Page 23 of The Highseer's Mate

Varek grabs my hand and holds it in his own. “Leave it, troublemaker. It has to stay on for another night.”

I huff. I’m not a damn troublemaker.

He smirks and raises, pulling me up to my feet. “Come on. I will show you the rest of the glowhollows.”

“Glowhollow?”

Varek points all around us. “The caverns. Our home. The glows help keep us safe.”

Ah. I see.

Varek wraps his arm around my waist again, keeping me close as we explore further.

We walk through the vast caverns as he points out special places. The personal hollows of other Vruts and those of families. I make a quick mental note that nearly every other Vrut we come across is male. Maybe all the women are somewhere we haven’t explored yet. I have a strange desire to ask him about that.

I want to know more.

He shows me the Luminary where Vruts gather during twilight when the luminite’s luminescence is at its peak.

“This is where the council meets. The Highseers.”

I look around, words failing me.

The Luminary is unlike any other chamber I’ve seen. It feels both ancient and sacred. Smooth stone walls stretch high, their surfaces adorned with intricate carvings that shimmer in the dim light, as though the very rock itself pulsed with energy.

Like the glow on Varek’s chest as he watches me.

The room is open to the sky above as I’ve come to love, where a perfect circle in the ceiling reveals a breathtaking view of the heavens.

Along the perimeter of the room, crystalline formations jut from the ground. Neon, bright green luminite structures, like raw mined quartz crystal, bathe the room in such a soft, spiritual ambiance that I can almost feel it in my bones.

The history in this room. The importance of it.

“You work in here?” I ask.

Varek looks around the room as if he’s seeing it for the first time, through fresh eyes. “Only when we have a ritual or the council must make a serious decision. Otherwise, we prefer to meet by the kitchens.”

A smile pulls across my lips. “How laid back of you.”

Varek raises his chin in pride. “The Highseers are those who protect their people. We do that best when we are among them. One with them all.”

That’s a nice sentiment. If only the leaders on Earth had those ideals. But in this room, I can feel the community. The shared love and respect. It’s refreshing.

Different and foreign, but beautiful.

Varek points to the ground. “We won’t go there, but beneath our feet are the mines.”

“The mines?”

“Where the luminite is at its most pure. We harvest it, refine it. It’s the center of all life here in the glowhollow.”

He reaches out an open hand and gestures for me.

As if it’s second nature, I take his rough hand and follow him.

We walk further through the glowhollow and suddenly I find myself watching Varek instead of the beauty of his home. His every word oozes with love and pride, his excitement to show me every nook and cranny never waning. His rough, scary edges seem to fade away and when I watch him, it’s not so obvious that we’re different species anymore.

We come to a curve and Varek stops. I startle as he bends down and wraps me up in his arms, anchoring me to his chest. His hands slide up my outer thighs as he wraps my legs around his waist.

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