Page 79 of Of Nightmares & Fire
“A Cerkin!Fuck—” Kyros’ magick is thrown out like a whip, crackling fire lighting the circle immediately as he renders a portal. “Stay with me. No matter what!” He shouts, not giving me a choice when he takes my hand and hurls us through. We land on two feet, but the momentum as we arrive has us running. Kyros pushes me in front of him, and I do everything I can to stay upright. My sheet drags and catches on everything in our wake. He’s portaled us into the forest. The trees canopy is thick, and daylight barely makes it through the boughs. I can tell that we aren’t far from the village we were just in, though. I can hear the townspeople as they wake for the morning and begin preparing for another night of celebration. As soon as the creature is through the portal that Kyros rendered, it snaps shut.
“What the fuck is that!?” I growl, looking back as it begins to take chase.
“It’s a Cerkin. Do not let it touch you. Let me see your knife. Keep the other one ready.” He barks out the orders like I am one of his men going into battle. I grind my teeth together. Determined to be strong through this.
“What are you going to do?” I call back. He looks back and forth, then glances up.
“Get behind this tree. Don’t come out, Astraea. For anything.” The use of my name and not his nickname for me causes the wrinkle between my eyes to deepen as I do what he tells me to. “Have your knife ready just in case!” He repeats, and I clench the grip of the knife in my hand as tight as I can.Will I be ready to stab a living being with a blade if I have to?
The bark is rough on my bare back, rubbing painfully against the scars, but I ignore it. The creature roars, and so does Kyros. I press harder into the tree, my knife ready at the center of my chest, where I clutch it and the sheet I am still wrapped in. There is a struggle, but I can’t see anything.
Darkness encroaches on my vision, and liquid fire burns through my veins; that same lasso of fire seems to ignite around my middle and up my back. My breathing becomes ragged, and my skin scorches. It has to be panic. This happens in my nightmares.What happens next? How do I stop it?My teeth ache with how hard I clench my jaw, and before I know it, I’m ripping myself away from the tree. I can’t stay hidden here. I can't—
As I come out from behind the tree, I’m sprayed with a putrid black liquid across my face and chest. Kyros stands, his bare chest heaving, dripping with the same substance. Blood. The Cerkin drops to its knobby knees in the dirt, giving one last strangled clicking growl as it reaches for him with outstretched claws. The black blood oozes from the horizontal slash through its rotted fleshy neck. Kyros takes a measured step back as the beast falls forward to its face with a heavy thud. Dust plumes up around it as it bleeds out, and within moments it's melting into the ground in a black puddle of death.
The forest seems to hold its breath as I stare at the scene before me. Kyros is covered in gore, his shadows a mass of clouds swirling along his skin and mingling with the blood he is coated with. His arms hang to his sides, with my knife held firmly in his grip that delivered the killing blow. His breath comes out in strong, shortpuffs, and when he looks at me over his shoulder, his eyes are the darkest I’ve ever seen. Terrifyingly so. The look on his face is pure malice. Everything stops as I stare into the endless chasm of darkness of his gaze. However, I don’t recoil. I don’t shudder in fear; if anything, I feel myself drawn closer.
Heat pools low in my stomach, and my own breath quickens as I step closer. He stays where he is without turning. His gaze remains focused on me as I approach, but he still doesn’t move. Only as I stop inches from him does he tilt his head down to keep his eyes on mine. Something about the moment feels important, like a decision was made, and I can’t help but feel grateful that it was him I was with. I lift my hand, not worried about the creature's blood coating our skin. I let my fingers dance along the stubble on his jaw, and he leans into the touch just slightly.
“You killed for me again.” I say, and his eyes flick over every inch of my face and linger on my lips.
“I told you before, there will be death dealt by my hand.” I can see in his eyes he thinks that I am upset for him killing once again, but in this moment… It's the farthest from the truth. If he had not killed that creature, I’m sure it would be me who was dead.
“Thank you,” I say, reaching up on my tiptoes, one hand still holding the sheet in place around my body, and I pull him toward me as I kiss him. At first, it's chaste. Nothing more than a brush of my lips against his, but then he snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me toward him. He forces my back to arch, pressing my body against his. His tongue dips into my mouth, and I open for him, pulling his kiss deeper. What was once silent and stillnow comes rushing in all at once during this kiss. The sounds of the forest, of people screaming and getting closer with crashing footfalls through the sticks and debris on the forest floor.
“We have a lot to talk about, Shula.” He whispers into my lips, holding my face steady with his hand. The other pressing into my back with the still bloody blade in his grip. I nod, but the sadness in his eyes makes me worry that some of the answers I wish to have will hurt me more than they will help me. I also see the truth that he will give them to me regardless.
“I know,” I say.
“This is bigger than us.”
“We will face it together. We have to.” I say, swallowing any fear I have over that statement and trying to appear stronger than I feel.
“I hope it’s enough.” He finally says after a long pause. His fingers thread through my hair, and he pulls me into his chest. The steady rhythm of his heart matches the feet thundering on the ground as our friends and family approach us at a furious pace. They are too late, though. The monster I hold in my gaze is more vicious than any beast that comes for my body. I see the silent promise in his eyes. He will raze realms to protect me. The most terrifying part? I would watch him do it if it meant that he would stay the nightmare that lives in my heart.
“Are you sure you’re ok?” Colette says again. I give her a sidelong look, and she shrugs with her face scrunching up. “Don’t look at me like that. You nearly just got killed by a monster that I thought was just legend. There is no way that you are just ‘fine’ like you say.” Her eyebrow jumps, and I release a heavy sigh.
“I will be fine. Right now, I just want to get this over with and get to Diemos. Are you sure there is nothing we can do to skip this?” I ask Zinya, who is standing with her arms crossed over her chest in the room with us. It's the only way that Kyros would let me out of his sight. He instructed Zinya that she was“to stay on two fucking feet with her eyes fucking open and on me at all times.”Zinya’s lips have been pursed, and she’s been extra broody since we returned. She wanted to talk to Kyros, but he shut her down, saying only“later,”before storming off with Mavros, Viltarin, and Rowan.
“I think the princess is stronger than we all think.” Zinya looks at me with that same expression that she’s been looking at me with since we got here. Something between anger and sadness.
“I know that she is strong. I’ve witnessed just how much so, plenty of times.” Cole pins Zinya with a scalding look, and I take another deep breath, closing my eyes and then continuing to dress for the bonfire. Kyros insisted that after I bathed, I rest. He said he personally would make sure that I got to sleep. He sat on the bed until I finally closed my eyes and slept just as he told me to. His voice was the last I heard, and no nightmares haunted that sleep.
“Has he returned yet?” I ask no one in particular as I look at my body and secure my blades. The one Kyros killed the Cerkin with is now cleaned and returned to me.
“I don't know, but he won't miss the—bonfire.” Zinya says, and Cole gives her the same skeptical look I have been wanting to give her.
“What's your deal?” My best friend asks, likely sensing the question I won't ask, and very slowly Zinya turns her gaze to Colette.
“My deal?” She asks coldly. Colette just fights fire with fire and quirks an eyebrow, giving her a bemused look. “My deal is that I’m a warrior and have been stuck on babysitting duty, while therealmen go out and get their hands dirty. Excuse me if I’m a little pissed off.”
“I think we could all use a little fresh air. I’m sorry you’ve been stuck here with us.” I say, and Cole grumbles something that sounds a lot like‘You could just fuck off’under her breath. Zinya pins her with daggers. She shakes her head with an eye roll and turns to the window. Her arms cross over her chest as she props herself on its edge, pointedly ignoring us in the way she has been lately.
As much as I want to leave right away, I do need sleep after the night and morning I’ve had, and it would be asinine to leave after dark. Especially now that we know those monsters are not only real but can just show up out of nowhere. Another thing Kyros said he would tell me about later. The secrets he’s holding onto just keep growing, but even with them I can't help but feel the wings fluttering in my stomach every time I think of him. Of his mouth on me. Of the words he whispered in my ear. His claim. The spot on my shoulder burns like a burst of fire at the thought.
“Well, it’s time to go anyway. The sun is setting, and we have a little bit of a journey to get where we are going. Kyros has just returned.” She says coldly, pushing from the wall and grabbing a scabbard that holds a sword she slings over her back. “It looks a little cooler tonight, and we will be in the dunes. You may want to bring a cloak.” She doesn’t wait for our response before swinging the door open. Mavros stands on the other side, smiling wide when it’s fully ajar. He looks at the sour look on Zinya’s face, and his smile widens impossibly.
“Why so glum, Zinny?” He looks past her to me and winks before catching a fist in his stomach with a loudoof.
