Page 22 of Eluvonia
And Esra… I bite down on my lip, trying to hold back the sob building in my throat. She was ripped away from me, torn from my grasp like a cruel joke, leaving behind only an aching void. I hear her laughter in my head, soft and bright, a ghost of something I’ll never have again.
I squeeze my eyes shut, but it doesn’t stop the tears. They come in slow, silent streams, slipping down my cheeks, carrying pieces of me with them. I don’t wipe them away. I let them fall, let the grief settle in my bones. I won’t forget them.I can’t.
I step into the basin and sit down under the stream, the warm water washing over me. Even through the pain, one thing is clear—I won’t let Kaida win. I won’t let anyone take anything else from me.
If I have to burn the realm to the ground to make things right, so be it.
KAIDA
I stomp down the hallway, my boots striking the stone with deliberate force, each step like a battle drum, echoing through the corridor. The shadows at my feet flare, stretching upward as if eager for a fight, responding to the tension coiling in my chest. Every inch of me feels like it’s crackling with energy, and the darker my mood, the more they come alive, crawling across the walls in long, angry tendrils.
By the time I reach Declan’s door, my control is slipping. I shove it open with a force that rattles the hinges, the wood groaning under the pressure. Declan’s head jerks up from his desk, his quill clattering to the floor. His brows lift, but there’s no real surprise in his face—just mild exasperationand that ever-present amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Still haven’t learned to knock, I see,” he drawls, pushing himself away from his desk and crossing his arms over his chest.
I ignore him, pacing into the room like a caged animal. Shadows coil around my feet, slithering up bookshelves and darkening the corners. Declan watches them with a flicker of irritation, then exhales sharply. A soft pulse of light radiates from him, spilling across the floor.
The glow is warm, steady, pushing my shadows back, forcing them to retreat.
I clench my fists, jaw tight. “I can’t be in my room,” I seethe, dragging a hand through my hair.
Declan raises a brow. “And why is that?”
“There’s a fucking Fae in it,” I snap. “Currently bathing.”
Declan blinks. Then—
He bursts into laughter. Loud, full-bodied laughter, like I’ve just told the funniest joke in the world.
“Well,” he wheezes between chuckles, “I’m glad you’re exploring new avenues in your personal life.”
I glare at him, the shadows at my feet twitching with irritation. “You know I would never fuck a Fae,” I growl, voice venomous. “They’re treacherous. Probably bite off my cock the moment I let my guard down.”
Declan only laughs harder, wiping a tear from his eye. “Oh, Kaida,” he says, shaking his head, “your imagination never fails to amuse me.”
I don’t have the patience for this. “My father made her my Líðr,” I say flatly.
Declan’s laughter cuts off like a blade. His entire posture stiffens. “What?” His voice losesall trace of humor. “Why?”
I grind my teeth. “Because she can wield earth magic.”
Silence.
Declan stares at me, mouth slightly open. For once, he looks like he doesn’t know what to say. Then, slowly, he steps away from the desk, his expression shifting into something unreadable. “Earth magic?” he echoes, his voice softer, more cautious. “How? Even when the Fae had access to the ley lines, their magic wasn’t elemental like ours. It was… an extension of themselves. How is this possible?”
I exhale sharply. “That’s what my father wants to find out,” I mutter. “Hence why she’s my Líðr now. I get to keep an eye on her. For life.”
Declan runs a hand through his hair, letting out a low curse. “Shit.”
I huff out a humorless laugh. “That about sums it up.”
Declan starts pacing, rubbing his chin in that thoughtful way he does when he’s piecing something together. “If she’s tapping into elemental magic, there has to be a source. It could be the ley lines—maybe there’s a fracture somewhere, or…” He trails off, muttering under his breath.
Declan stops abruptly, his expression sharpening as if a thought has just struck him. “Wait. What if a Ymiral blessed her?”
I hesitate for a fraction of a second before exhaling sharply. “We don’t have to guess,” I say, my voice edged with frustration. “We were already joined by the Light Ymiral. And I didn’t see anything in her memories showing she was blessed.”
Declan freezes. His entire body goes rigid, his eyes locked onto mine as if he’s waiting for me to take it back. When I don’t, he mutters a sharp curse under his breath and drags both hands through his hair, clearly trying to process theimplications.
