Page 20 of What Beats Within the Tunnels

Chapter

Eight

Istare at the shut door for a moment, waiting for the uneasy feeling to subside. Turning back to the room, I see Colton is still sitting on the end of the bed petting Chepi. I walk around to the other side, kick off my boots, and fall back on the bed, exhausted.

“I know I promised to quit bringing up Onyx,” I vent, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air, “but do you believe he’ll make another attempt on his life? Can I trust him?” A deep exhale follows my question. I harbor doubts about Colton as well, yet as much as I hate to admit it, I would feel utterly alone without him right now.

“Why should it matter?” he snorts. “Why are you bothered by his absence? He left, didn’t he?”

“He left only because I asked him to,” I correct him swiftly.

“If you were mine, Lyra…” He lies back on the bed next to me, and his eyes find mine, shining a brighter shade of green. “…it would take far more than a mere request to make me leave your side. Onyx is a self-righteous nuisance. You’re far better off without him, and the sooner you come to terms with this and untangle any lingering feelings, the better. From what I gather, you haven’t even seen the real Onyx. Consider yourself lucky.”

“What is it with you two? I’ve been biting my tongue, but I need to know. Why do you both hate each other so much?” A heartbeat passed.

“We were friends once, you know. But he did something unforgivable. Over the years, we learned to tolerate each other, but after his parents died and he became the king of Nighthold and inherited even more power, he changed.”

Searching his gaze, I waited for him to elaborate, and when he didn’t I couldn’t help but open my mouth again. “I think the death of a parent changes everyone. I would know.”

“I’m sorry. I know you would. He didn’t change in the way you are thinking.” He coughed, turning his head away from me to study the ceiling. “Besides, we have much more important things to discuss right now, like what your father is up to and what the fuck this place is—this Zomea.”

“Right…not the afterlife exactly, almost another realm connected to Eguina but not at the same time,” I muse. “You knew my father before when he lived in Nighthold?”

“I did.”

“What was he like? I only remember the good things a young girl would remember about a father. But with everything that’s happened, I am starting to think he’s not the man I thought he was. I don’t know if I allowed Nyx’s influence to cloud my judgment, and I need to give my father the benefit of the doubt. We used to be so close when I was little, but now all the secrets and superstitions I’ve heard from others have soured things. Not to mention killing Nyx’s family. I mean, he has done unforgivable things…and I can’t deny the uneasy feeling that tugs at my gut when I’m in his presence.” I inhale deeply, wishing things weren’t so fucked up.

“I know it’s easy to fall prey to the influence of others. Don’t think about that. Forget everything you’ve heard from other people and follow your gut. If you have an uneasy feeling, don’t ignore it. It’s there for a reason.”

“I know.” I sigh.

“As far as what he was like before, he was intelligent and fierce. Powerful and cunning, there’s a reason most of the Fae feared him. He was always nice to me, but I know he has a hunger for power, always wanting to be the one who runs the show. Some would say he has questionable judgment when it comes to getting what he wants and risking the lives of others, but you already know that.” He rises from the bed, kicking off his boots and pulling his off-white tunic off over his head. “Can you trust him? Only you can answer that for yourself.”

“What are you doing?” I ask, not liking the lack of restraint I have when taking in his bare upper body. He is built like no man I’ve ever seen, the body of a real warrior. But what battles had he ever fought? I always assumed Colton was a pompous, privileged child of the elders, attending Faery parties and drinking too much, but his body speaks to a darker past. I let my eyes linger over a scar that extends across the right side of his chest. It spreads from his collarbone to his belly button, jagged across those glorious abs.

“I’m going to get cleaned up.” He smirks, moving into the bathroom and closing the door before undressing the rest of the way. Gods, what is wrong with me?

I clasp my hands over my face, closing my eyes. I was just with Nyx, and now I’m letting my mind linger on Colton’s extremely built figure. I let out a strangled laugh. Everything is so screwed up right now that it seems only fair to laugh about it. A part of me wishes Nyx was here instead of Colton, but then a part of me is also undeniably enjoying Colton’s company. I never thought I would be enjoying anything about Colton, but he’s not so bad.

I open my eyes, searching the darkness of the room, disoriented for a moment. It’s late, pitch black outside the window now. I can feel Chepi curled up next to my feet, and I relax a bit. Wait, someone tucked me in the bed. I wasn’t under the covers before, but I am now. I must have fallen asleep while Colton was in the bathroom. I must have missed dinner. Gods, I wanted to keep questioning my father, but I was so tired. I throw my arm out in frustration, and I’m momentarily shocked when it hits a solid chest.

I forgot I was sharing a room. I blink a few times, my eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. Colton is lying on his back above the covers with all his clothes on. Hmm, maybe he is more of a gentleman than I thought. He tucked me into bed then slept fully clothed with layers of blankets separating us and as much distance as possible without him falling off the bed.

“Ouch,” Colton drawls in a low voice.

“Oh stop, there’s no way that hurt you,” I snap.

“I think you’re stronger than you realize.” He chuckles lightly, turning over to face me.

“Did you go to dinner? Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You looked so peaceful, and you needed rest. I couldn’t bring myself to disturb you. I didn’t go to dinner, but I did venture downstairs and spoke to Euric briefly.”

“What did you talk about?” I move, turning to lie on my side to face him. I quickly move onto my back again when I realize my stitches are still too uncomfortable to rest on my side like that.

“Not much, he said he’s going to take us on a tour of Zomea tomorrow. There’s something he needs us to see before he can talk about it. Whatever the fuck that means.” His brow pinches. “Why did you make that face?”

“What face?” I ask.