Chapter 13
Tae
Awaking in the dark, beside the waterfall, Tae was stunned to realize they had fallen into a restorative sleep. The night had grown chilly, and he worried Eveline would become ill. She looked so peaceful lying there he hated the idea of waking her. He covered her temporarily with her dress. Then he dove into the dark pool to seek out his discarded clothing. It had dried on the surface of the rock and he managed to return to the shore with it untouched by the water. Once he was dressed, it was time to awaken his sleeping beauty.
"Eveline, wake up. It is getting cold, and you need shelter. Open your eyes."
A smile of contentment formed on Eveline's lips before her eyes opened. She whispered, "You can keep me warm. I don't want to go back to reality. I want to stay with you."
Happiness coursed through Tae. He had a proposition for Eveline, and he was sure that he now knew what her answer would be. "Get up and dress, please. We need to talk, and your creamy skin is so very distracting."
She rose and shoved her covering aside. Coyly, she grinned and said, "Am I distracting you now?"
"You are quite delectable; however, we cannot partake in such desires at the moment. Morning will come before we know it and I want everything settled before the sun rises," Tae replied.
His serious tone caught her attention. She frowned in concern but dressed as he had asked. "Has something happened while we slept? Is there danger?"
"No, we are safe. I just fear that I will be unable to ask this in the light of day. The magic that surrounds us may dissipate with the sun. You could discover that our joining was a mistake or my courage might fly away on a breeze," he explained.
"You're not making sense. You talk as if one of us will regret tonight. I assure you, at least on my part, that will never happen. I gave myself freely and even if you've changed your mind, I don't think what we shared can be undone. Something happened to us during our joining that sealed our fates. We cannot be parted," Eveline proclaimed.
"I agree. However, there is an urgency inside me. It is telling me to finish our commitment before daybreak. I love you, and my soul has chosen you as a mate. If you feel the same, we need a declaration tonight. I do not know why there is such urgency, but I dare not ignore it. Will you be my mate for life, Eveline? Will you go through the ceremony this very day?"
"You're scaring me, Tae. I'm beginning to feel the same urgency. It is drifting off of the waterfall in waves. Yes, Tae. I will be your mate and seal the deal today. I have loved you from the moment I saw your eyes looking at me through the sand on Savra. I give you my heart and soul, forever."
"And I give you mine. Together we will survive anything that comes our way. Nothing and no one will part us." He gently kissed her lips and continued, "We must hurry. If we are to have the ceremony today, there is planning and work to be done."
As they ran along the path, Tae's excitement was overshadowed by a foreboding he did not understand. The rumble of a volcano sent shivers down his spine. Talonia itself was trying desperately to warn him of something dire.
The sun peeked over the horizon as they reached the city. Life was already stirring. "I must seek an audience with the king immediately. He has to give us permission for the ceremony and oversee it as well."
"I will go to Chiya and let her know I will not be working today. Then, I will go to Michelle. She will help me prepare," Eveline replied.
"If the king agrees to the ceremony, there will be no school or work. All of Talonia will celebrate our mating."
Tae reached the palace in record time. Shara was outside, peering at the sky. "Princess, you are up early. Is there something I can help you with?" Tae respectfully inquired as he bowed.
"I was unable to sleep," Shara replied. "I am filled with a restlessness that I cannot account for. It is quite disturbing, and it seems to be emanating from the sky. Yet, I do not see anything unusual among the clouds. Why are you here?"
"I need an audience with your father. I wish to have a mating ceremony with Eveline, the human. It must be today, for I too feel a restlessness I cannot explain. Do you think he will agree to see me?" Tae implored.
"He will, because I will demand it. Trouble is stirring. Talonia must be ready. This mating has some part to play, or you would not feel such urgency. Wait here, and I will go to father," Shara promised.
The king was pacing the floor of his throne room when Shara entered. "Did I disturb you, daughter? I cannot seem to sit still. I have been pacing for hours."
"You feel it too? I have not slept, and Tae just came with an urgent request. He is restless also and swears he must be mated with the human, Eveline, today. Will you speak with him?"
"My instincts say yes, so see him in," the king replied.
Tae swallowed the lump in his throat. He was here to request that the king perform the mating ceremony, but if the king tried to refuse, he was ready to demand it. He would suffer the consequences later. He bowed to the king and began, "Sire, I would like to request that you perform a mating ceremony today joining Eveline to me."
"Why the urgency? Can it not wait a few days to allow preparations? Work must be suspended and surely Eveline would like a magnificent dress," the king questioned.
"I feel there is something sinister in the air. I awoke with an urgency I cannot explain. Eveline felt it emanating from the waterfalls, and I heard a rumble from a volcano that sent shivers up my spine. Even Shara has sensed something, though she feels it from the sky. I want this mating before anything goes awry. Please, sire!"
"The waterfalls, volcanoes, and the sky you say? Talonia is trying to warn us. We will ready ourselves. If this mating must be part of the preparation, so be it. You have two hours. The message will go out to our people immediately. However, some will not be attending this union. I feel the necessity for our soldiers to be ready for danger and Kelan must wield our new weapon," the king declared.
Eveline
