Page 55 of King Elijah (The Zemiran Chronicles 2)

Twenty-Two

THE LOUD CROWINGfrom the roosters behind the cabin jolted Aiden awake, sitting bolt upright from his pillow. He had slept alone that night, leaving Tegan to her own space on the couch. He had thought about carrying her to the children’s room and sleeping next to her. Her still, peaceful form curled up with a blanket made him reconsider. The truth was, he wanted to hold her until morning, but he was already wracked with guilt. He had to slip out before she awoke.

His head pounded relentlessly throughout the night—the aftereffects of Elijah’s intrusive mind sorcery—

Or possibly the wine, he considered.

The only thing that helped him sleep was the memory of Tegan’s soft touches from the night before. He still felt the way her body had pressed against his as they moved together and how she clung to him through their release.

For the hour that followed, Tegan ran her fingertips over his chest. It was something delicate yet unforgiving. The sensation had lulled him into a peaceful sleep. Every inch of him screamed to reach out and grab her, clutch her body to his and work her repeatedly until she screamed his name again and again. He briefly wondered if it was something he would ever tire of, given a chance.Instead, he woke up and slid out from her sleeping embrace, sneaking into the main bedroom.

Aiden had known it wouldn’t be easy to walk away the next day. He had reminded himself of it more than once. His gratitude for how she had helped him would never fade, and he hoped that the memory of their night would stay with him forever as well. But it was time to leave.

He rubbed his temples and moved his thumbs to the crease of his eyes. He pressed down, trying to ease the throbbing pain in his head, grateful that his species healed easily.

Light slowly filled the room, slats of it taking over the mattress as the sun rose higher. The brighter the room, the more conscious Aiden was that it was time for him to go. Eventually, he heaved his body enough to roll off the mattress. Still naked, he pushed his long, black hair out of his face and stretched. His muscles strained and protested as his shoulders cracked, but it felt good to stand tall. Aiden strode to the window, pulling aside the curtain. His movements were loose and unhurried, no matter what his mind urged him to do.

The day was clear and bright. Snowmelt was running off the roof, just as sluggish as he was, landing on the drainpipes underneath with a steady drip. The sound of the sun warming the land had always been soothing to Aiden. He rarely considered himself someone in need of being soothed, but there he was.

Aiden pulled on his clothes and let himself wander back into the space. He pulled his bag over his shoulder as he rounded the corner and was immediately caught in Tegan’s gaze.She was standing in the kitchen’s door frame with a mug of tea clasped in her hands.

Dammit, he cursed in his mind. He hadn’t expected her to be awake so early.

She sucked in a breath, looking more defeated than upset.

“I think you should listen to your friend and turn back,” she said. “Go back to Zemira, Aiden. This is crazy.”

Aiden blinked, feeling himself freeze up. Apparently, telling himself that leaving her would be difficult was nothing compared to truly experiencing the loss of her. He had known this fiery woman for less than a day, but something about her had taken hold of him. She had risked her own life to save his. She had sacrificed the comforts of her existence without a second thought. All for a stranger.

The only way he could think to repay her was to get as far away from her as possible. Anything else would only endanger her even more.

Aiden moved to the table, letting his hand fall and watching as his fingers drummed over its surface. He was taciturn at the best of times, but it wasn’t usually that difficult to pull words from him. Something about it created a hollow feeling in his chest, and he didn’t care for it.

“I’m sorry, Tegan,” he said distantly. “I can’t go back to Zemira. My sister will be forced to marry Kieran. She will not only lose her freedom, but she could also lose her life. You know I cannot allow that to happen.”

He paused, lifting his gaze from the table to look at her. “I hope you can understand.”

Tegan huffed out a breath and put her tea down on the kitchen counter with a thump. Her movements were calm and controlled as she rested her hands and pressed her palms on the counter. Aiden realized after a moment that he was holding his breath.

“I’m not blind, Aiden. I’ve seen what Kieran has done to elves,” she said. “I understand the risk, and I know you must be a good man to care so deeply for your sister’s safety.” There was a pause as she straightened her back. She looked away from Aiden, her thoughts turning inwards, and ran her long fingers through her hair. “I just . . . I know you think you’re doing the right thing, but no matter what weapons you bring or what bargaining chips you have in your pocket, there’s no way it will be enough. You won’t save her, Aiden. You can’t save her.”

Something twisted in Aiden’s chest. He could feel anger bubbling up, even as a small part of him wondered if she was right. The bigger part of him was too focused on how sincere Tegan sounded and how much affection she held in her eyes when she looked at him. He gripped his bag tight, hitching it higher on his shoulder, and steeled himself to leave.

Tegan said nothing else. She crossed the space between them, taking a seat at the table in silence and resting her elbows in front of her. Aiden noticed the tremble in her hands as she clasped them together. A small tear formed in the corner of her eye, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

“Rising up against Kieran, or any of the Newick witches for that matter, is—” She shut her eyes, and a slow, exasperated breath left her lips. “Aiden, there’s no way for you to make it through this alive. It’s not possible.”

A buzz of static filled Aiden’s head as he looked at her. Without thinking, he reached out and touched her hair. It shone in the sunlight as he let the locks slip through his fingers. It was a strange movement, meaningless, but his body seemed to act on its own.

“If you’re afraid of him, Tegan, they would welcome you in Zemira,” he said. “King Elijah will help you and anyone else who fears that man. Your country has no king. There’s no one to protect you, and now I’m responsible for you losing your home. The least I can do is make sure you have one in Zemira. You’ll be safe there, I promise you.”

Tegan sucked her plump bottom lip into her mouth. Her eyes were still glued to the table.

“Is there anything I can say to get you to not leave?” she asked, looking up.

Aiden didn’t think before shaking his head no. It was an instinct. He could think of a hundred things she could say which would tug at him and make him want to stay with her. But none of that mattered.

Red hair fell over Tegan’s eyes, and Aiden reached up to push it aside before he caught himself. Instead, he tucked the strand behind her ear and resisted the urge to kiss away the tear that rolled down her cheek. He wondered how long it had been since he had touched someone with that kind of softness instead of using his hands to fight.

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