His mind was closed again, but the memory remained. His eyes, emerald like the ocean, sparkled. His lips quivered. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t mean for you to see that. It’s…it’s just…”
Before he could go on, I reached up and drew his lips down to mine. I tasted the salt of his tears as my lips caressed his for the briefest instant before I drew back, gazing into his eyes.
“Never apologize for that, Talyn,” I said. “She was your mother, and the fact you let me in, let me see that?” I reached up to cup his cheek. “I’m honored you would trust me enough to bare yourself like that.” I was.
Talyn smiled crookedly, and even through his tears his eyes glinted mischievously. “Well, I thought it only fair. You do reveal so much of yourself it can be quite distracting.”
Oh shit. The first time I’d seen him. I thought he was…
“A god.” He smiled at me, and tears or not, I wanted to punch him again. Well…maybe not punch, at least not very hard.
He let go of my hand, walking the last few feet to stand silhouetted in the open doorway of the cavern, framed by the moon and stars. What was it about his perfect timing with dramatic backdrops?
“Then there was what you thought…afterward. You know, when you actually saw me. And then in the cavern, later that evening.” His grin was like a dragon with two tails who’d managed to catch both. I was mortified. I remembered, and it was obvious he did too.
I narrowed my eyes and clenched my fists, storming past him. My elbow shot out and connected with his stomach. I was gratified to hear a whoosh of air accompany a grunt of pain, but as I half ran back to my room I heard him chuckling.
“You know, you’re getting better,” he shouted breathlessly. “I didn’t see that coming.”
As I slammed the bay doors to my rooms and threw myself onto the bed, I didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or laugh. I buried my face in the sumptuous pillows, pounding my fists into them as I imagined them as Talyn’s face. I continued for over a minute, fuming at the complete and utter folly of the feelings bubbling up from within.
My pummeling settled down, and before I knew it I lay on my side looking out the open window, its gauze curtains dancing in the gentle breeze. One of the pillows was grasped to my chest, and I pulled it closer. My last memory before sleep took me was the stars framing Talyn’s form. I could feel the smile on my face.
Chapter Thirteen
“Wake up, girl.”
By the Maker! What did the bloody bird want now? I cracked an eyelid open. A faint glow barely turned the gauzy curtains pink. In between them I could see the stars glittering in the remnants of the fading night sky.
A scent of cinnamon and clove accompanied the slight breeze as a pair of wings folded at the head of my bed.
“Wake up—”
“No!” I was fed up to the back teeth with this. My sleep had been filled with dreams, dreams that remained vivid in my mind even as sleep deserted me.
In the latest one I’d stood at a fork in the road, being forced to make a choice.
Talyn and Wash stood at the end of either path, beckoning to me. Talyn’s lopsided smile lit his face, and caused a similar smile on mine, but the being lurking beneath the surface of my soul made my heart skip at the sight of Wash. It still felt so real, even as it began to fade, and I groaned as I opened my eyes fully.
Ember emitted a noise that was unmistakably an avian version of a snort. Whether it was one of disgust or pity, I didn’t care. Before I knew what was happening, a ball of blue flame flew straight at her. It was a tiny thing, about the size of a small berry, but it glowed with an intense heat. For an instant I thought I’d hurt her, but with impossible agility and speed, Ember deftly sidestepped the projectile, allowing it to hit the wall—and pass right through it with a hissing sparkle.
I gaped at the fist-sized hole in the wall. The rim glowed red with heat, and as I got up on my knees to have a closer look, I saw the pink sky above the bay. The glowing edge of the hole dimmed to reveal a smooth glass surface. By the Maker, it had melted through without stopping. A horrible thought hit me, and I jumped off the bed and ran outside.
Where was it? Was it that far off already? Surely it wasn’t that fast. No…it wasn’t, but that didn’t make it a good thing. I caught a glance of the tiny blue sphere as it sped toward the jungle on the other side of the bay. My heart dropped into my stomach. If it reached the trees…
“Bring it back, girl.” My head snapped round to see Ember perched on the railing. “Or simply stop it. You have the ability to do so, do you not?”
“What do you mean?” I said, my voice shaking. “I…I can’t just call it back. Can I?” Could I? Even as the question left my lips I felt the spark, like an extension of me, but could I actually control it? Something inside of me reached out. Nothing happened. No, wait, had it slowed? I tried again. Yes, it definitely slowed, but it was still heading for the forest.
Sweat beaded on my brow as I narrowed my eyes in concentration. The fire within me rose up, but I stamped on it. I couldn’t risk losing what little control I had. Through slitted eyes I saw the course of the spark waver. Up. Up. Up! Yes! It was working. The ball of blue flame slowly began a rising, snaking course that spiraled out over the center of the bay.
Hah! I was smiling, and I startled as Talyn came alongside, brushing the back of my hand with his.
“It’s beautiful,” he said. There was no trace of his customary sarcasm, and I glanced sideways at him in a quizzical way.
He shrugged. “It is beautiful. But I’m sure there are easier ways to try out your powers than to almost turn the bay into a fire pit.”
There, I thought. Grin on face and head tilted in his mischievous manner, yes, this was the Talyn I knew. Then it hit me. This was the Talyn that Talyn wanted me to know. The one he needed me to know if I was to survive whatever was to come in the Citadel. Last night’s foray into the cavern had taught me not to assume what I was seeing was anything more than that, and the glint in Talyn’s eyes revealed he was certain I knew it too.
“You really are an insufferable prick, you know that?”
Talyn’s grin widened, and he swept his arms out to each side as he bowed. “One insufferable prick at your service, milady.”
I snorted. “Now what would the princess say. I’m sure she’d be furious if she thought her insufferable prick was sharing his…prickness.”
Prickness? Was that the best I could come up with?
“No, that was pretty lame,” confirmed Talyn. Grr, he’d read my thoughts again. He put his outstretched palms up in a gesture of conciliation.
“Jes, today we travel to the Citadel,” he said, his expression darkening. “Given time, I…we”—he glanced at Ember, who ruffled her feathers—“might have had a chance to train you. But now we’ve run out of time.”
“Train me?” I was confused for a second before remembering Ember leading me into the first semblance of control over the dragon fire.
Talyn shook his head. “Not that sort of training.”
What? If not that sort, then what?
Ember shook her feathers. “You shall have other assistance with your mastery over the fire, girl,” she trilled. “We speak of your inability to hide your thoughts from those with the power to listen.”
Oh. I had no idea what they expected of me. Until a couple of days ago I was blissfully unaware that my innermost thoughts and desires were being shouted out to the world. I knew the power to talk mind to mind was incredibly rare, but if I couldn’t control my literally screaming brain, it left me vulnerable. I had no way to know if another mind reader was close by. I could read thoughts, yes, and sense the emotions accompanying them, but knowing if another could listen to mine without my knowledge? No, that was beyond me.
“Yes, it is. At least for now.” I gritted my teeth and bit back a verbal rebuke, even as the wince on Talyn’s face revealed he’d heard my mental one. “Ember has a gift for you.”
/> “What?” I almost shouted as I took a step back from both of them, my palms up to ward them off. “The last time someone gave me a gift, it turned out to be more like a curse.”
Ember huffed, and I caught a sense of condescension. I rounded on her. “You may think I’m a foolish little faerie girl, but I am not stupid enough to accept something like that again.” I caught the glance between the two of them, and the vague suggestion of an I told you so.
But how had I felt that? I prodded at Talyn’s and Ember’s mental defenses. No reaction. Any other time I’d attempted anything like that, they’d known. Most attempts had provoked a laugh or a snort of arrogance from Ember, or amusement from Talyn.
Now, I could feel their mental exchange. No words, no, and no clear thoughts, but I felt the emotions. Talyn was smug. He had won a bet with Ember over me accepting this new gift, whatever it was. Yes, he was smug.
I cleared my throat. “At least, not without this gift being fully explained.”
I choked back a laugh as Talyn’s mind balked and Ember’s exploded with laughter. I’d deal with the bird another time, but for now I was pleased to have gained a point over Talyn…even if he didn’t know it.
How? How didn’t he know it? Up until now he’d been able to read all my thoughts. Apparently I screamed them from the rooftops. Something had changed, and I realized at last that Ember’s mirth wasn’t over his winning the bet, but that she’d succeeded in granting me her gift without me being the slightest bit aware of it.
I looked at the gift, and it was as though we were on a separate channel, with Talyn and everyone else locked out.
‘This is my gift, girl.’ Ember’s avian eyes bore into mine, and the true depth of what she’d given me became apparent. I had the ability to layer my thoughts. The channel Ember had just talked to me on was the true me. I panicked for a second when I realized she was the only one who could sense my true thoughts, but up until a moment ago, so had Talyn and anyone else with the ability.
I explored the gift as the world slowed down around me. I could create an outer layer around my thoughts, almost like a pre-recorded loop of memories, or even pepper it with glimpses into what I was really thinking at that moment in time. But the trick was I could choose what others saw.
It was incredible. If the gift had simply been the ability to block others from reading my thoughts, they would know I was blocking them. Now? Now I could fool them into thinking I was still an open book, when I was in fact telling the story I wanted them to read.
‘Does Talyn know?’
Ember cocked her head. ‘He knows some but not all. For instance, he knows I’m gifting you with the ability to mask your thoughts, but he doesn’t know the level of control over the ability. I have done my best to impart as much knowledge about layering your thoughts into the spell, but it will take practice.’
But how could I do this, keep so many secrets from Talyn? In the short time we’d known each other—had it only been three days?—something had grown between us.
‘I don’t know if I can—’
Ember’s huff silenced me. ‘It is better this way, Jes.’ She used my name this time. ‘You must keep Talyn away from your inner mind, at least until this task is done.’
‘Why? He’s the one who has to act the fool in front of the princess. He’s the one who has to fawn over her. Why shouldn’t he know?’
The vision of me writhing on the floor as my wings burned down to stumps on my back flashed through my head.
‘Do you think that Lyssa, even with Talyn there to distract her, will not pay the occasional visit to her little plaything?’ Ember’s avian brows drew together. ‘Talyn is a gifted spy, girl, but Lyssa is a sadistic bitch. She will not want to mark her new little plaything. No, she will reserve that special honor for you.’
She was right. I saw it now. ‘And if Talyn and I run into each other…if he sees what she’s done, it will make his job next to impossible, won’t it?’
Ember nodded. ‘The boy loves you, girl. I won’t insult you by telling you how you feel, even with the…complication.’
I blushed. Ember knew all about Wash and Iriene, that much was obvious.
The world sped up again, and Talyn’s expression turned to one of regretful resignation. He’d lost the bet after all. I briefly wondered if I’d ever find out the stakes, but the thought was lost as Ember proceeded to explain the gift she was about to give me. I suppressed a smile and feigned rapt attention throughout.
This wasn’t going to be easy. The mask however, was. Talyn smiled as I transmitted my annoyance at having to rely on another being’s gift to overcome my own shortcomings. I almost snatched my hand back as he squeezed it in support. Almost.
If Talyn had heard my true thoughts at that moment…well, let’s just say that a blush might be the least obvious result.
Chapter Fourteen
“Ten seconds, Glyran?” I asked, smiling as we dove through the teeth of the gateway and soared skyward. My stomach lurched to my feet as his chuckle tickled my mind.
‘No need, child. The princess has not ordered me to relay our conversations this time.’
I felt the dragon’s smug satisfaction. For the very first time, we were free to talk without fear of being caught. My heart soared faster as we flashed toward the clouds.
Glyran’s head jerked slightly to the right, toward where Talyn clung to Lyssa’s waist, both of them seated on the silver dragon’s back. Fear etched his features. I almost heard his whimper from here, and saw the cruel smile twisting Lyssa’s lips at his discomfort. It was an act, of course, Glyran knew that too, but it was highly satisfying to know she didn’t.
‘It appears our princess is otherwise engaged.’ Glyran chuckled at the pun, and I grinned.
‘Engaged. Good one, dragon.’
Glyran’s chest huffed out beneath me, and the heat of the gas igniting in his belly flowed through my legs. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to that.
‘How was your trip?’
For a second, part of me didn’t want to tell him. Dammit! This is what Lyssa had done. She’d made me distrust everyone…well, she’d tried at least. Thing is, she’d partially succeeded with Glyran. I stamped my doubt down and told him everything about the visit. Well, everything except the part where I have the first recipient of the gift of dragon fire living inside me.
I had no idea why, but I needed to keep that part, and my feelings for Wash, separate from everything else. They were personal…mine.
Glyran merely gave a brief nod. Hmm, perhaps I hadn’t told him anything he didn’t already know.
‘So Ember plays another of her little games, and you are to be a pawn.’ Glyran’s thoughts were tinged with an undertone of what I initially thought to be anger, before realizing it wasn’t anger; it was worry.
‘Apparently Talyn is very good at what he does, Glyran,’ I told him, attempting to temper his concern.
He simply huffed in answer. We were silent for several minutes, the slight wind ruffling my hair. I looked down to the thick greenery of the surface below. I’d been a forest dweller all my life, before being summoned to the Citadel, but the canopy below was unlike any woods I’d ever seen.
‘That’s not a part of the Great Forest, is it?’ I asked.
‘No, child. That is the southern jungle, and if I were you, I should be very glad we’re flying over it.’
Hadn’t Talyn mentioned the jungles? No…it hadn’t been him. Wash had told me how most travel was by sea, due to the dangers lurking in the jungles.
‘Is it truly so dangerous, Glyran? I mean…I know the woods, and beasts have never been a danger to me, thanks to my…abilities.’
Glyran gave a mental snort. ‘The jungle is as unlike the woods you grew up in as the sea is to the land.’ Images flashed through my mind, creatures horrifying in their variety, but all sharing a common purpose: to kill other living things. I shivered.
‘Those are but a few of the perils awaiting anyone foolish enough to
venture inside the jungles, but they are not the worst…not by far.’
By the Maker! What could be worse than those monsters?
‘The jungle itself is the greatest danger, for it will try to kill you before any of the creatures even get close.’ He didn’t project any images this time, but my imagination provided enough that I was indeed glad we were flying high above.
A flash on the horizon drew my attention back to our destination. Sunlight glinted off the distant spires as we sped back toward my luxurious prison. Melancholy settled on my shoulders.
‘Perhaps Talyn shall keep her so busy she won’t have time to torment you.’
Glyran’s concern was like a warm blanket. But both of us knew that was unlikely. Before I could stop myself I said, ‘Well, at least I won’t be completely alone—’ Dammit! I felt like kicking myself for the slip. Up until now I’d managed to keep my friendship with Hoggan a secret from Glyran. At least, I thought I had. What if I was as open to Glyran as I was to Ember and Talyn? I carried out a mental check of Ember’s gift, and only the outer shell of my mind should have been readable.
Glyran chuckled. ‘Your thoughts are safe, child. I see more of Ember’s mischief is involved.’ I felt a brief, almost imperceptible pressure on the inner barrier of my mind. Then it was gone. ‘Clever…very clever.’ I felt his pleasure and satisfaction.
I had to know however, if he knew about Hoggan, but before I could ask the question he cut me off.
‘I know all about your little friend, child,’ he said. ‘Firehoof has told me about the brownie youngling, and how she risks punishment every day to smuggle information to them, and through them to us.’
Us? Who did he mean? The dragons, or someone…something else? ‘You mean the rebellion, don’t you? Alwyn mentioned something about it.’
Glyran was silent for a moment, and I knew he was considering how much to tell me, but then he spoke. ‘Your insight yet again serves you well.’ There was a glimmer of sadness and frustration. ‘But I cannot tell you any more than you have already guessed. To do so would put you at greater peril than you might suspect.’
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