We rode for what felt like forever. It was all green and blue skies and birds chirping and the scent of flowers, far and near. Interesting as it was to listen to everyone talk--yes, everyone, Zephyros included-- and chip in a few things about myself, I was tired and sore from riding. I yawned half a dozen times and caught myself nearly falling off the horse. Speaking of Zephyros, he seemed different. He was his usual reserved, calm, unfazed and collected self but the coldness and hard look was gone from his eyes. As if he left them behind at Pendilor, the huge encampment where men were recruited and trained to join the army. It was also the border between Neradia and Elysium. Back to the point. Zephyros smiled easy and listened to them even if his eyes remained ahead. If you asked me, I'd say he even seemed...playful. I caught myself watching him most of the journey as he transformed from cold, prickly, stoic and distant to this pain in the neck. Morph and Bren's necks mostly since h
"You are not concentrating." Zephyros growled for the tenth time. "Well, it would help if you backed the hell off!" I bit back. He was standing behind me, adjusting my stance and his breath fanned my skin, making it difficult for me to think of anything else but his rock hard frame behind me. "Do I distract you?" His voice was low and seductive. I swallowed hard and my heart kept lurching into my throat. "No."I said quickly. Too quickly and I knew for a fact that I wasn't fooling anyone. Not even myself. "On a battlefield no one gives a damn about your personal space. All they see is blood. All they smell is fear and blood. For the brethren, you are nothing but food. So..." He paused and noticed I'd gone red. I cursed my body and it's antics. "... Scarlet..." I was sure I turned even redder. As red as scarlet. Stupid stupid Zephyros. "... do I distract you?" He purred. I swallowed. "No." I voice came out as a whisper. "Good Scarlet. Good. N
Zephyros, Bren and Morpheus sat outside, talking about war and numbers and weapons, and Vivi had pulled me into the tent she shared with Morpheus, alongside Nyx shortly after the conversation had taken such a turn. Vivi found the grim expression on my face hilarious and kept laughing at my discomfort while Nyx kept biting on her lower lip and stealing glances at Bren from the open flap of the tent. "You should go talk to him." I said, picking at my long white nails and flicking away invisible dirt from it. I had evened out the fine nails before leaving but they were growing uneven again, making my fine slender fingers seem a little unkempt. "I don't know what to say." She admitted with a defeated sigh and ran fingers through her brown hair. "You could start with apologizing." I offered and her lips formed a frown. "And what makes you think I'm at fault here?" Vivi folded her hands behind her head and relaxed as she watched the two of us.
We left the warded grounds at dawn. On the way, Morph explained the hierarchical levels at Elysium and I tried to commit everything I could to memory. It wasn't exactly difficult, the levels I mean, but trying to keep all the important names in my head was the start of a headache. Morph felt it would be useful if I learnt more about them before I actually met them, so it would be easier to interact with the people and I couldn't help but listen. He was trying to help me. Nyx and Bren had made up, well, not to be haughty but I think she might've taken my advice because they were back to being all smoochy mushy lovey dovey and I was beginning to regret the fact that I'd intervened. We rode and only stopped for bathroom breaks(which was mostly me and hell if did not I feel embarrassed every time). After a whole day of riding, I felt extremely sore and exhausted but we didn't stop for camp. At the end of the second day on the way, I lost balance and fell off my hors
Dameon She knew I was here, even if I cloaked my presence. She didn't find me though. She found him going up the stairs with that pretty creature and it was written all over her face, what she thought they had gone up there for. If she had her Fae hearing, she would know she was going up there to set a cot in the room. I can smell what they are. It's driving me insane. I would kill him... but in his eyes, I see a beast lurking within, waiting to be unleashed. He is not a regular Fae. He is something more. He and the rest of them she now sees as family. Each one of them, their auras look very different from the rest of their kind. He's come back. I need not look to know he's by the stairs, watching her like I am. Only the weak wouldn't be able to sense that much amount of energy around them. Fools such as the ones in the tavern. His glowing eyes are looking around the unimpressive inn, for me, but he can't see me. There is laughter and I look to where
I watched the scene unfold through Zephyros's eyes. I eyed the man who looked very much like my father and the woman who stood beside him warily. I smelled the blood of the villagers on them and there was murder in their eyes as they took my mother in and me. I almost laughed. Did they really think they could harm our people and leave this place alive? Such display of foolishness. I looked to my mother who regarded them with calculating turquoise depths that I knew were older than the grains of sand on the earth. Her eyes narrowed to the young male and the blood on his ivory jacket and back to his mother. I frowned when she made no move to rip their hearts out for what they had done. "Bloody wench!" The man spat at my mother. A growl escaped my throat as the beast in me rattled. No one insulted my mother, much less a puny creature like this one. I began to step forward but my mother slanted her eyes at me in a way I had seen her look many a times. "What are you doing?" I growled
I clutched his jacket hard and placed my head on his chest as i felt the familiar dizziness. I closed my eyes tight, expecting the wild wind and the jumps but none of it came. In its stead, there was gentle breeze. I cracked one eye open and closed it immediately. We were still moving through places, at great speed. How was it so calm and gentle when the last time... Ah-ah. No, he did not! He had done all of that on purpose! His grip on my waist loosened and at the sound of claps and low voices, i knew we had arrived. I detached myself from him like he was plague and angrily smoothened my already smooth dress. I glared daggers at him and he regarded me with his usual cold expression and maybe even annoyance. Well, i had apologized. For the one bad thing i did, i apologized, and him? He was too haughty to apologize for anything he had done to me or said and he could as well go jump off the nearest cliff or a high mountain because i did not care anymore. I gave my bac
Lord Vas paced about in his study with his arm folded and the other touching his chin. He would occasionally pause mid pace and narrow his eyes at me then begin to pace again. Zephyros had explained where i was from and everything else I had made known, only leaving out a few facts I suppose I was supposed to tell myself. My back hurt from sitting in one position for two hours but if I was not sitting that way, I would have fallen asleep. Well, I had. Thrice now. I had found my head twice on Zephyros's shoulder and the side of my mouth wet. I had drooled on his jacket. Twice. Embarrassed, I had apologized and he merely gave me an odd look. I wondered why he had not pushed me off of him or glamoured the drool off. Maybe to spite me because every time I looked at his jacket, my cheeks burned with embarrassment. The third time, I had been nodding off on the chair, just the way I was seated. My eyes drooped lower again and my breathing evened as I was beginning to doze