by Todd, E. L.
The queen rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. She looked out the window and saw the sunrise through the cluster of trees. She felt exhausted. Zyle had only let her sleep for a few hours. The rest of the time he was having his way with her.
Zyle walked into the bedroom and kissed her. “I’m sorry that those two woke you. They were quite upset when I told them they were purposely disinvited.”
Accacia’s face fell. “Why aren’t they coming along?”
“I want it just to be us.” He held her in his arms and kissed her cheek. “Get dressed. We need to get moving.”
Accacia yawned. “Okay.” She rose from the bed and dressed herself.
They left Canu and headed toward the ocean. Zyle led her through a maze in the mountains until they reached a secluded beach. The water was a light blue and clear, and there weren’t rocks covering the sand. Accacia adored the sight. She dropped her pack and ran to the water, getting her toes wet and the calves of her legs.
Zyle laid the blanket on the beach and sat down, watching her play in the water. He saw her roll up her pant legs so she could move further in and he laughed at her. “Just take off your clothes, Accacia.”
She turned around and gave him a frightened look. Her eyes looked around the landscape, checking the scenery. “We are outside. What if someone sees me?”
Zyle laughed again. “No one is going to see you other than me—there’s no one here.” Zyle took off his shirt and laid back, proving that he wasn’t frightened of being spotted.
Accacia watched him and followed his example. She removed her clothes and stood in her undergarments. Zyle watched her inch closer into the ocean and saw her nipples harden in the cold water. He rose to his feet and followed her into the ocean, removing all his clothes before walking into the waves. She saw him approach and she swam away with a smile on her face. He chased her through the water until he grabbed her leg and pulled her to him. She didn’t fight his hold and quickly wrapped her legs around his waist while she kissed him passionately. He pushed himself within her and made love to her in the ocean, rocking her body along with the moving waves of the sea.
They hiked high into the mountains until they reached the very top, at Accacia insistence, and they spent the afternoon at the edge of the rise, gazing at the rest of the island. She didn’t realize how small it was until she saw it all in its entirety. The Continent was much larger than Suaden.
They sat on the hill until the sun began to sink below the horizon. Zyle insisted that they head back, not wanting Accacia to travel too long in the dark. She still hadn’t adopted their night sight ability, and he didn’t want her to trip on a rock and fall to her death. Accacia didn’t want to leave. She loved it up there.
Zyle and Accacia headed back to Canu, and she stared at the landscape of Suaden one last time, wanting to store it forever in her memory. It was such a beautiful place. She didn’t want to leave it.
Accacia felt innately home on Suaden. She felt like she belonged on the land and with its people. She had assumed she would only be miserable here, but she couldn’t have been more wrong. Now she had a family who loved her, Laura and Pia, and she had a mate to share eternity with, Zyle. Her heart squeezed in her chest when she thought about returning to the Continent—the slaves, the duke, the freezing winters, and Aleco—she feared Aleco most of all. She didn’t know how she was going to tell him that she moved on—that she was happy with someone else. Zyle was her soul mate—surely, he would understand that.
Accacia’s heart fell further with every step they took into the city. She knew their day of bliss was over. The couple walked back into their eave and Zyle prepared dinner while Accacia sat on the couch, facing the window. Zyle had to slice the fruit on the counter because he destroyed the kitchen table. She didn’t know what they were going to eat on.
Zyle walked into the sitting room placed their tea on the coffee table along with the banana bread he prepared. She enjoyed the lack of gender roles in their society. The women weren’t restricted to the kitchen and men weren’t the only ones allowed into battle.
Zyle spotted her crestfallen face. “Tell me.”
Accacia flinched at his observation. He always seemed to know when something was plaguing her mind. She knew her feelings must have been profound if Zyle recognized them with his sensitivity. “I would rather not say.”
Zyle felt alarmed. It was the first time Accacia ever refrained from telling him her thoughts. “Did I do something?”
She reached over and patted his arm. “No, of course not,” she said. “I had a wonderful time today.”
Zyle left the food untouched. “I don’t understand. Why won’t you tell me, then? You confide everything to me.”
Accacia sighed. “I was thinking about Aleco.”
Zyle nodded. “I see.”
“You told me I can talk to you about anything and I know that’s true. But you can’t lie to me, Zyle. I know it bothers you when I discuss him.” She grabbed his hand. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Zyle looked at her. “I already told you I want to know your thoughts—even if they upset me. I’m here for you, Accacia. The context of your worry is irrelevant.” Accacia remained silent at his words. She didn’t touch her food or look at him. “Accacia, when you discovered we were life partners, you told me you loved him, not me.” Accacia closed her eyes at his words, feeling the sting. “If I can handle that, then surely I can handle this. I wish I could be as objective as you are. When I discuss Cassandra you are completely impartial and understanding, and I appreciate it and I want to reciprocate that confidence. Please tell me, Accacia. I am your life partner. Your concerns are my concerns.”
Accacia sighed. She turned in her seat and faced him. She reached out and grabbed his face, kissing him gently. Zyle moaned at the feel of her lips. Accacia pulled away and let her hands drift down his stomach, feeling the contours of his body. She met his gaze. “I’m worried about Aleco—I don’t know what to say to him.”
“I can talk to him.”
Accacia shook her head quickly. “No, that is definitely a bad idea. I hate to imagine the outcome. Aleco definitely needs to hear it from me.”
“What if he presses his advance on you anyway?”
“Aleco would never do that, Zyle.”
“Then what are you afraid of?”
“Hurting him—I don’t want to hurt him.”
“Didn’t Aleco tell you to move on?”
Accacia leaned against the couch. “Yes, but it isn’t going to make accepting it any easier. I would hate to see him with someone else.”
Zyle dropped his gaze. “Even though you’re committed to me you still feel that way?” He thought her feelings for him were gone. Zyle knew they didn’t disappear altogether, but he didn’t think they would still be as strong. If Cassandra reappeared from the afterlife he would still be as committed to Accacia. It would change nothing.
Accacia sighed. “This is why I didn’t want to speak of this—I knew it would hurt you.”
Zyle leaned forward and looked away from her. He assumed dealing with Aleco was going to be difficult but he didn’t realize just how strenuous. “I guess you were right.”
Accacia felt a tear fall from her eye. She grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back. He saw her eyes water but he didn’t try to comfort her. She crawled into his lap and straddled his hips. “Please don’t doubt my love for you.” Accacia grabbed his face and kissed him. “I told you how I felt from the beginning.” She grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart. “Do you doubt me?”
Zyle stared at her. He saw the tears fall from her eyes and his heart ached. He hated being the cause of her pain. Zyle knew she loved him. He had no doubt, he never did. She would never betray him or lie to him—she would never leave him for Aleco. It wouldn’t make any sense if she did, but he couldn’t fight the jealousy he felt. He forced himself to put aside his immature feelings. He won—Aleco lost. Accacia belonged to him. She was his soul mate and it was th
eir destiny to be together. How could Aleco compete with that? Zyle cupped her face. “I’ve never doubted your love for me—nor will I ever, Accacia. I—I just hate sharing you.”
“Sharing me?” she asked.
“I know this is going to sound immature and inappropriate, but it’s how I feel. I want you to love only me. I want to be the only one in your heart—you are the only one in mine.”
Accacia looked down. “I’m sorry, Zyle. I can’t lie to you, nor will I ever. Aleco will never be gone from my heart—I’m sorry.”
Zyle looked away. That was the reaction he had been expecting. It did nothing to soften the blow. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, allowing his logical thoughts to overcome the inexplicable emotions of his heart. Accacia had been honest with him from the beginning—she told him she would always love Aleco. He couldn’t hold that against her.
“Why does this make you so upset, Zyle? What has changed?” Accacia recalled how understanding Zyle had been when they became committed to one another. It seemed the closer they were to leaving for the Continent, the more unraveled he became.
Zyle felt like a child and he regretted what he had said—he was just being emotional. “I apologize, Accacia. I take back what I said. I’ve never felt this way before and I hate myself for it. I feel like I’m unable to control it. I have never been a possessive or jealous man, always confident in myself and my partners, but with you—I’m just—irrational. I shouldn’t have said it to begin with. It’s—just today—is—”
Accacia kissed him. “I know, Zyle. I forgive you. Let’s forget it ever happened.”
Zyle smiled at her. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“Ask the gods when you see them.”
“I will.” He smiled up at her and kissed her. “Are you ready for bed?”
“Gods yes,” she said. “I’m exhausted. I didn’t get any sleep last night.”
Zyle carried her into the bedroom. “Don’t expect any tonight either.”
Accacia laughed as he removed her clothes. “How are you not tired, Zyle?” He threw her pants to the floor along with her shirt and undergarments. “You slept even less than I did.”
Zyle kissed her naked body, starting from the inside of her thighs to her robust breasts. He stopped at her lips. “It’s because you’re the woman lying next to me.” He shed his clothes and threw them across the floor. “Why would I want to sleep?” Zyle stared into her face as he placed himself within her. Her eyes immediately danced in green flames at his intrusion. He rocked into her and she gripped his back and moaned into his ear. Accacia whispered his name as she felt him inside her.
Zyle leaned toward her ear. “Are you still tired?”
“No,” she said as she pulled him deeper into her.
Canu
7
The dirt streets of Canu were deserted of people. Everyone was spending their remaining time in their eaves with their family members or enjoying the beautiful landscape of the island. Koku was perched on Zyle’s shoulder and he was whistling his signature tune. The sound reminded him of Accacia. “I don’t even recognize myself, Laura.”
Laura walked alongside him. She wore a long dress that shined with the signature color of Asquithian green. Her hair was hung over one shoulder in a long braid that hung down to her breasts. Zyle could see the familial resemblance between Laura and his life partner. The curves of their cheekbones were the same and they had the same thin lips. Laura didn’t look at Zyle when she spoke. “It’s understandable, Zyle. This situation is the first of its kind.”
“I still hate the way I’m behaving. I can’t fight the jealousy and I can’t hide the pain I feel. I hate it when she mentions him—I can’t explain why. I still love Cassandra, and Accacia accepts it completely. Why can’t I return this comfort?”
“You’re afraid Aleco will take her away from you. It’s obvious.”
Zyle said nothing for a moment. “It crossed my mind.”
“She won’t, Zyle.”
“How do you know?”
“She told me.”
“And what else did she say?” he asked with interest. He knew he could ask Accacia anything and she would confide only the truth, but he found it easier to hear it from Laura, his very close friend.
“Nothing I’m at liberty to discuss.” Laura continued to walk forward down the road. The morning sunrise was penetrating through the trees and warming her skin. Her bare feet were dirty, covered in the grime of the forest floor, which was the same color as the earth, brown and filthy.
Zyle felt his heart drop. Accacia must be hiding something from him, knowing the information would be too painful to reveal. The King of the Asquithians sighed deeply as he walked alongside his closest friend. Koku whistled from his shoulder and that eased the pain of his heart. “My apologies,” he said.
The Canu birds flocked through the branches of the trees, singing their love song to the rising sun. Zyle knew Accacia would wake up soon and he wanted to return to her before she stirred. She was an early riser, naturally, but she had been sleeping in later than usual; Zyle usually distracted her from restful nights. Laura saw the stress in the muscles of his frame and his clenched jaw. She knew he was fearful of the unknown.
“You have nothing to worry about, Zyle. Trust me.”
He looked over at her as he walked forward. “Really?” he asked.
“Truly.” She smiled.
Zyle dropped his gaze and looked away. “I know you’re right, Laura. I have always known. The jealousy and possessiveness I feel is inappropriate and unnecessary. I need to drop it—immediately.”
“I agree.”
“Do you think less of me?”
“No,” she said simply. “Not if you change it.”
“I fear I have already done too much damage,” he said with a sigh.
“What is your meaning?”
“I did something I shouldn’t have.” Laura stared at Zyle closely, wondering what he was going to confess. Accacia had never mentioned anything. “I made her promise to stay committed to me—that she wouldn’t leave me for him. It was the deciding factor for my proposal to sail to the Continent. I regret my words.”
Laura shook her head. “And you should. That was the only reason why you decided to free the souls of our kin?”
“No, of course not,” he said quickly. “But it was the first thought in my mind—losing Accacia.”
The pair walked around the city of Canu and returned to the road that led to their respective eaves. They both stopped when they reached Laura’s home. Laura stared at Zyle, her king, and was surprised by his irrational decision. Zyle bowed his head in shame. He knew he had disappointed her.
“Zyle, the fact that you’re examining your own decisions, the bad ones, makes you an exceptional leader. You care about your own actions and how they affect others—you are constantly trying to better yourself, which is something I admire.” Zyle didn’t meet her gaze but he nodded his head in understanding. “Your personal life is another matter and I cannot tell you what to do, but I know you’re seeking my advice so here it is: all you want is for Accacia to be happy. Am I right?”
“Yes, essentially,” he agreed.
“Even if it was with someone else—like Aleco?” she asked.
Zyle met her penetrating gaze and stared at her for a moment. The idea of her being with Aleco, or anyone else, made his heart break, but if that was her decision he would respect it completely. He knew he would. “Yes, of course.”
“Then there is no reason to be jealous, Zyle. She will either pick you or she won’t. If she is happier with someone else, so be it. There is nothing you can do—accept it.”
Zyle closed his eyes and nodded.
“But she already has decided, Zyle. She has chosen you and is completely committed to you. She could have Aleco if she wanted him, but she doesn’t—she wants you.”
“She wants him as well,” he whispered.
“But she wants you more.” Laura stare
d at her closest friend and wished he would understand her words, that he should end this unfounded jealousy. “You’re her soul mate, Zyle. Soul mate. And you’re her best friend. You’re everything to her. She may have loved Aleco but it’s nothing compared to her love for you now. I’m just sorry that I’m the one who must convince you of this, that your life partner’s love isn’t enough.”
“She still dreams about him and the images are—upsetting—for me.”
“In what way?” she asked.
Zyle shifted his weight in front of her. He gathered his thoughts for a moment, remembering the nights her emotions would make him up from slumber. The intensity of her emotions alarmed him to a state of consciousness. “She dreams about making love to him, telling him she loves him, and apologizing for leaving him. It kills me.”
“What did she say about them?”
“She doesn’t recall the dreams,” he said as he shook his head.
“Then you can’t hold it against her, Zyle. She can’t control her unconscious thoughts and she doesn’t remember them anyway. You need to let it go, Zyle. Can you honestly tell me you don’t dream of Cassandra?”
“Actually, I can.” Zyle ran his hands through his hair then looked up into his eave. He didn’t see any movement in the house. Accacia was still asleep. “She doesn’t come to me anymore—ever since Accacia sailed to these shores. Yes, I miss Cassandra. How could I not when I loved her for a century? But she isn’t in my thoughts anymore—not like before. I am committed to Accacia in every way.”
“The situations are different.”
“I know they are.”
“Then start acting like it, Zyle. You had twenty years to mourn Cassandra. She had a year.” He flinched at the hostility in her voice and he knew his behavior had destroyed her patience. Zyle wished he could be a better partner. He decided he would be from that point on. Laura was right. He was wrong. “This ends now. Just be happy, Zyle. You’re the only one standing in your way.”
