the raw emotion in his eyes. Regret. Pain. Loneliness. Airess couldn’t bear it.
“Come up here,” she said softly.
“Airess, I–”
“We haven’t slept in a proper bed in over a month. You shouldn’t be sleeping on the floor. Come up here.”
A beat of silence passed before Taryn stood up. Airess scooted over to one side of the bed to make room for him as he grabbed his quilt and slowly sank into the mattress. His bulky figure stayed to one side of the bed, careful not to touch her. Airess didn’t have Fae hearing, but she was pretty sure his heart was beating just as loud as hers was. The thought at first embarrassed her, knowing he could hear the thumping ofherheart, but she no longer wanted to deny herself.
Taryn lay on his back, legs out long, and stared at the ceiling. Airess finally got the courage to turn on her side, her hand holding up her head as she spoke to him softly, “Have you thought about the first place you’ll go when we make it to Rune?”
Taryn turned to face her, mirroring that same position, looking at her through his dark lashes. Something about this room, this bed, the way they were looking at each other, felt infinitely more intimate than any training lesson or night they had spent together in the woods. They were allowing a deeper part of themselves to be seen, Airess realized.
She didn’t know if the thought comforted her or scared her.
“My childhood home. If it's still there, of course.” Taryn replied with a soft smile, his canines visible as the moonlight shone directly on him through the window. “Have you thought about what you will do?” he asked hesitantly.
“Well… there’s this group I intend to seek out.” Airess paused, deciding if she wanted to reveal what Esper had directed her to do. Taryn watched her intently, his facial expression eager to hear her words. Airess had grown to trust Taryn over their travels, and deemed it safe to tell him at last.
“It’s calledThe Obadiah, a group of Priestesses who say they can help me learn more about my Magick. One of their members was the one who helped me escape the engagement ball, you know, the one that I told you about.”
Taryn sat up, suddenly serious, “Do you mean the temple Priestesses?”
“I’m not sure. When I spoke with Esper, she said there was much I needed to learn. That this wasonly the beginning.” Airess looked down. “I’m not so sure what to believe. Hopefully they can teach me more about my power and why it is so rare.”
She looked up to him with a grin. She was finally allowing herself to think of the future after so long.
“But I also want more. I want to create a life for myself. I want a flat, a job. I want tolive.”
Taryn’s eyes crinkled with kindness. He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, that caused goosebumps to travel down her body. “I’ll support anything you decide.”
