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He looked up as I entered. “You look nice,” he said, and a hint of pink appeared on the cheeks I could actually see through his hair.
“Thank you.” I approached. “Hopefully, Rhain agrees.”
A grin appeared, but it quickly disappeared. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m just anxious. That’s all.” I smiled, hoping it eased his concerns as I glanced at the paper in his lap. “Are you drawing something?”
Pale hair flopped over his forehead as he looked down. One shoulder lifted. “I’m supposed to be working on my letters.”
My lips twitched. “And you’re not?”
Wordlessly, he lifted the parchment and showed me. There were letters written in surprisingly fine, sophisticated lines. About half as many as there should be. The rest of the page was filled with swirling ink strokes I quickly recognized. “You’re drawing the design on the throne doors.”
“Trying to,” he mumbled, kicking feet that didn’t reach the floor.
I peered down at the paper. He’d captured the leaves on the ivy-like vines that adorned the throne room doors and decorated my tunic. “I think you’re doing a good job.”
“Thanks.” Another splash of pink traveled across his cheeks. “I don’t think Liora will be happy, though.”
“Liora?” I sat beside him.
“She’s like me,” he said, shading a tiny leaf. “But older. She doesn’t leave Mount Rhee much, but she did come by while you were asleep. All the draken did.” He frowned, appearing to search for a word. “We all felt you rise as the true Primal of Life,” he said, speaking as if that were something entirely normal.
And I guessed it was since I had basically felt Kolis do the same.
I clasped my knees. “Is Liora who watches you and Jadis sometimes?”
He nodded.
“Maybe you should finish the rest of your letters for her,” I suggested. “You’re almost halfway done.”
“I will.” Dragging his lip between his teeth, he glanced over at me. “Do you want to draw? It helps me when I’m anxious.”
“Drawing makes me anxious,” I joked. “But thank you.” My gaze flickered over him. “Why are you anxious?”
“I’m not.”
I raised my brows. “You just admitted to drawing when you’re anxious,” I pointed out. “So, why are you anxious?”
His little nose pinched as he looked away. “I’m anxious because you are.”
I drew back. “What?”
“You’re meyaah Liessa. I…I can sense it,” he said.
“Oh, gods. I didn’t know that.” Uncomfortable, I shifted in my seat. Actually, I did know that. It was just lost in all the other stuff I suddenly knew. “The notam.”
Reaver nodded.
It was the bond all draken had with the true Primal of Life. “So, all the draken can feel when I’m anxious?”
Swinging his feet, he nodded. “The older ones know how to block it out. I just haven’t learned how to do that yet.”
“What about Jadis?”
“I don’t think she can feel anything yet,” he answered. “She’s too young.”
That was kind of a relief, but not really. I didn’t want my almost constant state of anxiety affecting Reaver. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He tilted his pointy chin up. “It’s not real bad.”
I wasn’t sure I believed that, which meant I needed to get my anxiety under control.
“I think you’ll do fine today, by the way. The people already like you, and after what they saw this morning? They have to love you. So, you have no reason to be anxious,” he said earnestly and with a seriousness far beyond his age.
“Thank you.” I ran my hands over my knees. My anxiety at the moment had little to do with the speech, but I was sure that would rear its head sooner or later.
Once Reaver finished his letters, we moved out to the daybed on the balcony. He was telling me about Mount Rhee and some of the draken I hadn’t yet fully interacted with when I felt Ash near the bedchamber.
He joined Reaver and me, striding out onto the balcony, the hair at his temples damp.
“You two kind of match,” Reaver said, kicking his feet off the base of the daybed.
We did.
Ash wore a sleeveless, black tunic trimmed in the same silver brocade. It stretched across his broad shoulders and was perfectly tailored to his tapered waist. He looked magnificent.
“Great minds think alike,” he murmured, bending to kiss me.
Reaver groaned. “You two do that a lot.”
Ash chuckled as he straightened. “One day, you will understand why.”
“Nuh-uh,” Reaver denied, his lip curling in disgust.
“I’ll be sure to remind you of that when the day comes.” Ash reached over, the silver band on his upper arm glinting in the sunlight as he ruffled Reaver’s mop of blond hair. “Mestra will be here shortly to take you back to Mount Rhee.”
Reaver had briefly mentioned the other draken I had yet to meet. Besides Jadis and Reaver, she was the youngest of the draken, a little over a century old.
“I’d rather go with you all,” Reaver said.
“I know,” I told him. Reaver had mentioned wanting to go with us no less than two dozen times since we decided to talk to the people. “When you’re older, I’m sure it will be fine for you to be with us.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Why am I not old enough now? You two are just giving a speech.”
“Yes, we’re only giving a speech, and nothing should happen,” Ash said, his tone gentle. “But you are too important to take that risk. Understand?”
Reaver nodded, clearly unhappy, and I felt for the little guy. Considering what he’d been through, it was no wonder he wanted to stick close to our sides.
“Rhain wanted to show us something.” Ash offered me his hand. “He’s waiting for us downstairs.”
“Hopefully, it’s not an example of appropriate attire,” I muttered, taking Ash’s hand.
Reaver snickered.
“What?” Ash’s brows knitted.
“Nothing.” I shot the draken a look as Ash pulled me to my feet. “Did he say what he wanted to show us?”
He shook his head. “Only that it was important.”
“Probably has to do with gowns,” Reaver commented.
Ash’s head tilted as he tugged me to his side. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
“You are,” I confirmed. “But it’s nothing interesting.”
“I’ll have to take your word for that.” He looked back at Reaver. “You’re walking us down, right?”
The smile that came across Reaver’s face was brief but beautiful before he ducked his head and the sheet of golden hair obscured his face.
“Lead the way,” Ash instructed Reaver, keeping his hand wrapped firmly around mine.
I gri
Reaver stopped in the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest. “You guys are going to have a serious conversation you don’t want me to hear.”
“Now, why would you think that?” Ash questioned.
“Because every time something serious needs to be said that no one wants me to hear, I’m either sent from the room, tasked to look after Jadis, or others speak in a weird way like they’re leaving out words and stuff.”
Note to self: Reaver is far too observant. “We weren’t going to talk,” I told him. “I was pla
There was no hesitation. Not even a second. “I’ll wait in the hall.” Reaver pivoted and disappeared in a heartbeat.
“Wow,” I murmured. “I didn’t think it would be that effective.”
“Well, I, for one, am not disturbed by the idea of more kissing.”
“I hate to disappoint you,” I said, “because Reaver was right. It’s something I didn’t want him to hear.”
“What is it?”
“Something I realized this morning,” I said. “I think I figured out what woke Kolis—no, I know. It was me.”
Ash’s eyes searched mine. “I’m sure you had nothing—”
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” I cut in. “It’s what I did last night when I brought the river back and, well, everything else. That power? It was a lot.”
“Yeah,” he said, straightening the collar of my tunic. “It was.”
“And I’m sure it was felt all across Iliseeum. That’s what woke him from stasis. He felt it.”
Ash appeared to think about that for a moment. “If that is the case, do you regret what you did?”
“No,” I said without hesitation.
“Then it is what it is,” he said softly. “It’s not your fault he woke.”
“I don’t…” I fell silent upon his knowing look. “I don’t regret it, but I do feel a tiny bit responsible.”
“I get it,” he said. “But you know he would’ve woken eventually.”
“Would’ve been nice if he still remained in stasis, though.”
“Maybe.” He tucked a curl back behind my ear. “But I personally enjoy knowing that it was you being a powerful Primal that possibly woke him sooner than he would’ve naturally.”
My brows lifted. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“Now, you have,” He dipped his head and kissed me.
“We should join Reaver before he becomes traumatized by something we’re not even doing.”
That brought a faint grin to his lips, and by the time we joined the youngling, he appeared calmer.
“How are you feeling about the speech?” Ash asked as we entered the hall with Reaver several feet in front of us.
“I’m good.” I paused and then admitted, “And a little nervous.”
“You’ll do perfectly,” Ash assured, dipping down to press a kiss to the top of my head.
“That’s what I told her,” Reaver called from the top of the staircase, where he waited.
“She should start listening to you, then,” Ash responded and then glanced down at me. “You look beautiful, by the way.”
“Thank you.” I smiled up at him. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
Ash chuckled. “I believe you’re underplaying how extraordinarily handsome you find me right now.”
“Perhaps.”
I could see Rhain waiting for us beneath the crystal chandelier as we reached the second floor of the grand staircase, and then Reaver shocked the hell out of me by doing the most childlike thing I’d ever seen him do. He hopped from the next to last step to the floor. When we followed suit, minus the hopping, I caught sight of Rhahar waiting near the vacant marble pedestal with Kars.
I frowned at that damn pedestal. I really needed to find something to put on it.
“You said there was something you wanted to show us?” Ash asked, drawing my attention back to the god.
Rhain nodded, and this time, there was no stopping the concern from taking root at the sudden tension hardening his features. “It’s the crowns.”