But when she thrashed herself awake with a nightmare, he was beside her.He had crept into her room while she was sleeping, but Iyana couldn’t find it within herself to be angry.She curled into Emmeric’s comforting arms.The next morning, he slipped out of bed before she awoke.Neither of them discussed the matter, but it hung between them all the same.
In order to escape the tension, she found the healers’ quarters and finally received her ouroboros tattoo around her left wrist.Iyana expected to feel elated at seeing that mark, but grief for her grandmother overtook any happiness she might normally have had during that momentous occasion.Although she had planned to stay with the healers and work, Iyana retreated to her room and curled into a ball on her bed.She sobbed for hours until she felt her bed dip, and a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Iyana blinked through her bleary vision and wiped away tears, expecting to find Emmeric but seeing Talon sitting next to her instead.
He smiled sadly.“Hey, Smalls.You okay?”
“No.”She sat and wrapped her friend in a hug.They stayed locked in a silent embrace for several minutes.When they finally broke apart, Iyana heaved a deep sigh and felt some of her worries depart her body with that breath.“How did you know I needed someone?”
“Mr.Grumpypants himself.But he said you were a little distant this morning, and he didn’t know if you’d want his company.So he sent me instead.Want to talk about it?”
“About Emmeric?”
“I was going to say about why you’re crying, but, yeah, sure.Let’s talk about Emmeric.”Talon smirked at her, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Iyana shook her head.“I’m only missing my grandmother.”She stroked the new tattoo on her wrist absentmindedly.“How are you doing?”she asked in an attempt to redirect the conversation.Iyana didn’t want to talk about herself anymore.
Talon shrugged one shoulder.“I’m fine.”
“Tal, I think we both know that’s bullshit.”
Her friend breathed a sigh and looked away.He started picking at the fabric of the blanket on the bed.Iyana laid her hand over her friend’s, stilling his movement.
“Talon, please tell me if there’s anything I can do.”
He shook his head.“Thanks, Smalls,” he said, his voice too sober for Talon’s loud personality.“I’ll be okay.It’s all an adjustment.You know what it felt like over there…Being back here—being alive—just feels like a lot sometimes.My body seems soheavy.”
“I get it,” she whispered.“Have you talked to Zane about any of this?”
“No.”He sighed again.“I don’t want to burden him with any of this.His life has already been so hard, and there’s going to be so much piled up on him soon as emperor.He doesn’t need my problems too.”
“He loves you, Talon.I think hewantsyour problems.He at least wants to help you through them.You should talk to him.”
“I don’t want to scare him away.”
Iyana’s eyes softened, gazing upon her normally vibrant friend, who now seemed so unsure of himself.“I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Tal.I’m pretty sure there’s nothing you could say now that would scare him off.”
“He doesn’t know what I’ve done.What if I tell him and he can’t deal with it?”
“Talon,” Iyana said sternly.“We’re talking aboutZane Holygazer.The man with such a fierce reputation that even I had heard about him in my remote village.You and I both know he’s killed people.You’ve killed people.Nine hells,I’vekilled people.We’ve all done stuff we aren’t proud of, things we wish we could take back.I think, more than anyone, he’ll be able to understand what you did and why.But you won’t know until you give him the chance and let him in.”
Talon inhaled, held it for a moment, then released his breath in a shuddering exhale.Most of his anxiety seemed to melt off his body with the action.
“You’re right, Iyana.I’ll do my best to let him in more.”Talon grinned with a genuine smile, and it warmed Iyana’s heart to see it on her friend’s face.It made her momentarily forget about her own troubles.
“Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?”she asked.
“No, why?”Talon squinted at her, suddenly suspicious.
“I was wondering if your offer to teach me how to use a dagger still stood.”
A sparkle entered Talon’s blue eyes.“Hells yes.Let’s go!”He grabbed her hand and dragged her off the bed.Laughter spilled from her lips as he tugged her through the halls to the training arena.
Over the next week, she fell into a sort of routine.In the mornings, Iyana would spend time in the healers’ quarters honing her craft, and in the afternoons she would learn how to wield a dagger.Talon, Zane, and Emmeric all took turns teaching her maneuvers that she could integrate while still using her magic.She and Emmeric continued their combined training, and Iyana soon was adept at using both her magic and dagger simultaneously, while Emmeric became more attuned to the surrounding magic.Soon, he was able to discern the strongest magical source nearby and pull from it directly.He worked with controlling the flow to Iyana, increasing and decreasing it with purpose.All of this while still wielding his dual swords with ease.
They saw little of the Nyr royalty, other than Kaz and Sekhan, who would both join their training on occasion.Kaz’s parents had loaded her schedule, though, in punishment for her absence, and so she wasn’t around as often as Iyana would have liked.Kekari would watch their training every once in a while, and would spend too much time eyeing Emmeric when he took off his shirt.
Misplaced jealousy would flare within Iyana’s chest whenever she saw the two interact.And Emmeric, the bastard, would simply smirk at her, then take his time chatting with Kekari—usually while not wearing a shirt.Iyana would look away from the spectacle, but not before noticing the royal’s eyes roaming hungrily over Emmeric’s bare skin.
