His boots scraped against the creaking floor as he paced. A chilly breeze swept down the corridor, causing gooseflesh to prickle his arms. Her silhouette finally emerged at the far end of the hall.
Thank the heavens.He couldn’t stand knowing she was upset and not being able to find her or help. But he always knew how to get her to find him.
She meandered down the corridor, her steps sluggish, shoulders hunched. He understood. His own heart was heavy. Over the years, hehad come to cherish Arria. She was someone he could rely on to protect and comfort Elora when he couldn’t. He wanted to mourn her, but he kept his expression calm. Elora needed stability right now, not another source of worry.
“Elora,” Tehvan called softly, stepping forward. She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She stopped a few paces away. Her arms were curling tightly around herself, creating a physical wall. It was clear to him that she was attempting to keep it together, yet her uneven breaths and pursed lips gave her away. The tension thrummed through the bond that tied them. It was impossible for her to hide from him.
“I just needed some air,” she babbled. He knew there was more, but he wouldn’t ask.
“It’s all right.” Tehvan resisted the urge to close the distance too quickly.
Her lip trembled once, and then everything fell apart. The tears came hard and fast, a strangled sob bursting free as her body shuddered. Her shoulders sagged as she covered her face with her shaking hands.
“Tehvan… I… I don’t understand,” she managed to choke out, the words muffled in her palms.
He stepped forward immediately, closing the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around her, his grip so tight he felt every shudder. Her pain was a raw, living thing, and he felt it as if it were his own. He ran a hand slowly through her tangled hair, the same way he always had when words weren’t enough.
“I’m here.” He laid his chin on the top of her head. “I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere.”
Elora clung to him, her fingers knotting into his tunic. Tears slowly soaked his shirt as she buried her face in his chest. Tehvanstared down at her. She had grown so strong over the years, yet now she seemed small again. Fragile. It broke his heart.
“Why didn’t they help her? Why didn’t anyone care?”
“I’m not going to pretend to understand why they acted the way they did, Elora,” he lied. He knew exactly why. It was simple. The Empire doesn’t see them as people, only as tools to continue expanding their control. They had no use for Arria. Her death, if nothing else, was convenient.
But he wouldn’t tell Elora that. He pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her pale blue eyes. “It’s beyond me. But I do know Arria was very lucky to have you.”
“But… I don’t know what to do without her.” Her grip on his shirt tightened as she held back another sob.
He pulled her into his arms, cradling her. “You don’t have to know right now.” He traced small, comforting circles along her back.
He felt her nod against his chest. Her sobs waned, her breathing evening out slightly. “Stay?”
“I’ll stay,” he promised, pressing a gentle kiss to her hair. He refused to let her suffer alone. He’d do everything possible to make things okay in the world for this girl. She was his daughter, after all, at least in his heart. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Holding her close a moment longer, he felt the tremors in her body gradually ease. He knew the rules. He shouldn’t be here after curfew. But the thought of leaving her alone now, when she was this brittle, this lost… No, he couldn’t. Not tonight.
With an arm around her shoulder, Tehvan guided her toward the door to her room. She leaned into him, and he sensed the exhaustion in her heavy steps. She had no strength left.
The room felt emptier without Arria. His own grief flared in his chest, but he pushed it down. Right now, Elora needed him more.She sat on her bed, hands twisting in her lap, eyes staring beyond the floor. She looked impossibly small and lost, just like when he saved her from The Snatchers.
“Lie down, you need to rest.”
She nodded, almost imperceptibly. Tears and snot streaked her face; her eyes were red and swollen. Tehvan soaked a small rag at the basin and wiped her cheeks, cleaning away the dirt, sweat, and tears. She didn’t move. She just lay still, allowing him to care for her. When he was done, he pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, tucking it around her like he had done countless times when she was younger.
He settled on the side of the bed, his hand resting lightly on her arm. “I’m here,” he whispered. “Try to sleep.”
Her head sank into the pillow, but her eyes remained open, fixed on the ceiling above. Tehvan watched her, the familiar helplessness tightening around his heart whenever he couldn’t make everything alright. He hated this, the not knowing how to take her pain away, how to shield her from everything cruel and unfair in the world.
He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Close your eyes.”
He remained beside her, the ring faintly pulsing against his skin. He knew that sometimes the only comfort he could offer was just being there, sensing her pain through the bond they shared. He wanted to do more, but this would have to suffice.
Chapter 7
Elora
Elora’s body was heavy, her limbs refusing to move. It was as if she were still trapped in a dream. She hoped she was. But the pale morning light filtered through the window causing her to blink. The grittiness in her eyes from all the crying told her that she was unfortunately awake.
