Page 73 of Ecliptic

It would have been easy to give way to panic, but I needed to remain calm. I couldn’t let my fears influence my time here. I promised Takoda I would be careful.

I intended to find the desert elves, but it felt like I waded through the sea of my mind, finding no real answers. The glimmering lights and otherworldly landscapes blurred together with no clear direction. Frustration gnawed at me, but Ibrushed it aside, knowing such an emotion would hinder my progress.

After what felt like ages of wandering—and maybe it had been—I felt a gentle golden ripple through my chest.

My soul flame bond!

I quickly reeled myself in, like smoke returning to a candle’s flame. I opened my eyes to the familiar weight of my body, grateful to be back in it. I exited the Hymma, blinking against the light.

Rowen was immediately there and quickly wrapped me in a robe. “Is everything okay?” I asked anxiously.

“You’ve been in there for hours,” Maddock said as Rowen tied the garment around my waist.

Rowen cinched it tight, his fingers lingering on the tie. “We grew worried.”

“I felt you calling to me,” I said, rubbing my chest, still feeling the aftermath of his glow.

Takoda answered, his eyes searching me, “I had him call you back.”

I glanced between the three men, understanding their concern. It felt like I had run a mental marathon. “I didn’t realize how much time had passed. It’s . . . it’s different in there.”

“Did you find anything?”

“No,” I replied, my eyes locking with the healer’s. “I need to go back in.”

Takoda shook his head. “It is too taxing on the mind. I understand these are dire times, so you will be permitted entrance every other day.”

Annoyance flared within me. “We don’t have that kind of time,” I urged, light-headed and exhausted. Even though Takoda was right, I wanted to charge right back into the Hymma and spend as much time in there as I could until I found some helpful information.

“Your sanity and Light are more important than losing yourself,” Takoda said, his eyes soft with understanding but rimmed with authority. “We need you for when the battle arises. Erovos and the Voro-Kai escaping could happen any day. You are too valuable. If we lose you, we lose everything. You promised me that you would be careful. Please.”

“Every other day then,” I agreed, letting his orders sink in. On the days I didn’t go in the Hymma, I could focus on training with Dyani or looking for a solution with the weapons. And while I felt overwhelmed with tasks that had no clear solution, I was grateful for the support I had helping me.

27

The following day, Rowen walked me to the edge of the training grounds before his session with Takoda. The sound of clanging weapons filled the air. The energy was intense and focused as the warriors honed their skills for the upcoming battle.

Rowen kissed me on the lips, a simple gesture that had been missing from our lives for so long. Though it was quick and sweet, my knees went weak. I would never get over something as simple as a peck from him. “Have fun today,” he said, kissing me again, but before he could pull away, my grip found the front of his shirt, and I yanked him back toward me.

He chuckled against my lips, and I took the opportunity to stroke my tongue against his mouth. He moaned into me. “Spirits, you make it hard to leave you.”

“Then don’t,” I said, not letting go of his forest green shirt.

“Oh, I will be coming back for you,” he murmured at my temple, his beard scratching deliciously against my skin.

I grinned, releasing him from my clutches. “Good, because I have plans for you.”

His voice turned to a low gravel. “I think it is I that has plans for you."

As much as I wanted to cancel the day and retreat to the bedroom, I knew how important his sessions with Takoda were. Even though I wouldn’t attend myself, I wanted to show support. “So much has been going on, I haven’t had a chance to ask you how it’s going with Takoda,” I said, not quite ready to let him out of my sight.

“I’m finding the mind-mending sessions helpful. As you know, I have memories that are . . . hard to forget. Thought patterns I am trying to break,” he said, rubbing the scar over his heart. The knife wound was entirely healed, yet every now and again, it flared with phantom pain.

“It makes me want to snap Fou’s neck all over again,” I seethed, wishing I could dive into the lush forest of his eyes and battle the ghosts that still haunted him.

“Always so bloodthirsty when it comes to protecting me,” he said with a grin, tracing his thumb over my lip. “It’s adorable.”

“What thought patterns are you trying to break?” I asked, tilting my head back to meet his gaze. “How can I help?”

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