Page 49 of Ecliptic

“Thank you for your help,” I replied, weary to the bone. Itwas an awkward goodbye to the man who helped save my life, but I desperately needed to wash this ordeal from my skin.

His eyes pierced mine, and he grinned. “No problem.”

Warring emotions overcame me, but I returned his smile before walking away.

Rowen and I headed straight to our private bathing chamber, and I sighed in relief as the stone basin ran full. The cascading waterfalls filled the tub and sprinkled up water like bits of diamonds.

“You go first,” Rowen said. “And take your time. You deserve it.”

I lowered into the shell bath and moaned. The frigid water had thankfully warmed from the hot springs and there was now enough water to fully submerge myself. I rested my head against the tub and enjoyed the day-lit stars.

After my soak, I felt like a whole new woman.

I wrapped myself in a plush robe as Rowen hopped in after me. He ducked his head under the water and emerged like a god of the sea, whipping his dark curls from his face.

My eyes perused a little longer than they should have, and when I finally walked into the anteroom to finish getting ready, the dying plant wall filled my vision.

Clean, warm, and dry, I felt as if I could do anything. And with newfound confidence, I placed my hands along the withering branches.

I willed the Light within me to flow through my fingertips, hoping to revive the dying foliage. For a moment, a glow enveloped the leaves, and I held my breath as I cradled the delicate life within my hands. It was alive and beautiful, and my heart soared. But then, the ever-present seed of death crept in from the edges and smothered my Light.

“No!” I cried.

I could no longer feel life, only death—it spread its cold tendrils through the branches and leaves and crumbled them to dust. “No! No! No!”

I thought I was getting better.

Despair engulfed me as I realized I’d left the bathing chamber worse than I found it. I had wanted to heal and restore, but instead, I destroyed.

I collapsed to the ground in hopelessness, and nothing could stop my tears as a storm erupted overhead.

Rowen jumped out of the tub and rushed toward me, naked and dripping. “What happened?”

My gaze was stuck on the wall of death. I couldn’t see anything else. “I’m surrounded by darkness,” I said, my breaths coming in so tight and quick I could barely breathe.

“You’ve been surrounded by darkness before. You beat it once, you can beat it again,” he replied, his eyes filled with sincerity and desperation.

“I don’t know how to come back from this.”

“Beauty can come out of the darkness. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it with you, Keira. When you first came to this world surrounded by your blight, I couldn’t touch you. Call out to you. But I watched you overcome it. And even though I didn’t know you, I was so damned proud of you. Watching you fight it alone was agony then, and it’s agony now—not being able to touch you. To pleasure you. To hold you. Especially when I see you breaking like this.”

I knew it was hard for him to see me this way. It was hard to live through. Especially when all I wanted was to collapse into his arms.

“Find your way back to me,” he begged, his knuckles turning white from restraining to touch me.

“I’m trying.”

Cheers echoed through the bathing chamber as rain began to fall. Everyone celebrated and laughed while I crashed and burned and destroyed.

20

I slept like the dead, and when I woke at dawn, I was too anxiety-ridden to go back to bed.

I leaned into Rowen’s ear, inhaling his earthy scent. “I’m going to train. I will see you later.”

He stirred, his voice groggy. “I’ll go with you.”

“No, sleep. You need it,” I whispered, wishing I could press a kiss to his temple. “I love you.”

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