Page 68 of Damned and Broken Gods
“It will heal,” he said. “But probably not until we get to Shantivan. You know…” He looked up at me, his expression serious. “There are less painful ways to get out of deck duty.”
Wait…did he just make a joke?
The corner of his mouth twitched, and then I got the full bloom smile. “Rest. I’ll see what I can find for the pain.”
He helped me get my legs onto the bed. His bed. Then left.
I turned my head so that my nose brushed his pillow and inhaled his mouthwatering cranberry scent.
Urgh. “We’re friends. Just friends.” Maybe if I said it enough, I’d begin to believe it.
Chapter 23
What Am I Dreaming?
LEELA
Araz did find something for the pain—a bitter tincture that made me warm and fuzzy. His warm breath skimmed my temple, chased by the gentle brush of his lips before sleep dragged me under.
I dreamed of the sea, of an achingly low melody filled with longing, and in that melody was a voice. I wanted to know what it was saying. I needed to understand, and as that desire unfurled, the voice became clear.
Forgotten flame, I feel you. I awaken. And now so must you.
I wanted to ask who she was and what she meant, but she drifted away, her melody changing, calling out not to me but to others. I wasn’t sure who. But it was a signal. One I didn’t understand. Because it wasn’t meant for me.
My dream shifted, the terrain changing until I was standing on the edge of a cliff, waves softly kissing the rocks below and a blanket of stars above keeping me company. A low hum filled my chest, slowly unfurling into a spark that bloomed into aflame that was both mine and not. A shared flame, burning with intention. It flared, and my stomach erupted in butterflies.
He was here…He’d come, just as promised. I turned, my heart expanding in my chest as if it wanted to fill me completely and?—
“Leela, wake up.”
The dream fell away as I surfaced. “Wha…” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and peered up at Araz leaning over me, his eyes like flames. “I’m sorry. I fell asleep.”
“It’s all right. You needed it. But something has happened. I think you might want to see.”
“What?” I pushed up on one elbow, my knee throbbing dully.
“We have to go up on deck. Can I carry you?”
I held out my arms. “Please.”
He scooped me up, cradling me against his chest. I glanced down and spotted my bed and blankets.
He’d brought them into his cabin.
“You’ll need tending to while you heal.” His gaze dropped to my mouth, and the pulse in my throat jumped. He swallowed hard and looked away. “Come. Let me show you.”
I clung to him as he navigated the narrow corridors that led to the deck. Unlike any other ships that I’d come across, this one had no lower deck. But it did have an upper deck. Our quarters were on the main deck, so it didn’t take long to get outside.
It was a clear night, stars blazing, surrounding us in silver light. A memory stirred in the back of my mind. A dream? It slipped away before I could grasp it.
The demigods and their drohi were gathered across the deck, silhouetted in moonlight, and Ramashi stood apart from them, his arms loose at his sides, his head tipped back to the sky.
“Leela!” Vick waved from across the deck as we approached. “Look!” He pointed out to sea.
The ocean was still tonight, rippling gently beneath the night sky, but something moved beneath it. Luminous and bright. A glow rose from the water, lancing up toward the sky. More joined the first, moving closer to surround us in a halo of soft pink light. A balloon swelled in my chest, my breath catching at the sight as tears stung my eyes because I felt them.
I felt their joy and awe.
