Moisture filled his eyes as Octavion gently
brushed a tear from her cheek. “I do not know.”
“Then why can’t I stay here?” she asked.
His brow furrowed with confusion. “How can
you ask that after what you’ve seen and the pain you’ve had to
endure because of us?”
“You saved my life. How can I feel anything
but safe when I’m with you?”
He searched her eyes, as if he, too, could
read in them more than what she said. “Because, when I am like
that—what you saw—I could hurt you, Kira. You were right to
question what I am, to wonder what I am capable of doing. I should
never have involved you in our lives.”
“But you didn’t—hurt me I mean. And it wasn’t
your fault, it was mine. I healed that stupid dog. I knew it was
wrong and I did it anyway.” Kira wiped the tears from her face and
pulled her covers tight around her neck. She could hardly keep her
eyes open, let alone carry on a civilized conversation. “Can we
talk about this tomorrow? I’m really tired.”
His shoulders relaxed as he let out a deep
sigh. “Of course.” But he didn’t leave her side. He continued to
watch her while gently stroking the hair away from her face. “I
thought I had lost you—it frightened me.”
He tucked the covers in around her shoulders
and leaned in, kissing her on the forehead. “Tomorrow, then—sleep
well.”
Kira closed her eyes and smiled. “See, being
nice to me isn’t so hard.” She didn’t open her eyes to see his
expression, but imagined the corners of his mouth curving upward
and the dimples she’d grown to admire deepening in his cheeks. And
then she let herself imagine his deep blue eyes when he let down
his guard long enough for her to read the kindness of his heart. If
she could hold onto those images as she slept, maybe she could keep
Bastian out of her dreams.
Octavion crouched near the fire watching the
flames lick the night air. He should have put Kira in the cave
where she’d be sheltered from the cold, but he needed the fresh air
to weaken her scent—at least for tonight. He glanced up through the
tree branches to find a tiny sliver of light cradled in a puff of
grey clouds. The further away from the moon’s dark phase, the more
time he could spend with her. It was getting easier with each day
that passed.
He stirred the coals before taking another
glance in Kira’s direction. Even at a distance, he could see her
shivering.
Lydia rolled over under her covers and opened
her eyes to thin slits. “Why are you still awake?” she whispered
while fighting a yawn. “Thinking of new ways to piss me off?”
He recognized her goading and he wasn’t about
to give in to her and have an argument. Not tonight. “Stoking the
fire.” He gestured toward Kira. “I sent Toran to check the
perimeter.”
“Bring her closer to the fire.”
Octavion shook his head. “The wind keeps
shifting. She would either have a face full of smoke or have the
wind at her back. She is better off in the shelter.”
Lydia rose up on one elbow. Her eyes wide
open now. “Octavion?”
“Hmm?”
“Maybe you should just, ya know . . . hold
her.”
This time her voice was softer and held
meaning. Octavion studied his sister’s eyes, thinking her words
were sarcasm. But all he saw was a tender heart and a genuine
concern for her friend. And maybe a little prodding for her big
brother. It had been a long time since Octavion had allowed himself
to feel and Lydia knew it.
He turned back to look at Kira’s trembling
form. In the past few months, he’d spent more time than he cared to
admit watching over her, taking in her every move. The way her
auburn hair swayed when she walked. Her sweet voice as it drifted
through the air and found his ears, even at a distance. Her
laughter was like a finely tuned instrument that sang to his
senses. He’d wanted to hold her in his arms for so long that the
past few days seemed like a dream just to be close to her—a dream
that quickly turned into a nightmare.
“She won’t mind.” Lydia interrupted his
thoughts.
Octavion swallowed hard. “I could make
something warm to drink. Tea perhaps. That would keep her
warm.”
“She doesn’t need tea. She needs you. If you
can’t see that, maybe you don’t deserve her. Besides, you need to
rest.”
He took in a deep breath and blew it out
through his mouth. “If she hates me come morning—”
“She won’t. I promise.” Lydia wiggled down
under the covers and turned her back to him again. A few seconds
later she mumbled, “A girl could die of pneumonia waiting for
you.”
Octavion growled loud enough so she could
hear it. It wasn’t the fear of holding Kira close that made him
uneasy; it was admitting how he felt about her. He’d drawn an
invisible wall between him and Kira and sworn never to cross it.
Now that wall was quickly crumbling. If he lowered it, and let her
into his heart, he’d have to tell her the truth about who he
is—about
what
he is—and
that
was what he feared
most.
He dropped the stick he’d been using to stir
the fire and stood. Holding her in his arms would be easy. Keeping
her there was another story altogether.
“Lydia?”
Where am I?
“Shh. She is sleeping.” Octavion’s voice
startled Kira. She didn’t realize she lay in his arms. She tried to
push herself up to sit, but he pulled her back, cradling her
against his chest. “Kira, you need to rest. It is still early.”
“I need to get up.”
Why does my stomach
hurt?
“No, be still,” he whispered.
“Seriously, Octavion. I think I’m gonna be
sick.” Kira’s stomach churned as she felt the increased saliva rise
in her throat. She covered her mouth.
Octavion jumped to his feet and helped Kira
stand, leading her around the shelter and into the trees. She’d
only taken a few steps when she heaved the contents of her stomach
onto the ground. She grabbed the nearest tree and waited for
another surge. It came quickly, followed by another and
another.
“What’s wrong with me?”
Octavion supported her around the waist with
his arm while he kept her hair from getting into the mess. “The
blood from your lungs must have settled in your stomach. You
coughed a lot last night and made no attempt to spit it up.”
Kira tried to straighten, but another surge
hit, this time giving up nothing. The spasms came and went—making
her broken ribs ache. She leaned her back against the tree and
waited for Octavion to return with water. She took a swig, rinsed
her mouth and spat it onto the ground. The second drink, she
swallowed.
“Thanks.” She handed him the container and
wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt.
Octavion helped Kira to the shelter and sat
with his back against the lean-to. He motioned for her to lie in
his arms again, but she wanted to see his face so she sat across
from him and drew the blanket around her shoulders to take away the
morning chill.
“What’s wrong? You seem different. Has
something happened to Lydia?” Kira looked over her shoulder to
find, not Lydia, but her kindred spirit sleeping in the other
shelter. She looked peaceful enough.
“She is fine. She is still angry with me
about her photographs, but we can deal with that later.” When he
raised his eyes to meet hers, his serious expression set her
back—something
was
wrong. “I need to speak with you about
something. Perhaps we could take breakfast near the creek and let
Altaria rest.”
“I’m not gonna like this, am I?”
“Probably not.”
While Kira waited for Octavion to stoke the
fire and bring her breakfast, she concentrated on healing what was
left of her injuries. Altaria still lay in her shelter and Toran
sat near the fire, cleaning his face with his paws. She wondered
what her life would be like now. Would she be able to finish school
and graduate or would she hide here on the mountain with Lydia and
her brother? As much as she wanted everything to return to normal,
she knew it couldn’t, not with Shandira and Bastian out there.
And then she had another thought—what would
happen to her when this was all over? Would Lydia and Octavion go
back to Xantara and leave her behind? The very thought of never
seeing them again made her eyes fill with tears. She wiped them
away with the back of her hand and tried not think about what her
future held. She just needed to get through this one day. And then
the next. And the next.
When Octavion returned with an armful of
apples, oranges and a melon, she was grateful for the
distraction—and more than curious about where he’d gotten so much
fresh fruit.
“Do you have a grocery store through those
trees?” she whispered. “Where did you get that stuff?”
He flashed a mischievous grin. “Trade
secret.”
“
Tell
me,” she begged, still trying to
be quiet. But not quiet enough.
“Magic,” Altaria groaned. She raised her arms
above her head to stretch. “You two could wake the dead with your
chatter. What’s for breakfast?”
Octavion continued to smile, but gave no
answer to either one of their questions.
Kira threw back the covers and stood. “Fine!
Don’t tell me. I guess I’ll just have to eat my breakfast alone.”
Walking over to Octavion, she grabbed an apple and strolled off
into the trees. She wanted to sit near the edge of the cliff and
enjoy the warmth of the early morning sun on her face.
“And where do you think you are going?”
Octavion asked, dumping the fruit in Altaria’s lap.
“Trade secret,” Kira called over her
shoulder. She was surprised she heard no footsteps behind her.
After she walked half way to the cliff, Octavion stepped from
behind a tree.
“Octavion! Don’t do that!” She threw the
apple at his head, only to have him catch it and take a bite. She
grabbed what was left of her apple out of his hand. “Get your own
breakfast.”
Strutting past him, she continued toward the
cliff. Again, no footsteps, but when she arrived at the edge, he
was lazily leaning against a tree, eating his own apple.
“How did you do that? And don’t tell me it’s
magic.”
“I would rather show you. Let me take you to
the creek.” He took his last bite before pitching the core over the
edge. He wiped his hands on his pants and stood with his arms
extended, as if offering a hug.
“I’m not walking all the way down there.
Besides, you’re just trying to change the subject. Why won’t you
tell me? I already know the worst of it, right?”
He still had his arms extended, but added a
raised brow to his smirk. “Come here and I will show you.”
She gave him a sideways grin. “I don’t know.
How do I know you won’t throw me off this cliff?”
Octavion shrugged. “If you go, I go—fair
enough?”
Kira groaned. “Stop playing games. I thought
you wanted to talk to me about something serious.”
Octavion didn’t wait for her to come to him.
He crossed the short distance between them, grabbed her, and
jumped—right off the edge.
Kira closed her eyes and screamed. Within
seconds, she felt her feet touch the ground. The rush of the creek
filled her ears. Her heart beat wildly against her ribcage as she
gasped for air and looked to see where she’d landed.
Octavion released her and took a step back—a
mischievous grin planted firmly on his face.
“How did you . . .” She placed her hand over
her heart and tried to stay upright as the nearby trees began to
sway.
“Not so fast,” he said, stepping closer and
letting her fall against his chest. Chuckling, he wrapped his arms
around her waist to steady her. “Are you all right?”
Kira shook her head. “That was mean.”
“Sorry, but you have to admit, it was
exhilarating.”
“
Exhilarating?
You’re insane. How did
you do that?”
He guided her over to sit on the grass near
the creek, then lowered himself next to her. “I don’t really
know.”
“What happened to my apple?” She didn’t
remember dropping it.
“It’s probably smashed on a rock.” He
motioned toward the cliff and laughed again.
“You owe me breakfast.” Kira brushed her
hands down the front of her shirt and ran her fingers through her
hair to make sure everything was still in place. She felt messed up
inside, like she was a puzzle not quite put together right. The
smug look on Octavion’s face wasn’t helping her mood any. “Mind
telling me what the hell just happened?”
“It is part of our heritage. As a Royal, I
have the ability to travel with my mind. I close my eyes and
concentrate on a place I have been before. An instant later I am
there.”
“That’s it? You simply
jump
from one
place to another?” Kira rubbed her forehead with the tips of her
fingers. Everything around her kept swaying to one side then
snapping back into place. Whatever he’d done to her had thrown off
her equilibrium.
“Not jump as much as disappear from one place
and appear in another. I have to be able to see it in my mind, but
I can go anywhere. Going through walls messes with my head, though,
and it can be painful.”
“You said Royals, so . . . can anyone else do
it?”
“Yes, most Royals can, but there are some
that have not yet mastered it. I honestly thought you had figured
this out. You
have
seen me do it.”
Kira remembered him disappearing with Lydia
right after he first appeared in the forest, but so much had
happened since then, she thought maybe she’d imagined it. “I’m not
sure what’s real anymore. I’ve had so many nightmares where weird
stuff happens, and I see things in my head sometimes that I can’t
explain. I thought maybe it was my imagination or maybe I
remembered wrong.”