Page 49 of Of Nightmares & Fire
“Good, it looks like your guard is ready to say his goodbyes.” He juts his chin out just as Kellan reaches us.
“Are you sure you don’t want the other horse? I can make my way on foot.” He asks Kyros, and my brow scrunches.
“We have no use for a third horse. We don’t even need the second. The princess doesn't know how to ride on her own yet, but Mavros would kill me if I left Eidola behind.” Kyros says, gesturing to the blonde mare.
“Wait. You aren’t coming with us?” I ask Kellan with panic, and he side-eyes Kyros before taking my hands.
“No, beautiful. You know I have my family I need to think about. You have a plan to save the kingdom, and I will do anything and everything I can from within to aid you. Kyros says he has waysof getting messages to me without anyone knowing. I want you to go.” His eyes dance over my face, and a sad smile brackets his mouth, while tears build in my eyes. “You will always be special to me, in more ways than you know, but to this kingdom? You are going to beso much morethan what your father had planned for you. I know it in my bones.” He releases one of my hands and cups my cheek, and as a tear falls, he wipes it away with his thumb. I can feel Kyros trying to give us space, but his eyes have always only ever felt like fire when they were on me, and now is no different as he watches this intimate moment with another man.
“Keep her safe. You may have magick, but I still know how to kill a man.” Kellan says sternly, without looking away from me, but we all know his words are for Kyros. “Be careful and tell Colette I will miss her and her constant shenanigans with my men, too.” I smile and choke on a laughed sob, but he doesn’t let me say anything in return before he turns away from me and begins walking into the night.
“My promise stands true, Kellan! I will always remember everything you’ve done for me.” He doesn’t so much as turn his head as my words trail after him, and I can’t help but cover my mouth with my hand as a sob tries to break free. Not having many people I can say I rely on in life makes saying goodbye to the ones who matter that much harder. Even though I hope it's not goodbye forever, in this kingdom you never truly know. Especially when he is going back to serve a king like my father.
Chapter thirty-four
Kyros
MybrowsdipasI watch Astraea—the princess born from a man I loathe—break. Not long ago I would have relished the sight. But things have changed. She is not the half-witted princess on a tufted pillow I thought she would be. Though the mission has not changed, my thoughts of her surely have. She wants to get away from the king that I want to decimate more than any daughter should, and it makes me vibrate with anger as I think of the reasons that could be. She won't tell me, and that’s fine. We both have our secrets, though I probably have more.
After Kellan disappeared into the dark night and minutes ticked by, the night sky beginning to brighten with stars, I slowly trailmy hand down Astraea’s arm. My touch makes her jolt in surprise before she stiffly turns to face me. Her face is blotchy; if it were brighter, I have no doubt that it would be mottled with red.
“We need to get going now.” I say softly, and she nods. Wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand, she walks past me, up to Eidola. Reaching for her reins, she steels her spine and puffs her chest while the horse and I both eye her with amusement. She looks from the stirrup to the seat of the saddle and back again, then to her feet. More tension grows in her shoulders while I cross my arms and stand behind her waiting. Curious to see just how tenacious the princess can be.
She kicks her slippered foot up to try to reach the stirrups and grips the reins too tightly, pulling on Eidola’s bit. The horse whinnies, lifting a foot and stomping in place. The motion startles Astraea, and she sucks in a breath, stepping backward and then falling on her ass. I can't help but let another unbridled laugh rumble from my chest.
Her head whips in my direction, daggers slicing into me with the sharpness of her glare. The look of pure rage makes me laugh again as I shake my head, uncross my arms, and offer her a hand.
“Are you going to try again?” I ask, and she makes a hmmft sound before snubbing my outstretched hand and standing on her own. I chuckle again, and she whirls around, sending sand spraying out in an arch from her disheveled skirt. I place my hands up in a surrendering gesture, even as a smile is plastered on my face. It feels foreign and light, and the thought fills me with warmth.
“You are just getting a kick out of this, aren’t you? Watching me struggle? I’ve not seen you smile or heard you laugh this much since I have met you.” She barks out, frustration leaking from her every pore. What I don’t say is that no one has made me feel this way before. While I do joke and play around with the family I have chosen as my own and the brother I didn’t… It's not this sort of unrestrained amusement or endearment. Instead, I just shrug with a half-cocked grin on my face.
That grin falls entirely as her eyes well with tears, and she looks away from me with a trembling lip. For a moment I just stare at her. She walks up to Eidola, petting the side of her muscular neck with a gentle touch. She whispers lower than I can hear, and Eidola looks at her with a tilted head. Then the horse's heavy lashes lift toward me, as if to say, ‘Console her.’ Rolling my shoulders and cracking my neck, I come up behind Astraea and place my hand on her lower back. Gentle not to startle her.
“I—I’m sorry.” The apology takes longer to come out than I thought, but I don’t often apologize for my actions. “These horses are not like the rest. They are much larger. Anyone of your stature would have a difficult, if not impossible, time getting into the saddle. Let me help you.” I say, and she swallows hard before turning to face me.
“It should be me who is sorry.” My brows furrow at her words, “I dragged you into my escape, and now you are a criminal. My father is likely announcing to the entire kingdom of your treason.” I huff out a breath.
“I am not worried about anything your father has to say against me. And you should not be sorry for anything. I didn’t do anything I didn’twantto do.” The double meaning behind my words tastes bitter on my tongue, but they are the truth. “Why don’t you ride with me? Just while we get further away from the palace. Once we get with the others… I’ll teach you to ride on your own.” Her eyes light up, bewilderment casting over her face as she looks at me in a way I have never been looked at before.
“You would do that?” She asks, and again, she pulls a long-forgotten feeling to my features as a warm smile spreads across my face.
“I will.” No sooner do the words leave my lips than her arms wrap around my neck as she launches herself at me. I catch her with ease, another chuckle escaping.Apparently she is making me a laughing fool.Her feet hang from where I hold her up, and my arms wrap around her like it's the easiest thing I have ever done. When I set her down, I don’t automatically release her. My arms linger at her waist, her arms achingly slow to slide away from my neck and down my chest until I’m certain she can feel my thundering heart.
“Thank you.” Her cheeks darken, and just like before, if there were more light to see by, I know that they would be flaring with a blush I relish in. She bites her lip, and the action draws my eyes to her mouth. I want nothing more than to bite it myself, but I restrain myself.
“Don’t thank me yet, Shula. You will most definitely fall on your ass more.” I grin, and her shy smile she gives me before she playfully smacks my chest, pushing away from me, makes my cock want tostrain against my breeches. I let her go before this little tryst can turn into anything else. We do need to get going.
“How long until we reach, what did you call it? Creshian?” She asks, running her hand once again over Eidola’s neck.
“The Creshian Forest.” I confirm. “As long as we don’t run into any problems along the way, only a few days.”
“Is that how long it takes to replenish your magick?” She asks, looking away from me.
“No, not usually.” I answer, and she turns around at that, waiting for me to elaborate. With a sigh, I continue. Though I have never revealed anything like this to anyone—only my brother knows the details of our shared magick. “The power I expelled in your bed chambers the night of the nightmare you had… it drained me more than I am used to. A power expulsion of that magnitude without proper knowledge of what it was I was fighting took more than it should have. Usually, there is no time between my use of power and it being restored because the well is so deep. The magick I used at the ceremony only depleted what had just begun restoring, and then I used Mavros’ magick with my own. The shared connection between us allowed me to siphon some power from him. Now, with him so far away, that is not possible.” She stands quietly, taking in that information, and slowly nods.
“And what if we are attacked on the journey?” She finally asks, and I merely smirk as I step into her and place my hands on her hips.
“As you have come to learn, Shula, I am a man ofmanytalents.” I say as I lift her up with a jerk. She squeals, just a small squeak,before throwing her leg over Khol’s wide back and into the saddle. I follow, settling in behind her. She fits so perfectly in my lap. I have to focus hard for a moment to make sure she isn’t keen on just how much I like the feel of her ass between my legs.
