Dark dreams. Again. More frequent of late.
“I’ll stay,” he said at once, lowering beside her again. “No fire needed. I’ll keep you warm.”
She melted into him, her breath slowing. His arms wrapped around her like armor, his chin tucking over her head as he pressed a kiss into her hair.
“You won’t dream,” he whispered. “Not tonight.”
Her brow smoothed into sleep, one hand slipping over his chest as if searching for something. Beneath her palm, Ansuz flared—its faint white glow casting gentle light between them. Reaching higher, she touched his emerald earring, twirling it until rest took her at last.
Firelight played across her cheeks, her lashes pale as snowdrift. She seemed peaceful now. Untouched by shadows. Safe. His gaze lingered on her face, unguarded in a way he never saw when she woke. He traced every line, every rise and fall of her chest, branding it into memory.
I want you to see me,she had told him.
And now, he had.
10
A Place Denied
Auryn drifted back into her body on wings of peace and joy. Morning light spilled in soft beams through the edges of the tent flap, catching on the silken folds of her shawl where it lay draped across the side of the bed. She hadn’t moved in a while—hadn’t needed to. Kailorien’s warmth lingered beside her through the night, even when he had shifted away.
He sat with his back to her, silent, bare from the waist up, lacing a leather bracer over his forearm with practiced precision. His breath was steady. Focused. Distant. She watched him but didn’t speak, having learned not to chase his silences.
A chill hovered—cruel in contrast to the memory of his lips, the weight of his hands splayed over her breasts, the way his voice had broken when he whispered her name against the pulse in her neck. It had been real. It had meant something.
So why did it feel like he was slipping away?
Unwilling to let him go, she reached out and touched his arm. His back straightened. Stiffened. He turned, smoothing his hand over her shoulder. His fingers lingered, uncertain how much pressure they dared give.
“Another bad dream?” His brow furrowed with concern.
“Only a feeling,” she murmured. “Kailorien—”
She faltered. Was the night before a new truth between them? Or had it been only a moment—just a dream after all?
She tried again, but he leaned in before she could form the question. His mouth hovered above hers—close, so close—but not enough to bridge the gulf yawning between them. A force of nature churned in the ocean of his eyes: a god fighting a man for control.
He sighed as he bent down farther, pressing her to her back. His lips traced her jaw. Her ear. Her throat. Each kiss was tender yet wholly unyielding in its claiming. His hand slid the shoulder strap of her shift aside, lips brushing over the curve of her breast with a gentle sigh. Right over her heart.
“Kail…” she gasped.
“I must go, starlight,” he whispered, breath warm against her skin. “I’ll be in the clearing. There is another company arriving today.”
Auryn’s fingers curled into his hair, desperate to keep him. “To fight what’s coming.”
He nuzzled the hollow between her breasts, inhaling her as though bracing himself for war. He pressed another kiss to her heart, then drew back. “You haven’t looked well, Auryn. Sleep if you need to. Rest.”
The tether between them slackened, subtle but undeniable, his withdrawal dimming some inner flame. She wanted to protest—but the retreating clink of armor, and the whisper of canvas cut her off. The tent flap fell shut behind him, silence answering all she’d left unsaid.
Auryn looked up from her reading in the mess tent when high-pitched blaring horns bellowed outside. Then came the shaking. The ground quaked with the stomping of warhorses and the grinding of wagon wheels.The hoofbeats pounded the mud, in sync like war drums, heavy enough to rattle the bones of the camp.
Conversations died. Soldiers straightened. Even the breeze settled, nature itself waiting to see what would crest over the nearby hill.
The Riven Blades were coming.
For several days now, whispers had circled in camp about this company of all female warriors traveling the continent and achieving legendary feats. Saving rift-torn cities from ruin, finding ancient lost treasure, starting—and ending—rebellions,dethroning unworthy rulers, and slaying some of the world’s most dangerous monsters. It was said that their commander—the Lioness—was a woman of heroic blood, heir to an entire bloodline of famous warriors.
The Blades were en route to meet up with The Kelvasari, exchanging knowledge, experience, strategies, and supplies as the Cycle of Dark wrapped its oppressive pall over the Emerald Moores. Howls of varkhounds surrounded them after dusk, and tension grew thick in the camp.
