Page 79 of The Song of Sunrise
To my left, Atlys is lying down, already dry from the fire. Not minding one bit that I’m struggling to even breathe, that asshole. The warm glow of the flame casts shadows along his muscular torso, now crunching as he adjusts his elbow underneath his head.
From underneath wet lashes, I spare a glance in his direction. He is beautiful, lethally so. He looks like he is lounging on a feather bed, not a hard, rocky cave floor. Though I suppose this might be more comfortable for him, considering his entire domain is underground.
He reaches over and moves a sopping wet lock of hair out of my face. Heat scours his gaze, like molten silver, watching mewet my lips. His jaw flexes as he leans in closer until his mouth is a hair’s breadth away from mine.
“Your light is so peaceful,” he murmurs, almost to himself, “like the stillness of morning before the sun fully rises. You quiet them, and I’m devastated to know why.”
Transfixed by the twin silver irises swirling before me, I whisper back, “I quiet what, exactly?”
Atlys pauses, deliberating. “My thoughts, others’ thoughts. All of the noise is utterly silenced when I’m near you.” He leans closer, lightly touching his nose along the nape of my neck, inhaling my scent with deliberate restraint.
“Oh,” I say breathlessly.
Atlys pushes away from me, veins straining under his muscular forearms. My heart rises into my throat, and I let my treacherous brain wonder how those thick arms would feel around me, how his calloused hands would feel curling into my back, how his lips would feel on my…
“Atlys, one. Akemi, one,” he purrs with an insufferable smirk.
Asshole.
It’s going to be a long night, indeed.
28
Unwound
If we are going to stand a chance in the next Summit task, the Terraguard champions need to practice as a team. After a long day of classes, I gather a few more things from my room, trying to ignore the knot of tension in my stomach. Ramona isn’t there, and I feel a strange, almost guilty relief.
It’s not that I don’t want to talk to her. I do. I want to scream at her, cry, demand answers, but I can’t. Not yet. My thoughts are tangled, sharp edges catching on the raw wound inside me. She’s always been my closest ally, the one I trusted more than anyone.
The silence in the room is oppressive, every corner filled with the weight of things unsaid. I push the door behind me and head for the library, the one place where I can breathe without her shadow hanging over me.
Atlys and I agreed it would be best to train down in the caverns where no other teams could intervene. Selene and Gryphon are already huddled together, Gryphon’s massive frame taking up almost the entirety of the couch. His messy brown hair falls inhis face as he chuckles something to her. Selene, always astute, flips a piece of dark curls over her shoulder and rolls her eyes at him.
“Glad you both could make it,” I say as I approach.
“I almost peed my pants when that thing jumped through the wall to give me your note,” Gryphon says, voice low and gravelly. I can see why Lord Cadex picked him. Gryphon is essentially the brunette, second-stone, human version of Lord Cadex.
I laugh, picturing a tiny tarthill jumping out of a wall and scaring the shit out of one of the largest Moon’chers at the Watch.
Len, the Master Librarian, coughs and glares from above his glasses.
I attempt to stifle my laugh. “Those are tarthills from Terraguard. They can earthwalk through solid surfaces.”
Gryphon’s unruly eyebrows wiggle as he chuckles and whispers, “Well that explains that.”
Selene lightly punches his shoulder, urging him to stop, but that only results in Gryphon’s wide shoulders shaking even more violently. “It’s rare we see any native Terraguard creatures at all given the strict traveling bans in the treaty,” she says matter of factly.
No wonder Damaris chose her as their champion. Selene is always critically thinking; nothing gets past her. Not only is she an incredible channeler, but she’s gorgeous too. I wouldn’t be surprised if Damaris is as taken by her creamy, dark skin and almond eyes as Ramona pretends not to be.
“Why are we meeting here?” Selene gestures to our small huddle of furniture clustered in the middle of the stacks.
“I think it’s better shown than described. But before I show you”—I step in closer—“you must promise to not tell anyone.”
Selene puts her hand forward. “Fine. You have my word.”
“Fuck yeah!” Gryphon puts his hand on top of hers.
I place my hand on top and whisper-yell, “Go TT!”
