Page 49 of Magic & Secrets
Roque grunted when he realized I was teasing him. “I will remain awake.”
The upstairs contained two bedrooms. I chose the one without the gaping hole where Roque burst through. He followed me inside and took a spot at the barricaded window.
I set the rifle next to the double-sized bed. Unstrapping my weapons, I rested them on the small side table. Soon, my boots, armor, and cloak were neatly piled next to the bed. I slid out of my chain mail and leggings until I stood in nothing more than my undergarments.
Roque growled in response to my state of undress. Ignoring him, I left the room and moved to a small bathroom located in the hallway. The water ran cold but clean. I found a rag to wash myself. My braids were a mess and took a considerable amount of time to remove. I found leaves and twigs stuck in my hair from when I had fallen hours earlier.
Specks of dried blood dotted my face. My warrior paint in honor of Solme Divige was smudged.
After washing my face, I admired my appearance in the mirror. There was nothing out of sorts about the creature looking back at me.
I was still Calla of the New Armgard, spawn of Solme Divige and sister to Mina and Anya. My bevy remained in the world. I refused to believe my sisters were dead. Rather than assume the worst, I imagined Enya and Mina closing out on their second day with their mates.
Returning to the bedroom, I found Roque sitting on the floor next to the window. The chair was too small for his massive body. This human settlement offered a creature like Roque little comfort.
Roque silently watched me. Even before our gazes met, I sensed his longing. Still fighting our mate bond, he snarled and looked away.
“Perhaps, you could shift into a cute doggy and slumber curled up in the corner?” I suggested while settling into the bed.
“I don’t need to slumber.”
“If you’re tired tomorrow, you could make a mistake and put me at risk.”
“What aboutmysafety?”
“Well, there’s that, too.”
Roque snarled again before catching on to how I was teasing him. Shrugging off my comment, he studied the foggy night through the spyhole.
“I’ll rest later.”
“Wake me if you need to,” I murmured and snuggled up with a blanket on the bed.
Though the Old Armgard rarely rested, the newer generation craved slumber when our minds could wander the world. Solme Divige didn’t want us to remain locked away by the Gathering. I sensed her frustration at how we couldn’t explore. The ancient god saw through our eyes, yet we showed her so little.
I doubted the Gathering recognized the restless nature of the ancient one behind their greatest creation. The beasts from the early days of this planet were treated like mere tools to beexploited to form a better future that the Gathering expected to control.
Solme Divige felt more awake than many of the ancient ones. During the dark times, she was a fearsome creature, worshipped by thousands and fed blood sacrifices. The Gathering was foolish to believe they could comprehend her power or wrath.
As slumber took me, Solme Divige revealed her world before the ancient ones were forced to hide.
The Gathering taught humans were created to worship the ancient ones. What they didn’t share or know was how other monsters lurked in the darkness during those days. Offspring to the ancient ones, they were monstrous and always hungry.
They, too, had dug deep into the darkness when the world warmed. In my dreams, I felt them stirring, evolving, and plotting.
My mind revealed the horrifying creatures lurking near this very house. I smelled their bloodlust.
In my dream, I tried to wake Roque, but he only pushed me away. I began to run, forgetting my weapons. Suddenly, Roque was upon me. He pinned me to the mossy ground and tugged open my shirt. His scent filled me with hope and desire. Nothing could tear him from me.
His hands found my body in heat. I wrapped my arms around his wide shoulders and soaked in the waves of magic pulsing between us.
Just as his lips met mine in the dream, Roque shook me awake in the real world. I stared up at him, frightened by his intense expression. His eyes glowed silver with a mix of hunger and rage.
“Stop it,” Roque snarled and gripped my wrists before me. “You’re driving me mad.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“You’re feeding this insane magic with your fantasies,” Roque insisted and stepped away. “If you can’t control yourself, I’ll throw you into the river to cool off.”
