I smile softly at him, and he trills in the back of his throat. “Hey, I didn’t mean to wake you. I just wanted to cover you up.”
He blinks at me, and his arm moves, revealing his face. It’s a shock for a second. The last dose of cum, along with the herbs Rathyn mixed up before they left, really seems to have healed him. There are only faint scars left behind.
“God, you look much better. How are you feeling?”
He lifts his hand and signs, ‘Good.’
“I’m so glad.” I make sure to sign and speak at the same time, so he can absorb all the words. “Did you want anything else before I go to bed? I’m going to get the other bedroom cleared out soon so you have a space of your own.”
‘Not need,’ he signs, and I shake my head adamantly.
“No, you need. I’m going to work on it this weekend.”
Cielo blinks up at me, and I grin. Leaning down, I pull the blanket up under his chin, and his gaze catches mine and holds it. It’s almost a physical thing—possessive, just like Everest said.
Warmth floods my chest, and I can’t help but reach out and stroke his cheek. His ears flutter, and his tail unwinds, the tip touching my leg, stroking it softly. I don’t acknowledge it, though. I’m afraid he’ll pull away, and I really like the feeling of his skin against mine.
“You come get me if you need anything, okay?” I ask, and he nods, letting his tail thump to the floor.
Standing up, I walk toward the bedroom before stopping and peering back to see him staring at me. Once again, my heart twists, but I force my gaze forward, closing the bedroom door behind me. My stomach roils slightly, and I feel the telltale signs of something moving up my spine and down my arms.
Fuck. The precursor to pain. To a moment that will bring me to my knees.
I want to go back to him, to curl around him and hold him, but I can’t do that.
This is my burden to bear, and the last thing Cielo needs is someone else’s problems falling on his shoulders.
four
CIELO
Ibreathe deeply, the air sweet, the sky a mélange of blue, red, and orange. In the distance, I see cyrathis clouds looming, green and angry.
A storm is coming, I think as my feet dig into the dirt, rushing home, back to my family, back to Alvayn and Zynath who are waiting for me to return.
I wasn’t supposed to be gone this long, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to see the portal, the opening that linked us to another place.
Earth, they call it.
I turn a corner and see the small huts poking over the horizon, and I move quicker, faster, before our charge arrives home, before he finds out that I snuck away from the fields.
I don’t want to live my life out here, and I won’t.
Soon, I’ll be registering for the service and will be able to travel through that portal.
Soon, I’ll be useful to Erethar and to Earth.
My eyes lift up to the sky, slowly covered by those dark, heavy clouds, and I see a Seymosi fly overhead, its wings flapping wildly, the sound it makes, a loud screech that hasme covering my ears with my hands and wincing as it swoops toward me, its claws out and…
My eyes flick open, my hearts beating wildly in my chest. I glance around, seeing the four walls surrounding me, realizing the vision I had was just a dream. A Seymosi isn’t going to attack me, isn’t going to leave me broken and battered like Rathyn was when Everest and I found him in that cave. But it is dark out, the only light here coming from the ceiling in the kitchen.
Suddenly, a low groan emits from the hallway, and I sit up with a wince. I’m much better than I was when Everest pulled me from the portal, but it still hurts to move quickly.
“Fuuuck,” I hear, and I know that it is Dante, and he is in pain. I push myself up slowly, the room spinning as I go, but I steady myself with a long breath and step forward. My claws click on the cool tile floors as I make my way down the small hallway toward Dante’s room.
I’ve never been in there.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to enter, but when another moan comes from inside, my fingers can’t help but turn the doorknob. It opens easily, and in the dim light of the moon, I see Dante curled up on his bed, sweat beading on his forehead.
