Page 17 of Legacy of the Heirs
“Stop doing that!” she shouted again. Lightning flashed behind her, and ice crawled from her feet.
“I cannot stopthinking, Elisara!” Kazaar snapped and stopped his pacing.
She narrowed her eyes at him, channelling the thought as a shout. “Try!”
He returned her glare. “Do you wish for a screaming match in our heads?”
Elisara stormed towards him, yet with what intent she did not know. She halted after glimpsing his collarbone beneath his shirt. She only now noticed that it was undone, revealing his muscular chest and abdomen.
“What is that?” She grabbed his collar and pulled him to her for a closer examination of the raised mark on his collarbone. She feltdrawn to it, tracing the raised sun gently with her fingers. Kazaar shivered and clenched his mouth shut as he looked down at her. She recalled her earlier reaction to his touch and stepped back immediately, turning to the tall mirror propped in the corner of the room.
Elisara analysed her skin while trailing the moon’s outline on her chest. Draping the gold chains of her dress to one side, she flipped her hair to the other, too mesmerised by the mark to acknowledge Kazaar’s presence behind her. His hands delicately moved to hold the chain, allowing her to inspect the mark more closely. She glanced up at him, noting the sun on his skin and its stark difference from the dark inkings covering the rest of his body.
“What is happening to us?”Elisara asked silently, blinking rapidly as she glanced between the two marks. She balled her fists into her skirts to dampen her rising panic and quickening breaths.
“I do not know, angel.”
Elisara closed her eyes momentarily and jumped as Kazaar’s hand returned to her waist, holding her still against him. She tried not to think about the melding of their bodies as tendrils of shadow and silvery white pooled at their feet and kissed her bare legs. At his touch, power hummed under her skin, reminding Elisara of their moment in the alcove.
“They did not hurt you last time.” While unusual in her mind, she found comfort in the closeness of Kazaar’s voice. Elisara watched his eyes in the mirror, trained on the shadows. She believed him. Nothing felt dangerous about the tendrils twisting around her body. In fact, it felt as though they called to her.
“Last time?”
“While you were sleeping.”
The tendrils tickled at her elbow, and she lifted her hand from where it had gravitated to Kazaar’s. Twisting her arm before her, wisps of light and dark twisted until encircling her arm like an intricately woven piece of fabric, warming her.
“What does it mean?” she asked aloud this time.
“Nyzaia read something,” he said cautiously. “About celestial ties.”
Elisara frowned and gripped his wrist as the tendrils climbed higher around them while he traced soothing circles on her waist. “Apparently, these markings signify a shared destiny between us, tying us together.”
Elisara scoffed. “And why should we believe that?”
Kazaar locked eyes with her in the mirror, pursing his lips.
“It also said it allowed the two people access into one another's mind.”
“Tied?”
“Together,”Kazaar confirmed.
How can I possibly live while tied to a man who has lied to me from the moment we met?Elisara stepped forward, breaking contact with him. The shadows and light ebbed, replaced with a sudden coldness.
“How many times must I apologise until you forgive me?” Kazaar asked as Elisara began pacing, creating further distance between them. Now and then, she glanced at him and changed direction. Kazaar lied to Elisara about the truth of his powers, despite knowing the pain she experienced from previous betrayals. Elisara covered her eyes, rubbed her face, and switched direction, the tiles cold beneath her feet. His only justification was not wishing to hurt her. Elisara swallowed the frustrated scream rising in her throat. She was in two minds, wanting to hurt him for the secrets he had kept while also wishing to collapse into his arms and believe all the sweet things he said.
“I did not lie to you, angel. I just did not tell you.”
“That is the same thing,” Elisara snapped, spinning to face him. With a wave of her hand, icicles formed midair and launched in Kazaar’s direction. He flourished his own hand, and they parted around him, shattering against the wall.
“And what would you have done if I had told you the truth the moment I arrived in Vala?” he asked, stepping towards her. Hisshirt blew open further in the breeze. “Would you have trusted me then?” Elisara made a disgruntled noise as he continued towards her. “Tell me, my queen, when would have been the correct time to tell you? When would you have reacted in a more positive manner than this?” His voice adopted a taunting lilt, prompting Elisara to cross her arms. “Exactly, you do not know! I wanted to tell you, angel, but I was waiting until we were—”
“Were what?” she asked, scanning his gaze.
“Friends.” He gritted his teeth.
“That’s what you wish to be?” she asked. Something inside Elisara flickered with disappointment as he took a final step and tilted her chin to look at him. “Friends?”
