Page 143 of Duskbound

Heat rushed to my face and I turned away. "It is strange," I admitted.

Neither of us said anything for a long moment.

"I have that dream nearly every night." His voice had lost its teasing edge, replaced by something almost haunted.

"And you know nothing else about where you're from?"

"Sometimes I feel things, like I'm being pulled somewhere, but it vanishes quickly."

Silence settled between us, broken only by the crackle of the fire and the distant sound of waves.

"Why did you not take the position as commander?" I asked, wondering if I was pushing too far.

Aether's expression turned thoughtful, his brow furrowed as he stared up at the stars.

"Wherever I'm from..." he finally said, his voice low, "I was cast out. There must have been a reason for that. Something I did." A flicker of pain crossed his face, gone so quickly I almost missed it. "A part of this life feels like a chance at redemption." He paused, taking a deep breath. "I don't think someone like that should be leading others."

"You speak of redemption like it's religious," I said quietly. "I thought you didn't give much interest to the thought of a higher power."

"Not all redemption is for the sake of the gods, Fia." He turned to look at me, and something in my chest fluttered at the way he said my name.

"The gods?" I arched a brow.

"The Esprithe, I guess."

"For an instant in Draxon, I wondered if you were one of them." The admission slipped out before I could stop it. "I'd never seen anything like that. What you did."

"I've never done that before." Something dark passed over his face. "Not in this life, at least."

The weight of his words settled between us, and I realized how much guilt he carried, how much uncertainty about his own past plagued him.

"So none of the others know?" I asked softly.

"They know I can manipulate matter, but they don't know the extent."

"It felt like more than that. The pressure inside that room changed completely. Like I was being dragged under the ocean."

"I'm sure you've seen greater gifts," he said, deflecting. "The Sídhe Guard seems to have no shortage of them."

"Not like yours," I said, thinking back to my time in the Guard. "There were some unique gifts in the team I'd been part of. One of my friends can create lightning. Another can paralyze people with just a drop of his blood."

Aether went quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was flat. "Is that the one you were talking about at the bonfire?"

My eyes widened as I recalled everything he'd heard me say about Laryk that night. "No. Not him."

"He sounded like a prick."

"Coming from you?" I laughed, though it felt awkward in my throat.

The silence that rolled past felt heavier than before.

"Have you dreamt of him?" Aether finally asked.

I contemplated how to answer, a sinking feeling settling in my stomach. "I have," I said softly, then paused. "He thinks I'm still alive."

Something violent crossed Aether's eyes, all trace of amusementdraining from his face. And suddenly, I felt like we were entering dangerous territory.

"Are you in love with him?" His voice was cold.

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