She wasn't completely familiar with The Pantheon of Deities most supernatural beings revered, and had to consider which that was. But the name Satorala prompted the guess, “The Goddess of Wisdom is Satora, right?”
He nodded while taking a left turn at another, wider tunnel, moving so quickly she almost had to run to catch up. Such alacrity was appreciated, but his long strides weren't the easiest to follow, particularly when traveling uphill.
She was also distracted by the notice of a strange symbol etched in the rock wall nearby. She'd never seen anything like it, and wondered if it was some kind of marker to help with navigation.
If so, its meaning was lost on her, prompting the remark, “I'm glad you know the way because these tunnels all look the same to me.”
“Just wait until we reach the exit,” Mikail suggested. “Things will look much different than they did at The Nexus.”
“How so?”
“You'll see,” he replied, sounding prideful in a way that made her curious.
“We're not already at Satorala, are we?”
“No, we still have about a day's worth of travel ahead of us.”
Hearing this, Kivsey groaned. “It's too bad you can't teleport like Perosians, then. But darkwalking must come in handy.”
“Sometimes,” he remarked in short. “What about you? Do you possess any other elven abilities besides keener senses? Any magic skills?”
“Nope. Some of my family has practiced the Craft, but my only magic skills involve killing frogs. Apparently.”
She muttered the last, prompting Mikail to offer a mildly curious look, but he didn't ask her meaning.
Instead, he inquired, “What about your parents?”
Kivsey scoffed. “My mother is a well-to-do legal secretary who loves the opera and ballet, and her only supernatural quirk is disappearing whenever my dad comes to visit.”
“What do you mean, comes to visit? He doesn't live with you?”
“No. My parents divorced when I was thirteen.”
Kivsey glanced up to see a confused expression on Mikail's face, as if divorce was a foreign concept—and it probably was. If his kind were anything like Perosian demons, or even elves, they likely mated for life, meaning no divorce, no breakups, and no straying.
He even commented on it by stating, “Humans are so strange.”
“Why? Because they don't mate for life?”
At his nod of confirmation, she conceded, “I can see why you'd think so, but don't forget, we're mortal, too. So if we did bond for life, by the time we found someone suitable, life might only mean fifty years. Or even thirty.”
He canted his head as if to say point taken.
Smiling, Kivsey then asked, “What about your parents? Do they live in Satorala?”
Mikail's gaze darkened at her inquiry, and his only response was a curt, “No.”
Okay, point made, big guy. Realizing her question had hit a sensitive spot, she changed the subject. “Then what about bonding? Do you find your mates like elves?”
He groaned as if unwilling to offer a long explanation, or maybe her comparison to elves was the culprit. Either way, he answered, “Partly. Like elves, we bond for life, and females begin dreaming of their partners after meeting them. But like demons, a male's bonding also involves prophetic dreams that indicate we're soon to meet.”
“So you know who she is right away and the dreams stop?”
“No, males only know she's our mate when the dreams change. Instead of a faceless apparition, we begin seeing her.”
Interesting. Some supernatural races knew their mates just by getting a look, or even a scent. But it seemed the Dok'aal were a little more complicated, and she could admit to some jealousy.
Though her mother hadn't bonded with her father, her grandfather had done so with his wife. This made Kivsey wonder from time to time if she'd unknowingly inherited that ability. Would she actually bond with a mate, or would she simply marry, possessing no other ties to her spouse than their love and, for what it was worth, a paper certificate.
Sadly, there was no way to know until it happened, though she honestly didn't think it was possible. Kivsey had dated a number of men, and never dreamed about any of them no matter how strongly she felt at the time.
But she'd sometimes wished for the type of connection bonding was said to forge, and not just out of loneliness. She also didn't relish the thought of ending up like her mother; getting divorced just to go from one guy to the next in a bid to find some semblance of happiness instead of being content with what she had.
Still, Kivsey could think of worse fates, and was nowhere near as picky as her mother tended to be regarding men. Or my personal choices in them—and she'd have a conniption if I ever brought a supernatural mate home.
Pushing the thoughts away with a roll of her eyes, she asked Mikail, “Have you had any prophetic dreams yet? Or are you already mated?”
“No.”
The succinct answer was completely uninformative, and she waited patiently for an explanation—but it never came.
So she prodded, “No, you're not mated, or no, you haven't had any dreams?”
“I'm not mated,” he returned simply, “so just leave it at that.”
The words were clipped, making her curious. “Is that considered a personal question?”
“Yes.”
Kivsey nodded, apologizing while wondering if she'd annoyed him, or if he was just irritated that he hadn't found a mate yet. But she didn't push for information, and decided to change the subject when her attention was drawn to another of those strange symbols chiseled into the rock wall of the tunnel.
Eyeing it in passing, she mentioned, “That's the second symbol I've seen. Do you know what they are?”
Mikail glanced left, then answered, “Wards my people placed upon these tunnels to confuse travelers. Whenever someone looks at them, they're unwittingly turned away. But this only works on the uninvited.”
Kivsey nodded, realizing the reason she wasn't being turned away was because she was technically Mikail's guest. “Okay, but you only invited me because you were afraid I'd stumble across Satorala anyway. So why not let these wards do their job?”
“Because this isn't the only way to the city, and not all of the tunnels are warded. I'm just taking the quickest route.”
That made sense. There were likely a number of paths to Satorala, and he had no guarantee Kivsey wouldn't have stumbled across another at random.
But as they progressed, her attention was quickly snagged by the fact that the darkness of the tunnel was starting to fade, making the flashlight unnecessary. Additionally, as she switched the device off, she realized the sound of rushing water was coming from up ahead.
That's when an exit came into view, and Kivsey asked, “Is that another underground lake?”
“You're soon to see,” Mikail replied—and she certainly hadn't prepared for the coming sight.
Within a matter of moments, they emerged in a vast cavern that was nothing like the barren area where The Nexus was located. Instead, ten feet ahead, the floor dropped off into a chasm, the edge of which overlooked the tops of several large trees illuminated by rays of sunlight shining in through cracks in the rock ceiling hundreds of feet above.
Birds took off in flight while a waterfall cascaded across the far wall into a river below, and a number of suspension bridges made with rope and wooden planks connected the various ledges. Vines sporting wide, green leaves and pink flowers were clinging to the edges of the rope while tiny, white butterflies took advantage of the nectar they offered, lazily drifting from one bloom to the next.
It was paradise, and Kivsey was so taken by the beauty of this new area that she didn't realize Mikail had accessed a bridge left of the tunnel they'd just exited until he was halfway across.
Hurrying to catch up, she asked, “What is this place?”
“The Hamlet,” he replied. “It's the closest to the surface you'll get without actually finding a way
out. So the journey from here will be mostly downhill.”
Downhill meant going further underground, but she was thankful—keeping up with Mikail's long strides would be easier when she wasn't also fighting gravity.
At the end of the bridge, the warlord took a right and accessed a set of stairs carved into the rock walls. On the way down, a number of small cottages erected around the river below came into view between the tree branches, along with several stone bridges crossing the waterway in different areas.
The scene was reminiscent of a village, but there wasn't another soul in sight.
“No one lives here?”
“No. This was once a village, but my people eventually abandoned it.”
“Why?”
“For one,” he started in reaching the bottom of the stairs, “the cracks in the cavern roof have grown bigger overtime, and let in more light than we prefer. So the Warlords and hunters use this area as something of an outpost to store food and supplies.”
That made sense. If the Dok'aal no longer used the buildings as residential dwellings, then this place would provide shelter whenever travelers needed rest. Kivsey was also willing to bet the various tunnels branching away from the area connected with several hunting grounds, making it even more convenient to camp here.
And Mikail's mention of food caused her stomach to rumble loudly enough to capture his attention.
Not far from one of the stone bridges, he looked back, asking, “Was that you?”
“Yeah, I haven't eaten in a while.”
For some reason, her confession seemed to bother him, his jaw twitching in a way that said he was grinding his teeth.
But if he didn't like the idea of prolonging their journey by stopping to eat, he didn't let it show, mentioning, “There's a food pantry across the river that may have a few provisions stored inside.”
Despite her own desire to get their trip over with, Kivsey had no problems with taking a few moments out to put something in her stomach, and allowed him to lead the way across the bridge.
At the top of the stone structure, she looked down to see several large carp-like fish swimming through the stream. Most were blue-green with vibrant yellow fins, adding a colorful touch to this already impressive area.
Mikail sounded prideful when he'd mentioned it earlier, and it seemed he had every right. The Hamlet was stunningly beautiful, and if this was only a hint of what Satorala had to offer, then Kivsey knew she was in for a rare treat.
After all, how many humans could claim to have seen even this much? Likely none, and the thought made her even more determined to keep what she knew a secret for the Dok'aal.
In fact, she was starting to feel guilty for arguing about the blindfold altogether, a thought that made her wonder about Mikail.
He'd originally asked her to wear it for the first half of their trip, and if it took over a day to reach Satorala from where they'd started, they hadn't yet reached the halfway mark. But he'd allowed her to remove it anyway—and it wasn't the first concession he'd made.
The Warlord had also mixed a poultice to aid her recovery without realizing she'd taken a healing tonic, and was now letting them stop for food.
Only time would tell if such occurrences would continue, but in that moment, Kivsey was willing to admit that maybe she was wrong, and the Warlord wasn't as bad as she'd first assumed.
He was clipped, suspicious, and his prickly attitude offered no indication of what his laugh might sound like, or if he was even capable of such a feat. It's probably a mythical sound, much like a unicorn fart.
Kivsey covered her mouth to contain her snickers. But for as amused as she was, she really doubted his disposition was normally so sour, and made a decision.
One way or another, she'd get Mikail to laugh before they reached Satorala.
CHAPTER EIGHT
♦
Though slowing their trip by stopping for food wasn't ideal, once again, the thought of Kivsey's discomfort affected Mikail more profoundly than anticipated.
The moment he learned she hadn't eaten, he didn't immediately think how inconvenient a break would be, and instead, considered ways to provide for her. It was a telling sign, but he refused to consider what it meant, telling himself he needed a decent meal as well while leading her to the food pantry across the river.
Sadly, the only thing inside was a melon and a few canteens of ipe juice, which certainly wasn't enough to fill their bellies. However, a number of fire pits stood nearby, the closest of which possessed a spit, grill, and several short spears that could be used to catch fish from the river.
So he grabbed the fruit and one of the canteens, then moved toward it.
Two stone benches were sitting on each side of a ring of rocks, and Mikail settled the items he'd taken from the pantry on one, then grabbed a spear propped up against the spit while asking Kivsey, “Do you know how to start a fire?”
“I have Tyrone's lighter, so sure. Why?”
“Do it,” he directed plainly before making his way to the water's edge.
There, he removed his boots and quietly stepped into the water to scout for prey, knowing the task wouldn't take long. Not only was this river teeming with carp, he'd caught so many in the past the task had become second nature.
Additionally, with only two people eating, a large fish wouldn't be necessary.
So he waited quietly, meticulously watching the water. The initial fish that crossed his path were too small, but soon enough, several larger possibilities presented themselves. As one swam by, he waited for the opportunity to strike, then stabbed the spear downward in a flash of speed.
Lifting it from the water a moment later, a medium sized carp hung limply on the opposing end, big enough to feed them both without needing more.
Satisfied, he prepared to return to shore, so focused on the task that the unexpected sound of clapping caused him to jerk.
“Nice!” Kivsey cheered playfully.
Looking back to see she'd been watching all this time, he found her praise baffling—as well as the sense of satisfaction it provided. He had to remind himself that she'd likely never seen someone fish the way he just had, and it shouldn't be surprising if the simple effort impressed her.
So he carried his catch back to the fire pit without comment, making sure to grab his boots on the way, then occupied one of the benches and remarked, “I thought you were starting a fire.”
Finally getting up to gather kindling, she admitted, “I was too interested watching you work. I've only seen people fish that way in videos.”
Videos? Though Mikail could identify a number of technological devices humans employed, he sometimes forgot their purposes, and had to think before realizing she meant film, or moving pictures.
So he nodded in understanding, and started the task of preparing the fish to be cooked while Kivsey gathered several sticks and dry leaves to place in the fire pit.
Arranging the kindling, she eyed his catch, then asked teasingly, “Couldn't catch anything bigger?”
Stopping mid-cut, he peered down at the human crouched next to the fire pit. Was that a jab at my skills?
Deciding it was, he wasted no time retorting, “You like them big, then?”
In the process of lighting the fire, Kivsey's head drooped forward as if stifling several snickers before inquiring, “We are talking about fish, right?”
Mikail nearly grinned at her question, finding her sense of humor extremely pleasing. Saucy female. He could think of so many ways to respond, yet his admiration of Kivsey's wit stirred up enough irritation to suppress his amusement.
Damn it all, he was trying to keep her from getting under his skin, and this playful banter wasn't helping matters.
She even let a disappointed sigh when he didn't respond, proving she'd hoped for a witty retort. But she didn't push, and stood from the fire now burning in the pit to sit next to the items he'd pulled out of the food pantry.
Lifting the canteen, she uncapped it and sniffed the
contents, then pursed her lips. “What's this? It smells sweet.”
“Ipe juice.”
Kivsey wrinkled her nose as if she'd never heard of it, but then shrugged and took a swig. Mikail found himself watching curiously to see her reaction as well, and couldn't quell a sense of pride when she lowered the canteen and remarked fondly, “Wow, this almost tastes like apple juice.”
“The fruit is similar. Ipes grow in a grove not far from here, and I should warn you; drinking too much has a specific side effect.”
Now cutting the melon into fourths with her pocketknife, she sounded intrigued in asking, “What?”
“It's a potent aphrodisiac.”
Kivsey's gaze darted up as if trying to decide whether or not he was serious. “Really? And how much is too much?”
“For a human? Maybe half the canteen.”
Snickering, she remarked playfully, “First we're talking about big fish, and now it's horny juice. This picnic is turning into one big innuendo.”
Mikail nearly chuckled that time, but quickly became distracted when she took a bite of the melon.
Completely oblivious to his stare, she gave the corner a slow suck, her soft lips billowing before she rolled her tongue over the edge to catch the juice in obvious enjoyment.
Immediately, his cock hardened at the sight, prompting him to look away and focus on the fish—which he did in extreme annoyance.
What hold did this female have over him? Mikail hadn't had sex in over a month, and though such lack of interest was frustrating, it never left him feeling as if something was ultimately missing from his life.
But now, he was aching because a human was sucking a piece of fruit so thoroughly it was damned near impossible not to imagine her mouth doing the same thing to his cock—another telling sign. What if she really is the one?
For as much as Mikail yearned to know the truth, he also dreaded the prospect. If Kivsey was the woman he was meant to bond with, it wouldn't be an easy ride. They were from entirely different worlds with different values, and it was questionable whether bridging the gap was even possible, to say nothing for how well they'd actually get along.
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