Page 29 of Kingdoms of Tides and Twilight

Grayden felt a warmth spread through his chest at her words. “Insults aside, thank you, Selenia.”

“Don't expect to hear it again,” she warned, though her smile belied her stern tone.

As they reached Grayden's chamber door, Selenia's excitement returned full force. “So, when do I get to see Renya? Surely you can pull yourself away long enough to let her eat?”

Grayden chuckled, his earlier anger dissipating in the face of his sister's enthusiasm. “Yes, we'll see you at dinner,” he promised, stepping back into the sanctuary of his room where Renya awaited.

As the door closed behind him, Grayden leaned against it, letting out a long breath. The confrontations had left him drained, but as his eyes fell on Renya's sleeping form, a sense of peace washed over him. Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.

Chapter Seventeen

Renya floated in a sea of golden light, cocooned in an overwhelming sense of love. Above her, a breathtaking mural of the sun and stars shimmered, its intricate details mesmerizing in the ethereal glow that bathed everything around her. Strong, familiar hands reached out, and she found herself gazing into a pair of blue eyes that mirrored her own, filled with a tenderness that made her heart ache with recognition.

A voice, tantalizingly familiar yet somehow different, drifted from just beyond her field of vision. Renya strained to place it, feeling as though the answer hovered just out of reach. Suddenly, the warm golden light vanished, plunging everything into darkness. The ground beneath her feet began to tremble violently, and the voice grew urgent, tinged with fear.

“It's time to go,” it insisted, the words laced with panic. “She's found out, and it's only a matter of time before—”

Renya jolted awake with a gasp, her heart pounding so furiously she could feel it in her throat. Disoriented, she found herself engulfed in darkness, the remnants of her dream clinging to her like cobwebs. “Where am I?” she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper. A sob escaped her lips as panic threatened to overwhelm her, the line between dream and reality blurring in her mind.

In an instant, warm, strong arms surrounded her, their steady presence instantly grounding.

“Shhhhhh, Little Fawn,” Grayden's deep voice rumbled soothingly in her ear. “You've had a bad dream.” His lips brushed her forehead, damp with a cold sweat, before his fingers gently tucked strands of hair behind her ears.

The realization washed over her like a warm wave: she was in Grayden's bed, safe in his arms. Renya rolled towards him, and he effortlessly lifted her onto his lap, cradling her against his broad chest. As he held her, an inexplicable calmness began to seep through her, gradually slowing her racing heart and chasing away the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

The sensation was strange, almost foreign, as if the tranquility wasn't entirely her own. Confused, Renya lifted her head to meet Grayden's concerned gaze, his jade eyes luminous even in the dim light.

“You're doing that, aren't you?” she asked, her voice thick with wonder.

Grayden's brow wrinkled slightly as he explained, “My mother could calm my father sometimes. I never understood how she did it, but when I felt your panic, I instinctively tried to push it away, replacing it with the calm I felt holding you. I honestly didn't think it would work.”

The effect was undeniable. Renya could feel her blood pressure dropping, the tension draining from her muscles as she melted into Grayden's embrace, suddenly exhausted now that the adrenaline had ebbed away.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“Renya, you never have to thank me for anything again,” Grayden assured her, his voice warm with affection. “But what happened? You were sleeping so soundly and then started thrashing.”

Renya scrunched up her brow as she tried to grasp the fading tendrils of her dream. “I had a nightmare. I...I just realized I've had it before. It starts off warm, and there's light everywhere, and then darkness comes in and...” She trailed off, frustrated as the details slipped away like water through her fingers.

A sudden thought struck her, causing her to sit up straighter in Grayden's arms. “Grayden, do you think it's possible these are memories from my childhood?”

Grayden's expression turned thoughtful, his thumb absently tracing soothing circles on her arm. “It's possible, Little Fawn. What did you see?”

Renya closed her eyes, concentrating hard as she tried to recall the rapidly fading images. “There was someone standing over me. They had blue eyes, and there was a painting on the ceiling. A mural, I think. Suns and stars.” Her voice grew softer as she strained to remember. “And then, everything turned dark, and the earth rumbled...that's all I can remember now.”

Grayden remained silent for a moment, his eyes distant as he considered her words. “It could very well be memories,” he said finally. “Fae, even as young children, have the ability to recall memories that have strong emotions tied to them. Perhaps it is a memory from your time here.”

Renya nodded slowly, the ethereal quality of the dream feeling far removed from her life in Los Angeles. She snuggled closer to Grayden, drawing comfort from the solid wall of his chest. As if on cue, her stomach let out a loud, protesting growl.

“How long have I been asleep?” she asked, suddenly aware of how famished she felt.

“Only a few hours,” Grayden replied. “I went to Almory's workshop and let him and Tumwalt know we had returned. I came back upstairs as soon as I was done and fell asleep while watching you sleep.”

Renya couldn't help but smile, a teasing note entering her voice. “That sounds incredibly boring.”

“I always love to watch you, even if you're sleeping. You fascinate me,” Grayden admitted, his voice soft with affection. “But we do need to make an appearance at dinner. Selenia is quite desperate to see you.”

At the mention of Selenia, Renya felt a surge of excitement. She crawled out of bed, pulling on the tunic Grayden had discarded on the floor. It hung comically large on her smaller frame, but she found she loved wearing it, surrounded by his scent.

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