Total pages in book: 362
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
I’d followed Aios’s suggestion and paired the tunic with black leggings, and I didn’t think Rhain would have any reason to complain.
I took a deep breath, nodded at myself, and then walked through the bathing chamber. Tiny knots of anxiety bounced around in my stomach as I headed down the narrow hall to the antechamber. There, I found Reaver in his mortal form, seated on the couch with a pad of parchment.
He looked up as I entered. “You look nice,” he said, and a hint of pink appeared on the cheeks I could actually see through his hair.
“Thank you.” I approached. “Hopefully, Rhain agrees.”
A grin appeared, but it quickly disappeared. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m just anxious. That’s all.” I smiled, hoping it eased his concerns as I glanced at the paper in his lap. “Are you drawing something?”
Pale hair flopped over his forehead as he looked down. One shoulder lifted. “I’m supposed to be working on my letters.”
My lips twitched. “And you’re not?”
Wordlessly, he lifted the parchment and showed me. There were letters written in surprisingly fine, sophisticated lines. About half as many as there should be. The rest of the page was filled with swirling ink strokes I quickly recognized. “You’re drawing the design on the throne doors.”
“Trying to,” he mumbled, kicking feet that didn’t reach the floor.
I peered down at the paper. He’d captured the leaves on the ivy-like vines that adorned the throne room doors and decorated my tunic. “I think you’re doing a good job.”
“Thanks.” Another splash of pink traveled across his cheeks. “I don’t think Liora will be happy, though.”
“Liora?” I sat beside him.
“She’s like me,” he said, shading a tiny leaf. “But older. She doesn’t leave Mount Rhee much, but she did come by while you were asleep. All the draken did.” He frowned, appearing to search for a word. “We all felt you rise as the true Primal of Life,” he said, speaking as if that were something entirely normal.
And I guessed it was since I had basically felt Kolis do the same.
I clasped my knees. “Is Liora who watches you and Jadis sometimes?”
He nodded.
“Maybe you should finish the rest of your letters for her,” I suggested. “You’re almost halfway done.”
“I will.” Dragging his lip between his teeth, he glanced over at me. “Do you want to draw? It helps me when I’m anxious.”
“Drawing makes me anxious,” I joked. “But thank you.” My gaze flickered over him. “Why are you anxious?”
“I’m not.”
I raised my brows. “You just admitted to drawing when you’re anxious,” I pointed out. “So, why are you anxious?”
His little nose pinched as he looked away. “I’m anxious because you are.”
I drew back. “What?”
“You’re meyaah Liessa. I…I can sense it,” he said.
“Oh, gods. I didn’t know that.” Uncomfortable, I shifted in my seat. Actually, I did know that. It was just lost in all the other stuff I suddenly knew. “The notam.”
Reaver nodded.
It was the bond all draken had with the true Primal of Life. “So, all the draken can feel when I’m anxious?”
Swinging his feet, he nodded. “The older ones know how to block it out. I just haven’t learned how to do that yet.”
“What about Jadis?”
“I don’t think she can feel anything yet,” he answered. “She’s too young.”
That was kind of a relief, but not really. I didn’t want my almost constant state of anxiety affecting Reaver. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He tilted his pointy chin up. “It’s not real bad.”
I wasn’t sure I believed that, which meant I needed to get my anxiety under control.
“I think you’ll do fine today, by the way. The people already like you, and after what they saw this morning? They have to love you. So, you have no reason to be anxious,” he said earnestly and with a seriousness far beyond his age.
“Thank you.” I ran my hands over my knees. My anxiety at the moment had little to do with the speech, but I was sure that would rear its head sooner or later.
Once Reaver finished his letters, we moved out to the daybed on the balcony. He was telling me about Mount Rhee and some of the draken I hadn’t yet fully interacted with when I felt Ash near the bedchamber.
He joined Reaver and me, striding out onto the balcony, the hair at his temples damp.
“You two kind of match,” Reaver said, kicking his feet off the base of the daybed.
We did.
Ash wore a sleeveless, black tunic trimmed in the same silver brocade. It stretched across his broad shoulders and was perfectly tailored to his tapered waist. He looked magnificent.
“Great minds think alike,” he murmured, bending to kiss me.
Reaver groaned. “You two do that a lot.”
Ash chuckled as he straightened. “One day, you will understand why.”
“Nuh-uh,” Reaver denied, his lip curling in disgust.
“I’ll be sure to remind you of that when the day comes.” Ash reached over, the silver band on his upper arm glinting in the sunlight as he ruffled Reaver’s mop of blond hair. “Mestra will be here shortly to take you back to Mount Rhee.”