Page 88 of Beyond Those Gilded Walls

“And what will become of Veressia without a leader?” Kalyx inquired.

“They’ve been without a leader for a long time now. They will survive.”

“Very well.” He bowed lowly. “I shall seal it off once all have vacated it.”

Tallon clasped my hand and nodded for Kalyx to proceed. We followed him down the stairs, away from my former house, which was now little more than a tomb. I jerked to a stop, needing to do one last thing before I left.

“What is it?” Tallon asked as I dug into his pocket.

Emyl’s letter clutched in my hand, I climbed the stairs and propped it on the door handle. I did not need to read it, did not need to see his venomous goodbye in his own handwriting. “Goodbye, brother.”

When I returned to Tallon’s side, I slipped my hand back in his and squeezed. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and returned the squeeze. A cold spot appeared near my hip, and I looked to see Sylviana had joined us. Tallon huffed a laugh and called ahead to Kalyx, who was tapping his foot impatiently. “We are ready now.”

Kalyx waved his hand and a portal opened there in the street, revealing the Beyond inside, framed by whorls of black so similar to Tallon’s and my own magic. Despite the apprehension pitting in my stomach as I studied the craggy black rocks visible on the other side of the portal, I stepped through with Tallon without fear.

ChapterThirty-Nine

The portal closed behind us and Tallon pulled me tightly to his side.

Breathing in the calm air of the Beyond, I was certain I was exactly where I belonged. Finally.

“I’d like to introduce you to my court,” Kalyx said as the portal collapsed behind us.

The soft breeze, so unlike the cold wind from before, pressed my dress against my shins, the fabric damp with blood and reminding me just what we’d escaped. Tallon squeezed my hand, noticing my grimace no doubt. “Let us clean up and rest first, will you?”

Kalyx bowed. “Of course. I’ll wait for you in the throne room. Tallon, you know the way still, yes?”

Tallon barely stifled his eye roll. “Yes, I do remember the way. I’ve been gone not even two years, not a century.”

My grandfather waved us off with a wide, too-innocent smile and a wink to me when Tallon turned away. “Go, get clean. Rest. There’s much to show you, but all the time in the world now that you’re both here.”

My heart squeezed at the warmth and genuine joy in his voice. Hewantedme here. Still overwhelmed by how different this Beyond seemed, I let Tallon pull me down the black-dirt path, away from Kalyx even as I watched him over my shoulder as we departed. Finally out of his sight as Tallon guided us around a towering pillar of stone, I turned my attention back to the man who’d given me everything.

“Are you glad to be back here for good?” I asked. His hand was warm in mine, and despite the blood that still streaked both of us, I was not afraid. Sylviana fell into step beside us as we continued down the path. “And where are we going?”

“I figured we could walk to the palace, so you could see the Beyond outside of your nightmares,” he said softly. “And I am very glad to be back, though I am immensely more pleased that you are here with me.”

“Would you have really called in your favor to get me to come here?” I did not linger on the piece about my nightmares. He’d already proven this was a far different place when I was awake and here willingly. If he wanted to show it to me, I would be glad to see it. Besides, I was curious to see what else lay here in the Beyond.

“Absolutely.” There was no hesitation, only that brazen confidence that occasionally bordered on arrogance.

“Well, I suppose you’ll figure out another favor to…” My words trailed off as we turned a corner in the path. Before us lay what could only be the palace, a towering and expansive structure of gleaming black stone with jutting spires not unfamiliar in appearance to the jagged rocks that lined the cliffs it sat on. Stopping as I continued to marvel at it, I felt both Tallon and Sylviana watching me. Waiting for my reaction. “It’s beautiful.”

Tallon’s shoulders visibly relaxed as he raised the back of my hand to his lips. “I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until just now. And I am glad to be seeing it again with you.”

As lovely as this is,Sylviana spoke,you two are both covered in blood still. Perhaps a bit of urgency to wash it off wouldn’t be amiss.

“She’s right. Let’s get you clean,” Tallon said. He ran his hands over my arms, flaking off some of the dried blood caked there. His chest inflated with a deep inhale, and on his exhale, we were back in his room in the palace. The bloody rags that I’d used to tend to his wounds not even a day ago were gone, and the room was pristine. He paused at the door to the bathroom. “Would you prefer to bathe alone, or would you mind some company? I find I’m not exactly eager to let you out of my sight right now.”

Quickly growing exhaustion warred briefly with flaming desire, but before I could decide the victor, he spoke again.

“I promise, it will only be a bath and I will be on my best behavior.” Despite his words, his smirk stoked the fire in my belly. “You’re not used to the toll of the magic yet; you need to rest. Let me take care of you, please.”

The exhaustion nudged ahead of the desire, cooling the burning in my blood as I nodded. Until he’d said something, I hadn’t noticed the heaviness about my body, the ache forming behind my eyes. “A bath sounds lovely.”

Stepping out of my shoes, I lifted my hair over my shoulder and turned my back to him. As reverently as he had put it on, Tallon carefully undid all the clasps along the dress, removing the spine piece and then peeling the blood-crusted dress from my body. His arms came around my waist, pulling me back to his chest as he pressed kiss after kiss along the marks that adorned my shoulder. “You are resplendent, Odyssa.”

“Even covered in another’s blood?” I teased as I looked over my shoulder at him.

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