Page 110 of Between Soul and Vessel
“He’ll be okay.” I looked at Kaleb. “They all will.”
Harper nodded in reply, her attention drifting to Lyra, watching as she stood up. Uncrossing her legs, Harper stood as well. “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said to Lyra, and the two shared a sweet, tender kiss.
The love between them was as strong as ever.
After I said good night to Harper and Lyra, I helped my bumbling, stumbling mess of a sister down the hallway, toward her and Folkoln’s room. When we reached the door, I tapped it with my foot.
From inside, boots swiftly crossed the floor, and the door swung open.
Folkoln looked . . . stressed. Tendrils of smoke floated around him, twisting and turning as if they were in agony. His hair was tousled back, as if he’d swept his fingers through the midnight-black strands multiple times.
“Hello,mate,” Artemesia slurred sarcastically.
“You’re drunk,” Folkoln stated, pupils narrowing into slits.
“No,” she said, feigning seriousness. “I’m not.”
“Uh-huh,” Folkoln said, his gaze shifting to mine. “Didshe tell you?”
“She did, but I sort of figured it out when you growled at me,” I answered with a slight shrug.
“Sorry about that,” Folkoln apologized.
Artemesia hiccuped. “Oh look, there are two handsome bastards now. However will I choose between the two? I know . . .” She reached across, her hand latching on to Folkoln’s pec. She gave it a squeeze then whisper-yelled to me, “Gods, this one ishard.”
Her hand lowered, but Folkoln caught her wrist. “Careful, love,” he warned.
“Yoube careful,” Artemesia slurred, her body swaying unpredictably—back and forth, back and forth. I tried to stabilize her, but then she swayed ahead and nearly face-planted.
Folkoln caught her, his arm tucking behind her legs as he swept her off her feet. She lowered her head to his chest, eyes closing.
I followed as Folkoln carried her over to the bed, gently laying her down with such tender care, I wondered if he thought she was made of glass. I had never seen the God of Chaos act so . . . careful.
“What do you plan to do about the bond?” I asked, standing beside him, watching as Artemesia curled in on herself. She let out a small yawn then nestled further into her pillow, her long braids spilling across it.
“I’m trying to figure that out,” Folkoln said as he pulled up a blanket from the end of the bed and placed it over top of her.
“You two are from very different worlds. She has a life here, one I can’t see her leaving,” I said, thinking of all the people who relied on her. I couldn’t imagine the weight of what that must feel like, but I knew the loyalty and love she felt for her people. I had seen it firsthand. No, Artemesia wouldn’t leave them. Of that, I was sure.
Folkoln turned to face me. “It’s too early to think about that. I think she and I need to learn more about one another first.” His starless eyes shifted back down to her. “Then we’ll figure out therest.”
Sage
When I returned to our room, I closed the door behind me and backed against it, taking a moment to admire the God of Death. He cut a striking figure as he stood, barefoot by the window, his tall, masculine frame bathed in silver moonlight. The sleeves of his tunic were rolled up, displaying his muscular, tattooed forearms full of prominent veins. He had a drink in one hand, the other placed casually in his pocket. Face fixed forward, he teased, “Did you get thechildrensettled in?”
“I did,” I answered, making my way over to him.
I leaned against the window frame, my gaze drifting outside.
Above the steep rooftops, a canvas of black framed a bright, glowing moon. Down below, the flickering glow of lanterns lit the brick-paved streets—streets that were void of the hustle and bustle of everyday life that had existed earlier.
The world was quiet, and it wasfinallyjust . . . us.
There was so much we needed to talk about, but most importantly—
“I’m sorry, Von,” I started, my voice soft, sincere. I faced him. “For everything that happened with Aurelius. I was confused, and I didn’t know who to trust, or what to believe. I let my anger and my hurt guide my choices and I acted on impulse. In the end, I betrayed you. I betrayedus.”
“Your apology is unnecessary,” he replied, attention shifting to his drink. “You didn’t just make those choices on your own. Your entire world had been turned upside down. You were recovering memories from our twisted past, discovering . . .how horribleI truly was to you back then. Add on that you were being drugged by Aurelius’s ichor and persuaded by his narcissistic charm. His heart beating within your chest certainly did not help things either.”
