Sapphire Falls (The Lost Realm #2)

30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Morgan

M organ couldn’t get comfortable on the floor of the cavern. The dripping water and the scent of rot reminded her too much of the abandoned mine shaft. Around her, winged fae were trying to get comfortable too. Some seemed to be sleeping, but others were quietly lying on the cold, hard ground.

She caught Rylo’s gaze across the cavern, studying her. He sat against the stone walls, resting his head. His wings were splayed out in an awkward angle. They seemed like a huge inconvenience most of the time. Morgan stood and walked across the cavern, sitting beside the Sun King. She leaned her head against the wall, looking into his golden eyes.

“Can’t sleep?” she asked.

“I could ask the same of you.” Rylo reached out his hand and traced Morgan’s collarbone. His fingers were cool and made her skin prickle.

“We’d all be sleeping better if we could have flown to a hotel. You may want to consider investing in real estate. Maybe get better accommodations on all these flights. Who’s ever heard of a king sleeping in a cave?” She batted his hand away from her.

“A king who likes to travel quickly and without fuss,” Rylo said, flexing his fingers like he could still feel her touch on them.

Not much had happened between them since he brought her to his room on the Night of Feasts. They’d kissed and the flame from that damn fairy wine had burned brighter. When Rylo noticed her increasing arousal, he stopped kissing her, built what amounted to a pillow barricade between them, and told her to get some sleep. It was easier said than done as she struggled through her need for his touch.

Eventually, she was almost to the point of tears when he reached his arm across the pillows and began slow, gentle strokes across her back and shoulders. He’d sung her a slow, soft melodic tune that seemed filled with longing and remorse. The tension she couldn’t shake slowly began to dissipate with his caress until she drifted off to a deep, dreamless sleep.

But nothing between them happened the next morning, or the days that followed. She worked for hours in both libraries each day, running into Rylo occasionally. They made plans for their journey to Goldoth, but it seemed like there wasn’t much to the attraction he’d shown her that night.

Morgan accepted her unwanted feelings she was developing for him weren’t actually reciprocated.

“When will we arrive in Goldoth?” Morgan asked.

“Technically we crossed into Goldoth today. We made it across the Wastewater several hours ago. Tomorrow we will enter the Onyx Caverns and meet the King Maglar.”

Morgan scraped her hands across her forehead. She was trying to let go of her nerves that kept her feeling worried about meeting another king.

“When can I have my gun back?” Morgan asked. Rylo hadn’t given it to her before they took flight on the eagan, and she doubted he would give it back.

“Why not now?” Rylo said, smirking. He reached into the bag at his side and pulled out Morgan’s handgun.

Morgan pulled the clip out of the gun. She’d used three or four bullets when she shot Jasper. Too many, she knew now, but she’d had such a rush of adrenaline that she couldn’t help it. To her horror, there were no bullets left.

“What the hell, Rylo? You shot the rest of my ammo!”

Rylo cocked his head to the side, giving her a confused look. “I’ve no idea what you are saying.”

“The gun! You shot all my bullets. There should have been ten or eleven left in this clip, and they’re all gone!” She could feel guards moving in close. Rylo lifted a hand for the guards to stand down, unconcerned by the tone coming from the kingslayer.

“I still don’t understand what you are accusing me of doing. Yes, I tried your weapon. It worked perfectly fine when I used it. I told Selene to continue tests. She said you may need to imbue it with your magic before it fires again, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

“The gun doesn’t work without bullets. They aren’t something I can just create out of my shadows or any magic! They’re human made, and now I don’t have any if I need them.”

She shrieked and her shadows began streaking out of her, filling the cavern with inky darkness, extinguishing the fire in the center of the room. The fae in the room cried out, but Morgan ignored them. “What if I need to use it to stay alive?”

Rylo scoffed and took the gun out of Morgan’s hand. He let a bit of his essence shine out of him, bringing light to her darkness. Slowly her shadows began gathering back into her, prancing around Rylo as they skittered out of sight. “I do apologize. I didn’t understand it had a finite number of uses. But you don’t need this to keep you alive. You have yourself. All those spells you’ve been memorizing, and these dancing shadows.”

Rylo raised a shining hand up to her remaining shadows and they extinguished the light coming out of his black veined hand.

“Honestly pet, you have all you need to protect yourself right here.” Rylo brought his hand up, pressing it to her forehead.

Morgan nodded. She looked across the cavern at the others. They seemed to be busying themselves with making a new fire and avoiding her and Rylo’s interaction. Which was just fine. Ever since he scooped her up and flew her out of the party, everyone had treated her like some sort of pariah. Even Susan assumed Morgan was lying when she said she only shared a bed with the Sun King.

She didn’t like it, everyone assumed that she was sleeping with Rylo to get some sort of special treatment. They’d already assumed the same about her sister, so why not think Morgan was doing the same thing? She wanted these folk to see her for what she was. A woman who had her own strength and power without needing to sleep with a king to get recognition.

Maybe she should call in one of her favors and make him share that there was nothing happening between them. No, that would be a stupid use of her favor. She wanted to use it for something that would make a difference. In the end, it didn’t make a difference what his citizens thought of her.

“Care to share what is racing through your beautiful mind?” Rylo asked, a bright dimple showing on his cheek.

Morgan murmured the enchantment and sifted through the void, looking for a way into his mind. There it was, bright and bold. She slid into his mind like sliding into a comfortable sweater.

Want to know the truth or should I tell you a lie?

The corner of Rylo’s mouth twitched. “Tell me what I want to hear.”

Morgan raised her eyebrow. I was thinking of that kiss we shared the other night.

Rylo leaned in, his lips caressing the curve of her ear. “Lies, pet. I can smell when you are aroused, and you are not thinking about something that arouses you.”

Morgan wrinkled her nose, pulling back from those perfect lips of his. “That is disgusting and invasive. And fine, I was thinking about how I’ll make you the next deceased king on my list. As you pointed out, I don’t need a gun to do it.”

Rylo let out a loud, long laugh. “Oh pet, I love how lies slip off your tongue so effortlessly. Do try them on the King of Goldoth. I have one more thing for you before we arrive at Onyx Caverns tomorrow.”

Rylo pulled out a sparkling necklace set with yellow stones on gold. She spoke into his mind, not daring to say what she realized. One of the Divine Five?

Rylo gave a tiny nod. He lifted the gems, gesturing to Morgan’s neck, and she nodded in agreement to let him place the jewels on her.

He reached around her throat, moving her long, dark hair to one side as he let his fingers linger in the silky strands, then he clasped the necklace around her throat, letting it rest against her chest. Slowly, he traced the path the necklace took down her neck, across her shoulder, and to the divot between her breasts before he traced the jewels up and around her neck again. Rylo moved Morgan’s hair back into place and looked at her with sparkling eyes.

The jewels felt heavy on Morgan’s chest. She’d read in a book that deep magic carried a heavy burden, but Morgan didn’t think the book meant it in a literal sense.

“Does it call to you? Can you feel its power?” Rylo asked.

It has a heaviness that goes beyond its weight. I’m not sure how I’ll draw the deep magic out of it, but I’ll experiment with it.

Rylo’s voice was low, like he wanted the information for Morgan’s ears only. “It can mask your goddess mark, but you should let it show. I want to show off what a prize you are.”

Morgan rolled her eyes. “I’m not a prize or a possession.”

“Not to me you aren’t,” Rylo said, stroking his long finger across her cheek.

I’m thinking about how I’d like to slice into your soft throat again.

“No, I don’t think you are,” Rylo said, leaning back on the ground, wings flattened under him. “Get some sleep, Kingslayer.”

Kyla

Kyla had never seen Garnel so despondent. Although they had moved into her mother’s former apartments and had ample space, Garnel hardly left their bed. The house arrest, while a light punishment for stabbing a goddess, was eating at Garnel’s soul.

She couldn’t get him to work past the guilt he had for threatening his own life with his senseless attack. Kyla understood that he was incensed when he realized what the goddess had done to her, but it wasn’t like the goddess had actually harmed her. It was all instinct, and one that could have been avoided.

Garnel was on his side in bed as Kyla prepared to leave their apartment. His shirtless back revealed the healing scars from his self flagellation. Although she tried to heal them with salves, Garnel had been insistent to see through his punishment for his reckless behavior. She gave him a quick peck on his forehead, but he didn’t respond. Down their bond Kyla felt how he struggled with self-loathing and doubt.

“I love you, Garnel. Only two more weeks and you will be free.”

He blinked at her, but didn’t bother speaking. For days it had been like this. It had gone on so long, that she thought she’d have to share the only thing that may wake him from his despondency before she was ready. Maybe if he knew her secret suspicions, his mood would brighten and he would return to her.

Kyla walked to the outdoor hallway, connecting one tree to another as she passed her father’s former apartments and went down a spiraling stairway to Avery and Savine’s small suite. It was odd to have a king and queen occupy such modest accommodations, but they didn’t seem to mind.

Avery was waiting for her in the hallway, Rue beside her, as they had done the last several days.

“I’ve been thinking. We need to get serious about finding the Divine Five,” Avery said as a greeting. The thought had already been haunting her. If Garnel was going to be reunited with his bear form, they would need to make finding the Divine Five a priority.”

“I agree, and now that we know what they are, we need to start looking for clues. I’ll write to Susan and ask if she’s found any descriptions of the relics.”

Avery nodded. “Savine was trying to keep it quiet, but Darby found documents that show your father was able to open a portal outside of Orofine. He sent fae through it. That, plus the dark magic that was used at the final battle in the Middens makes us think he might have had access to one of the Divine Five, and he learned how to use it. Have you ever seen him with a bone shard?”

Kyla racked her mind for a memory of a bone her father might have kept close. “No, I never saw anything like that. Does Savine remember one?”

Avery shook her head. “Nothing.”

Kyla could sense Avery’s honesty in the answer. Since she and Savine had accepted the soulmate’s bond, Kyla had noticed a lightness between the two of them that made Kyla feel at ease about her brother and his well-being. He’d always had so much hurt buried within him, but had masked it around others. Kyla was the only one who could sense the cataclysmic pain that her brother carried within him. It was still there, that sort of thing would never fully heal, but it felt more manageable.

“We’ll figure it out. What’s the plan for today?” Avery asked, turning to Rue and Kyla as they stepped outside the comfort of the warmed King's Residence and into the icy morning air. With the city behind them and the forest stretched in front of them, Kyla noticed the frost lacing dead leaves on the forest floor.

Kyla had learned to appreciate this time with Avery. Her eagerness to continue to learn combat surprised Kyla, but it was the growth in her magic, especially as a healer, that made Kyla look forward to their daily training sessions together.

Rue smiled, her breath puffed out from between her teeth. “I think we need some more of the cardio you humans enjoy, then let’s practice with your battle axe.”

Avery nodded as she pulled her fleece jacket tightly to her. “After that I’d like to go into the city and check on a girl I healed yesterday. Kyla, would you join me?”

“Of course. I’d be happy to.”

The run up the mountain wore on Kyla more than she expected. She didn’t know if she could possibly feel this tired. She leaned against an aspen and slid down to the ground, letting her head hang between her knees.

A wave of nausea hit her, and Kyla asked for a sip out of Avery’s human water bottle. The durable material made it an excellent choice for their daily hikes and runs through the woods, and Avery was always happy to share.

“Are you okay, Kyla?” Avery asked, sitting down beside her.

Despite the chill in the air, Kyla could feel the perspiration clinging to her forehead.

“I think so. Just tired and a bit queasy.”

Rue asked, “Would you like a bit of food? I have some here.”

Kyla wrinkled her nose at the thought of food. “No thank you. I think I just need some rest and a bit of water.”

But Avery looked at Kyla with slit eyes, brows wrinkled. “Can I assess you? I just want to make sure you’re safe to go down the mountain on your own.”

“If it makes you feel better,” Kyla said. Avery’s question was honest, curiosity and concern coursed through her touch as she gently placed her hands on Kyla’s shoulders. Avery closed her eyes, concentrating, and Kyla felt the stirring of her magic across her shoulders.

Kyla’s essence shuddered under her skin as Avery’s magic wrapped around her. Green strands of light danced across her skin, working their way down to her abdomen.

Avery’s eyes snapped open and Kyla nearly jumped up in fear from the expression on her face.

“Holy shit! Did you feel that?” Avery asked

Kyla shook her head, suspecting that Avery noticed what she had hoped for.

“There’s a second heartbeat inside you. Kyla, I think you’re pregnant!” Avery wrapped her in a tight hug, and Kyla could feel her excitement skim off her. “I’m going to be Auntie Avery!”

Rue joined in, hugging Kyla from the other direction. “Congratulations! Your child is a blessing from the Mother Goddess!”

Kyla shivered at the name of the Premier Goddess. She had been experiencing some sort of crisis in her faith in the deity over the last few months, and she didn’t want to mention the Goddess when speaking about her unborn child. What if it drew attention to her child, making them a target just like her soulmate had become? The loss of Garnel’s ability to shift was crushing him, and she still couldn’t reach him to bring him back to her. She wouldn’t allow the Goddess to harm her child. She’d protect this precious gift to the Abyss and back if Althea dared come after her child.

“Thank you,” Kyla said demurely. “I thought I might be pregnant, but the child is too small for me to fully sense them with my essence. I was hoping it was true.” She pressed her palm to her abdomen, and even though she couldn’t feel anything there yet, she knew deep within her was a spark of life, a piece of herself and Garnel.

“We should bring you to Hyacinth. She’ll be able to tell if you are pregnant and can help strengthen you with whatever tinctures and herbs she’s got,” Avery said.

The walk down the mountain was steady, enjoyable even, as the women worked their way down the trail single file. Kyla shared her concerns about Garnel, and how he was struggling with the loss of his bear self, and the weight of his actions.

Avery assured Kyla that Savine didn’t hold any ill will against Garnel, but Kyla already knew that. Savine had been visiting them both, checking in to see if Garnel was doing better. But he was always the same. Always lost to her.

Savine had set aside rooms for Hyacinth in the northern wing of the King's Residence. It was nearest to the forest, and included a door carved into an ancient cedar tree. Avery pressed on the bark, opening the passage and revealing the spiral staircase within the trunk. The three women took the steps quickly until they entered the warm and welcoming rooms of Hyacinth’s private clinic. The room smelled of herbs, stewing greens, and oils.

“Welcome dears! Avery, I wasn’t expecting you until this afternoon. Was there trouble with the girl in the city?” Hyacinth said, taking Avery’s hands in hers. Her dark hair was tangled with twigs and herbs, and her nutty skin showed the slightest signs of middle age.

“Actually, we want you to examine Kyla,” Avery said before Kyla could even get a word in to the older woman.

“Kyla?” Hyacinth asked and gave her an assessing gaze. “May I touch you?”

“Yes, please,” Kyla said.

“Oh! Yes! Very faint essence. Maybe no more than four or five weeks along. Oh, Kyla, dear! Come, come. Let’s have a look at you.”

Hyacinth immediately helped Kyla lean back on a comfortable bed. Kyla gave her permission to examine her as the other two women made themselves scarce in the adjoining room.

“How long, dear, have you been trying for a pregnancy? It’s not always easy to release your fertility.”

“Actually, we decided shortly after Savine took the crown. We have been waiting for an end to the civil war and didn’t want to hesitate. I wasn’t sure if I had released my fertility, but it must have worked.”

Hyacinth pressed her herb-stained hands against Kyla’s abdomen. “You must have used a large amount of your essence to induce fertility so quickly. That is not often capable for folk, but I dare say you wanted this. Often women hesitate and don’t use enough of their essence to become fertile, which is why they don’t become pregnant quickly.”

Kyla let out a small laugh. “I very much wanted a child.”

Hyacinth took Kyla’s hands in hers. “Your pregnancy is early, but there’s a strong essence already rooted in place. Perhaps this one will be a bit like you.”

“What can I do to take care of us now?” Kyla asked.

“It’s simple really. Rest when you are tired, eat when you are hungry. Men often turn into clucking mother hens over their mates, but I daresay Garnel has always been that way with you. The most important thing is to listen to your body. You’ll know what you can do, but I think you’ll find that you can continue most of your activities. Perhaps no battles, but I’ve prayed to Althea every night that the time of war is past. If you don’t mind, let’s bring in the other girls. I’ve got another matter to discuss with the three of you.”

“Of course,” Kyla replied.

Hyacinth called the other women in and began preparing tea for everyone. Once they were all comfortably assembled in the room, and tea was made, Hyacinth began speaking.

“I’ve been thinking, and I want to know how your search for the Divine Five is going.”

Avery shrugged. “We’ve found some information about Jasper possibly having access to a relic that sounds like one of the Divine Five. I’ve been wondering if he could have used it on the forest during the last battle. Savine said it seemed there was darker magic used on the trees.”

“Possibly, although it is challenging for fae to access deep magic. He would have had to part with a great amount of essence to do so. It would have cut into his lifespan, but if he were desperate enough, he could have decided to take those risks,” Hyacinth said. She took a sip of her tea, and Kyla wondered what she gave herself to drink. Everyone seemed to have a different blend of herbs and spices to meet their needs. Kyla could feel her tea restoring her strength and reducing the nausea in her.

“Avery said the relic could resemble a carved bone. Do you know any rumors of one?” Rue asked.

“The only Divine Five relic that I know with certainty is in Nephel. The Nepheli kings and queens have often worn it. It’s a necklace made of gold and citrine jewels.”

Avery’s eyes grew wide and Kyla could sense her anxiety rising. “I wore that! The night I was supposed to assassinate Jasper. Rylo said it would mask my goddess mark.”

Hyacinth pursed her lips. “Could you sense the deep magic within it?”

Avery shook her head. In all the chaos that followed, Kyla hadn’t noticed Avery’s necklace. It mattered little now. The necklace was out of their grasp.

“I didn’t notice anything unusual except for a heaviness,” Avery replied.

“You should write to Morgan and see if she can get her hands on it,” Rue said.

“What if I just tapped into the deep magic again and formed my own relics? I accessed it before and I was fine.”

Kyla felt the nervous energy from Rue and Hyacinth as Hyacinth said, “No, that is far too dangerous. Promise me, Avery, that you won’t be so reckless again. You’ll need other witches with you to safely extract the deep magic. You could have killed yourself doing what you did. Also, we don’t know what Althea wants with the Divine Five. It’s best to collect them first and see what her purpose is.”

Kyla felt the discomfort inside her build. “Unless she wants to use them in a way that would harm us.”

Rue looked at Kyla with incredulity. “Why would Mother Althea want to harm her creation?”

Kyla looked at Avery, felt her sense of doubt rising as Avery said, “Why would a goddess force this task on witches if she couldn’t achieve her goals herself? She wants the Divine Five for something, and I don’t think it’s just to collect these old relics.”

“When she took me, I felt her divine power, but nothing of her emotions. Either she was shielding them, or she is void of emotions. She has a purpose that she’s not disclosing. But if I don’t complete this task, she could punish Garnel. Perhaps even my unborn child.”

Avery shook where she was sitting, the rage building within her palpable. “I’m not going to be some tool that bitch uses to harm anyone. If the coven that separated the realms during The Cleaving could trick her, then we’ll figure it out too.”

Hyacinth let out a tsking sound on her tongue as she said, “Child, you do not know what you speak of. The Cleaving was no trick against Althea or Gaia. It was for the freedom of the human race.”

“Althea doesn’t want to harm you, Avery. Surely not,” Rue agreed with Hyacinth and Kyla felt a stirring of unease inside her. She didn’t agree, but feared voicing her thoughts. Anytime she’d meddled with the Premier Goddess’ task she’d faced disaster.

Finally she said, “Regardless of the reason, we must find those relics.”

“We’re going to need to get back to Susan and Morgan eventually,” Rue said. “They have more access to the information we need.”

Avery nodded. “Savine’s going to flip when I tell him I’m going back to Nephel. But we don’t need to worry about that yet. First, we’ve gotta find that other relic here.” Avery turned to Kyla. “Where would your father keep something he didn’t want found?”

Kyla pressed her fingertips to her abdomen, reminding herself of what was at risk if she failed to find the Divine Five. “I haven’t the slightest idea of where to begin our search.”

Kyla couldn’t wait to return to her apartment. She hoped her good news would cheer Garnel up. At the very least, she hoped he would speak to her and get out of bed. She rushed from the other women after her tea was finished and made her way over to her own rooms. As she entered the apartment, she knew immediately that Garnel hadn’t left their bed.

“I’m back, my love,” she said softly, walking to his side of the bed where he lay staring at the wall. He didn’t move or remark as she sat down, her back brushing against his thigh. A few weeks ago this touch alone would send him grasping to pull her closer to him, but now he didn’t react.

She rubbed her hand across his arm, feeling his emotions. It was still the same despondency and self-loathing he’d experienced previously.

“Can I help you feel better?” she asked, gently. He’d only let her do that twice since he’d lost his ability to shift to his bear form. As she ran her fingers across his arm, she noticed how his essence had faded ever so slightly.

“I don’t know, love. I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself. I’m not like Savine with an essence with many abilities. I have one. Shifting into my bear form is the only thing I have, and that’s now gone. I can feel my essence fading.” He looked at her with such pain in his eyes. “I may have ruined our lives, Kyla.”

Kyla stroked his arm and his essence moved slowly under his skin. “We’re going to fix this, Garnel. You’ll get your bear back and your essence will stop fading. I’ll damn the whole Abyss before I let you fade from me.”

He cracked a weak smile at her threat. “You would, wouldn’t you? I’m sorry I haven’t been myself. It’s bad enough being under house arrest, but…” He shook his head, and Kyla felt the despair in his tone. “But to lose who I am is the worst punishment of all. To know if I don’t get my bear back I’ll likely die, and I never was able to give you what you wanted.”

Kyla climbed into bed next to him, her nose touching his as she wrapped her arms around his solid body. “I’m not losing you, and you have given me what I most wanted.”

Garnel pulled back and looked at her, his mouth and eyes wide. “Do you mean you’re pregnant?”

Kyla couldn’t stop the tears that rolled from her eyes or the smile on her face. “I am! Avery noticed first this morning and Hyacinth confirmed it.”

Garnel tugged her against him, his body shaking with laughter and tears. “It’s what we’ve always dreamed of.” He sat up, keeping his arms tangled around hers as he lifted her up too.

“My love, it is what we’ve dreamed of,” Kyla said, pressing her lips to his. For the first time in weeks, he responded, nibbling and teasing her own lips as she opened for him, welcoming his touch, desperate for it.

He abruptly pulled back, and she felt shame down their connection. “I’ve ruined this for us. What if you can’t find the Divine Five?”

She shook her head, not letting that fear build within her. “We are going to figure this out. We’re getting those relics and you’ll be restored to your full power before our child is born.”

He brought his hands down to her abdomen, pressing his large palm against her. “You’re right. We will have the family we always wanted. Nobody, not even the Premier Goddess herself, will take away our happiness.”